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1ftbq4 | how is pluto, and very small celestial object that is very far from the sun, able to orbit the sun? | Seriously? Pluto is so far away from the Sun, and has such a relatively small mass. If someone would like to lay out the answer mathematically, I can handle that perfectly, such as what the gravitational force is between the objects, even though a 5 year old might not want it that way. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ftbq4/eli5_how_is_pluto_and_very_small_celestial_object/ | {
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"Anything will orbit the Sun that is closer to the Sun than to other stars, is much lighter than the Sun, is not fast enough to escape the Sun's gravity, and does not orbit any other object.\n\nThe closest star to the Sun is Proxima Centauri, over 4 light-years away. The farthest Pluto gets from the Sun is less than 7 light-hours. If not the Sun, what else is Pluto supposed to orbit?",
"Others have already answered, but I was just playing Universe Sandbox and thought it might be interesting to post some images showing just how far out Pluto is. \n\n[For fun,](_URL_0_)\n\n[and for science.](_URL_1_)\n\nNot the most productive answer in the world, but it's interesting! (at least I think so)",
"Pluto's mass is not an issue only the suns mass pulling on it. Dust at the same distance moving at the same speed will orbit, as would Jupiter. \n\nThe velocity of the satellite in orbit is equal to the square root of ((6.673 x 10-11 N•m2/kg2 * The mass of the central object)/the radius of the orbit). \n\nThat's for a circular orbit but its close enough. Note that the mass of the satellite is not part of the calculation. You can adjust the equation if you want a closer or further orbit all that changes is the velocity of the satellite. Adjusting the mass of the central object requires adjusting one of the other two variables to keep the satellite in orbit.\n\nThe only time this becomes a problem is when the satellite is pulled on by another object enough to disturb the orbit. The nearest star is too far to do that (as /u/ygam said 4 light years vs 7 light hours) and Pluto has 3:2 resonance with Neptune. So for every 3 orbits Neptune makes Pluto makes 2, this pulls Pluto towards Neptune in such a way that Pluto effectively stays where it is in relation to the Sun.\n\n[Here](_URL_0_) is a primer on this."
]
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9wdacf | how did they first decide that pyrite (fools gold) was not as valuable as gold? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9wdacf/eli5_how_did_they_first_decide_that_pyrite_fools/ | {
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"You can not form pyrite into jewelry like you can gold. This is the reason why there is no pure diamond or gem rings as it would be very hard to make. However gold and silver is much easier to melt and mold. The other reason is that pyrite can easily change in contact with chemicals. Even just heating it up will cause it to undergo chemical reactions. So if you were to make some jewelry out of pyrite it will not last for long. The reason pyrite is called fools gold is because in a pan small flakes of pyrite looks like small flakes of gold. But the properties are very different. So if you have been collecting everything that looks like small flakes of gold and then try to do something with it like melting it down to a gold bar or cleaning it with acid the fools gold will change into other minerals.",
"Pyrite isn't similar to gold once you get close\n\nIt's Iron sulfide so when you try to melt it to form jewelry you'll discover it has the wrong melting point and ends up wayyy harder than gold and also just looks like iron because that's what it is once you've melted it down\n\nFools gold is just crappy iron not gold"
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2pgq1b | why can't macromedia make a non-vulnerable flash player? | Seriously, my firefox nags me to update my flash player every month because of vulnerability issues. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2pgq1b/eli5_why_cant_macromedia_make_a_nonvulnerable/ | {
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"If I ask you to build a secure house for yourself, you would run into some of the problems software developers face from time and time. For every lock and broken window you fix, someone who really wants to break into your house will do so with more powerful tools - so you can try to install automated sensors and alarm systems or what not, or hell, even buy a gun... But as your house becomes more valuable and famous (because you're a really great guy who likes to throw parties) you might even have to consider hiring security guards and escalate your security procedures.\n\nLikewise, as Flash has become more and more widely used (like on YouTube and other video streaming sites that weren't even around years ago), and has had more content added (like building a bigger house with more entrances and rooms to guard), there's bound to be more hostile hackers who will really go all out to find that one small loophole to break Flash while Flash has to try to play catch-up as well. If you are perceivable enough you can already tell that sometimes, it's not even to do with Macromedia's competence, but just that somewhere every now and then they got to think if it's worth it to keep fixing some of the bugs, especially if it's super-underused and exploited in the wild anyway and difficult to fix.\n\nFrom time to time however you do hear companies \"rebuilding software from scratch\" and overhauling the way they design their software to be more security-conscious, that reflects total changes in their expected security landscape to stay current with the times; some of the older, more stubborn bugs get fixed up when this happens because it's like say, changing the layout of your house. Suffice to say though, that malicious entities will always find some way out of it to warrant constant updating of your software - security is a catchup game.",
"Because MacroMedia no longer exists.^[[1]](_URL_0_)\n\n...drops mike and walks off stage."
]
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7h3sa1 | what are blue collar and white collar jobs? are there any other collars? | I always see the terms 'Blue collar' and 'White Collar' jobs, but I'm never 100% sure what they refer to? I think Blue Collar is things like mechanic etc and I assume it is due to the standard overalls associated with said jobs?
But what does that make White Collars? A lot of work places have people wearing white collars, does it always refer to the type of clothes they wear?
Follow up, are they any other *colour* collar jobs, like Green collar? If so what are they and what do they refer to? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7h3sa1/eli5_what_are_blue_collar_and_white_collar_jobs/ | {
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"Blue collar is manual labor. White collar are Professional office jobs. Some people also refer to grey collar which are service jobs that fall in the middle. ",
"Blue collar worker does jobs that involve manual labor, like construction worker, electrician, plumber, factory worker, etc.\n\nWhite collar refers to people who work jobs in offices, like accountants, lawyers, businessmen, etc. ",
"There are historical terms. White collar workers were office workers, educated, upper society, etc. Blue collar workers did factory jobs or in the mines. Blue clothes hid the dirt and sweat stains. White collar shirts are for people who don't do dirty jobs.\n\n",
"There are all sorts of collar designations: _URL_0_",
"Blue collar refers to manual labor, like factory jobs, construction, mechanics... because they historically wore blue chambray or denim coveralls or work shirts. \n\nWhite collar jobs are office jobs where people historically wore white dress shirts with suits — things like accountants, lawyers, bankers, managers. Knowledge jobs.\n\nThere is also the term “pink collar” that refer to historically female jobs like nursing, childcare/early education, secretaries and so on",
"Blue collar jobs involve manual labor/working with your hands, generally paid hourly.\n\nWhite collar jobs are 'thought' jobs like manager or programmer, people whose jobs involve little physical activity.\n\nThere's also pink collar which involves jobs traditionally held by women, such as caregiver or nurse. As well grey collar which are service jobs such as cashier or floor clerk."
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3x9ick | why is much more in taxes taken out of holiday bonuses? | Edit: People are saying it's a huge amount putting me in a new tax bracket. We're talking about $300 here.... and I only got to see $150 of it. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3x9ick/eli5_why_is_much_more_in_taxes_taken_out_of/ | {
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"So when your taxes get calculated, it's from a tax table. There are different tax tables based on pay frequency. So, if you are paid every two weeks, your employer consults the table for your pay amount, and the amount listed is what they have to withhold -- which is based on 26 times that pay amount. That works out pretty well...\n\n...until it comes to bonuses. See, they have to do exactly the same thing with the bonuses, but what happens is that since the check is more than usual, the tables estimate your taxes at a higher tax bracket.\n\nIn any event, you'll get that money back when you file your taxes next year.",
"Taxes are calculated independently per paycheck. If you're paid weekly, each check is assumed to be 1/52 of what you're being paid in a year. \n\nYour holiday bonus looks, for tax-calculation purposes, as if you're raking in a huge yearly salary. Hence, it's taxed at a higher rate.\n"
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agknvs | when falling from most heights, why is it common to perform a roll upon landing? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/agknvs/eli5_when_falling_from_most_heights_why_is_it/ | {
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"The idea is that when you reach the ground you roll forward to change direction. That way all the speed and inertia you have directed down is directed forward and you don't break all your bits by going straight down too hard.\n\nThis doesn't actually work and you WILL still hurt yourself if you try to roll out of an otherwise harmful fall. ",
"It is a way to disperse the energy of landing. \n\n & #x200B;\n\nIf you jump off a 10 foot high wall and land on your feet keeping your knees locked it will hurt because all the energy of your weight hitting the ground is slammed into your body at once. \n\n & #x200B;\n\nIf you bend your knees as you land and take the strain in your legs then you slow down and stop rather than suddenly stopping. This hurts less. \n\n & #x200B;\n\nIf you land on your toes leaning forwards and propel yourself into a forwards roll then you stop even more gradually. The energy of the weight of your body hitting the ground is taken over a few seconds as you roll instead of one sharp impact. \n\n & #x200B;\n\nThis happens because you transferred some of your momentum from straight down to \"down and forwards\". "
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l9sp1 | can someone explain to how wall street and the bankers messed up the us economy? | All I know is that corporations lobby Washington but that's about it. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/l9sp1/can_someone_explain_to_how_wall_street_and_the/ | {
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"[I'll show you with pictures](_URL_0_).",
"One of the reasons people are so upset with Banks is this thing called the \"Mortgage crisis.\"\n\nBasically, in the past, houses were a very safe investment. People would borrow money from banks to buy houses and it was very safe because it was very rare that someone would not pay the bank back. It made a lot of money because they could charge a fairly low interest rate, but the loan would exist for upwards of 30 years.\n\nThen, someone came up with the idea of selling mortgages. So say you have $10 and I want to buy lunch. I borrow the $10 from you and promise that I will pay you $2 for every day that I don't pay you back. So you know that I won't pay you back for two days, so you will make $4 from me. Instead of holding onto this loan, you tell Fred that I owe you $10. So you tell Fred that if he gives you $12, then you would sell him my debt. He then takes my debt and I owe HIM $14 after the end of the two days. So he makes $2 and you make $2 on the deal and I get lunch.\n\nNow you are making enough money doing this, so you do this a lot. You start lending out money to a lot of people, then bundling these debts together and selling them to other people. This is fine, because people are still paying off the debts so everyone is making money (except the people paying, but they get a house).\n\nBecause this is so profitable, you start lending out money to people who have no job or other source of income. People who have no chance to pay you back. You then sell that debt to Fred. You make your $2, but I can't pay Fred, so Fred now loses $12 and I lose my \"lunch\" (Ok, the analogy started to break down here).\n\nThe banks loaned out money that people had no chance to repay, then went on Wall Street and started selling these mortgages for a lot of money claiming that they were \"safe\" bets. The people lost their houses, because they couldn't pay their mortgages and the people who bought the mortgages lost their money, but the banks still made their money.\n\nAs a footnote, the people who took out the mortgages shouldn't have taken the mortgages they couldn't pay back and the people buying the mortgages from the banks should have done better research into what they were buying and the regulating bodies should have seen what was going on and raised red flags earlier. There is a lot of blame to go around, but the banks are the ones who didn't lose as much (and were bailed out for what they did lose).\n\nThat's one of the reasons people are so mad at the banks specifically. Then there's a lot of talk of inequality in pay and taxes. This is answered well by DerBafog's response.\n\nEdit: I'm an idiot and always say \"loose\" when I mean \"lose\"",
"Step one: Sell people houses that they can't possibly afford. \nStep two: Take all these horrible loans that will never be paid back and bundle them together, thinking that odds are that enough of them will pay back what they owe to break even. Yeah, it's pretty dumb logic, and it involves some rule-bending shenanigans. \nStep three: Now that they are labelled as being better than they should be, get them insured for the trumped-up price. If the people you loaned to pay you back, you get the money! If they don't, it's okay, you're insured! \nStep four: Sell these crappy loads to other financial institutions. Don't mention how crappy they really are, just point to the AAA rating they have when bundled together. \nStep five: Oh god no one is paying back there isn't any money there at all how could this go so wrong \nStep six: [Use the search box to find someone who explained this better than I can.](_URL_0_) ",
"* There are two sources of income when banks issue a mortgage: the fees that homeowners initially pay when getting a mortgage, and the future payments that homeowners will make to repay the loan. Traditionally, the issuing bank makes money off of these future cash flows.\n\n* Some (many) banks start working only to get the fees, and then sell the future cash flows as an investment. These banks don't care about the credit quality of the homeowners because they're going to get the fees, and then sell the mortgage. These banks offer high interest mortgages to people with a high chance to default on their loan. As more houses get sold, fewer houses exist, so the price of houses increase.\n\nPeople involved: homeowners, local banks\n\n* Investment bankers (Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac) interested in maximum returns are the ones who buy these risky mortgages, which have startlingly high interest rates. Risk is bad, but just like how you can buy insurance for physical things, banks can buy insurance in case their investment fails. (For example, I could borrow 100 dollars from you and offer to pay you back 110, but you take the risk that I don't pay you back at all; alternatively, we could go to an insurer who will pay you back 105 whether I pay them or not). Assuming that the insurance company(AIG) doesn't go under, this investment is 100% \"risk free\", and gives interest at a considerably higher rate of return than the true risk free government bond yield.\n\nGroups involved at this point: Homeowners, local banks, investment banks, insurance companies\n\n* Now, we have these \"risk free\" high yield mortgage backed securities around, and everybody wants them. Investors want more, and insurance companies are happy to take in the fees, so investment banks ask the local banks for more mortgages, which lead the local banks to offer increasingly risky mortgages. All of this inflates both the price of houses, as well as the value of the market.\n\nNow we have involved in this big thing: homeowners, local banks, investment banks, insurance companies and investors\n\n* Here's where it gets messy. People start defaulting.\n\nFor the insurance company: If some people default, that's a minor issue because the insurance company makes less money than they expected. If the majority of people start defaulting, the amount that the insurance company has to pay exceeds the value of the company as a whole. Whoops. This is bad, because in spite of this one investment being (very) bad, the insurance company insures people's cars, houses, offers life insurance, etc.\n\nFor the investment banker: A lot of banks invested heavily into these mortgage backed securities. Some investment banks actually borrowed money so they could invest even more into these securities (called leverage), sometimes in excess of borrowing 50 dollars for every 1 dollar invested. Upon finding out that insurance companies couldn't cover the defaults, the price of the investments plummeted, and investment banks suddenly didn't have the cash to stay open. This is bad, because these investment banks still had other rather large profitable clients like retirement funds, university trust funds, etc.\n\nFor the homeowner: The price of houses had been steadily increasing. Suddenly, the value of their houses halved. For some people in the early part of their mortgage, the price of the house was less than the price on the mortgage. People who owned a larger stake in their houses lost a large amount of equity.\n\nFor the local bank: Banks operate in the day to day using small loans between banks. Usually this money is nearly free flowing, at a very low interest rate, but because of the sudden freeze of liquidity at the investment banks, interest rates increased, and even the credibility of a solid bank was not enough to secure low interest rates. This greatly affects the everyday operations of a bank, which are essential to financing people's large purchases.\n\nThe government chose to help out some investment banks, and insurance companies, using the logic that insurance companies still provide a lot of value to anybody that needs insurance, and that investment banks are necessary to help invest in businesses and stimulate the economy. Meanwhile, many homeowners and small business owners became enraged that these companies were given a pardon.",
"[I'll show you with pictures](_URL_0_).",
"One of the reasons people are so upset with Banks is this thing called the \"Mortgage crisis.\"\n\nBasically, in the past, houses were a very safe investment. People would borrow money from banks to buy houses and it was very safe because it was very rare that someone would not pay the bank back. It made a lot of money because they could charge a fairly low interest rate, but the loan would exist for upwards of 30 years.\n\nThen, someone came up with the idea of selling mortgages. So say you have $10 and I want to buy lunch. I borrow the $10 from you and promise that I will pay you $2 for every day that I don't pay you back. So you know that I won't pay you back for two days, so you will make $4 from me. Instead of holding onto this loan, you tell Fred that I owe you $10. So you tell Fred that if he gives you $12, then you would sell him my debt. He then takes my debt and I owe HIM $14 after the end of the two days. So he makes $2 and you make $2 on the deal and I get lunch.\n\nNow you are making enough money doing this, so you do this a lot. You start lending out money to a lot of people, then bundling these debts together and selling them to other people. This is fine, because people are still paying off the debts so everyone is making money (except the people paying, but they get a house).\n\nBecause this is so profitable, you start lending out money to people who have no job or other source of income. People who have no chance to pay you back. You then sell that debt to Fred. You make your $2, but I can't pay Fred, so Fred now loses $12 and I lose my \"lunch\" (Ok, the analogy started to break down here).\n\nThe banks loaned out money that people had no chance to repay, then went on Wall Street and started selling these mortgages for a lot of money claiming that they were \"safe\" bets. The people lost their houses, because they couldn't pay their mortgages and the people who bought the mortgages lost their money, but the banks still made their money.\n\nAs a footnote, the people who took out the mortgages shouldn't have taken the mortgages they couldn't pay back and the people buying the mortgages from the banks should have done better research into what they were buying and the regulating bodies should have seen what was going on and raised red flags earlier. There is a lot of blame to go around, but the banks are the ones who didn't lose as much (and were bailed out for what they did lose).\n\nThat's one of the reasons people are so mad at the banks specifically. Then there's a lot of talk of inequality in pay and taxes. This is answered well by DerBafog's response.\n\nEdit: I'm an idiot and always say \"loose\" when I mean \"lose\"",
"Step one: Sell people houses that they can't possibly afford. \nStep two: Take all these horrible loans that will never be paid back and bundle them together, thinking that odds are that enough of them will pay back what they owe to break even. Yeah, it's pretty dumb logic, and it involves some rule-bending shenanigans. \nStep three: Now that they are labelled as being better than they should be, get them insured for the trumped-up price. If the people you loaned to pay you back, you get the money! If they don't, it's okay, you're insured! \nStep four: Sell these crappy loads to other financial institutions. Don't mention how crappy they really are, just point to the AAA rating they have when bundled together. \nStep five: Oh god no one is paying back there isn't any money there at all how could this go so wrong \nStep six: [Use the search box to find someone who explained this better than I can.](_URL_0_) ",
"* There are two sources of income when banks issue a mortgage: the fees that homeowners initially pay when getting a mortgage, and the future payments that homeowners will make to repay the loan. Traditionally, the issuing bank makes money off of these future cash flows.\n\n* Some (many) banks start working only to get the fees, and then sell the future cash flows as an investment. These banks don't care about the credit quality of the homeowners because they're going to get the fees, and then sell the mortgage. These banks offer high interest mortgages to people with a high chance to default on their loan. As more houses get sold, fewer houses exist, so the price of houses increase.\n\nPeople involved: homeowners, local banks\n\n* Investment bankers (Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac) interested in maximum returns are the ones who buy these risky mortgages, which have startlingly high interest rates. Risk is bad, but just like how you can buy insurance for physical things, banks can buy insurance in case their investment fails. (For example, I could borrow 100 dollars from you and offer to pay you back 110, but you take the risk that I don't pay you back at all; alternatively, we could go to an insurer who will pay you back 105 whether I pay them or not). Assuming that the insurance company(AIG) doesn't go under, this investment is 100% \"risk free\", and gives interest at a considerably higher rate of return than the true risk free government bond yield.\n\nGroups involved at this point: Homeowners, local banks, investment banks, insurance companies\n\n* Now, we have these \"risk free\" high yield mortgage backed securities around, and everybody wants them. Investors want more, and insurance companies are happy to take in the fees, so investment banks ask the local banks for more mortgages, which lead the local banks to offer increasingly risky mortgages. All of this inflates both the price of houses, as well as the value of the market.\n\nNow we have involved in this big thing: homeowners, local banks, investment banks, insurance companies and investors\n\n* Here's where it gets messy. People start defaulting.\n\nFor the insurance company: If some people default, that's a minor issue because the insurance company makes less money than they expected. If the majority of people start defaulting, the amount that the insurance company has to pay exceeds the value of the company as a whole. Whoops. This is bad, because in spite of this one investment being (very) bad, the insurance company insures people's cars, houses, offers life insurance, etc.\n\nFor the investment banker: A lot of banks invested heavily into these mortgage backed securities. Some investment banks actually borrowed money so they could invest even more into these securities (called leverage), sometimes in excess of borrowing 50 dollars for every 1 dollar invested. Upon finding out that insurance companies couldn't cover the defaults, the price of the investments plummeted, and investment banks suddenly didn't have the cash to stay open. This is bad, because these investment banks still had other rather large profitable clients like retirement funds, university trust funds, etc.\n\nFor the homeowner: The price of houses had been steadily increasing. Suddenly, the value of their houses halved. For some people in the early part of their mortgage, the price of the house was less than the price on the mortgage. People who owned a larger stake in their houses lost a large amount of equity.\n\nFor the local bank: Banks operate in the day to day using small loans between banks. Usually this money is nearly free flowing, at a very low interest rate, but because of the sudden freeze of liquidity at the investment banks, interest rates increased, and even the credibility of a solid bank was not enough to secure low interest rates. This greatly affects the everyday operations of a bank, which are essential to financing people's large purchases.\n\nThe government chose to help out some investment banks, and insurance companies, using the logic that insurance companies still provide a lot of value to anybody that needs insurance, and that investment banks are necessary to help invest in businesses and stimulate the economy. Meanwhile, many homeowners and small business owners became enraged that these companies were given a pardon."
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a8b4ac | why do monks have shaved heads? is there something in the bible? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a8b4ac/eli5_why_do_monks_have_shaved_heads_is_there/ | {
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"Do Christian monks shave their heads? I thought that was more of a Buddhist monk thing.",
"It's called tonsure and it's a sign of religious devotion and humility. The practice largely ended in the 70s though. Only a few groups still practice it.\n\nThe reasonings and symbolisms are different dependent on what sect you ask. \n\n > St. Germanus I, Patriarch of Constantinople from 715 to 730, writes \"The double crown inscribed on the head of the priest through tonsure represents the precious head of the chief-apostle Peter. When he was sent out in the teaching and preaching of the Lord, his head was shaved by those who did not believe his word, as if in mockery. The Teacher Christ blessed this head, changed dishonor into honor, ridicule into praise.\"\n\nPretty much the same reason we shave our heads when loved ones lose their hair to cancer. To own it. To try and bring about inner strength in the face of humility. We are all in this together. "
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2l5dm0 | what does the phrase "twice removed" or even "removed" mean when referring to a family member? | I never understood this, is it actually a thing or is it just a phrase?
e.g. My cousin, twice removed/
Thanks in advance for the answers. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2l5dm0/eli5_what_does_the_phrase_twice_removed_or_even/ | {
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"So your father's brother's son is your first cousin. You go up one generation, then a sibling over, and down one generation. 1 = first.\n\nYour grandfather's brother's grandson is your second cousin. Up two, a sibling over, and down two. 2 = second.\n\nBut what about your grandfather's brother's son? Up 2, sibling over, down 1. How do you handle that difference? You call them a first cousin (using the smaller of the two numbers) once removed (using the difference of the two numbers.\n\nYour great great grandfather's (4) brother's son (1) is your first cousin 3 times removed. Your great great grandfather's (4) brother's great grandson (3) is your third cousin one removed. ",
"All that removed means is that there's a generational difference from you. Your parents' first cousins are your first cousins once removed. Your grandparents' first cousins are your first cousins twice removed. So it goes up or down (your cousins' kids are your first cousins once removed as well.)\n\nFirst and second and third and so on indicate how many generations you have to go back to find first cousins. Your first cousins are your parents' siblings' kids. When you have kids and your first cousins have kids, those kids will be second cousins (and your first cousin once removed). When those kids have kids, they will be third cousins (and your first cousins twice removed). \n\nHope this helps and didn't just make it worse. :)",
"Let me take a stab at a simpler explanation.\n\n\"Removed\" refers to a change in generations.\n\nYour parent's first cousin is your **first cousin - once removed**.\nYour grandparents first cousin is your **first cousin - twice removed**.\n\nIt also works the other way (i.e., your relationship to younger generation.) \n\nYour first cousin's child is your cousin once removed.\nYour first cousin's child is your child's second cousin. (This relationship is not \"removed\" because your child and your cousin's child are of the same generation.)\n",
"Drew this to help you visualize it: _URL_0_\n\nBasically, number of generations away from being the same level down from the shared ancestor as you.",
"I always just thought it meant they messed up bad enough to basically be disowned by the family",
"I would venture to say this is the best response for your question: _URL_0_\n\nThough, to be fair, if I can have cgp grey explain something to me, I will always go that route.",
"wow i always thought that 'removed' meant divorced and then remarried back into the family. TIL otherwise. ",
"\n A first cousin is someone who shares the same grandparent(s) as you, but not either parent; the child of your aunt or uncle.\n A second cousin is someone who shares the same great-grandparent(s) as you, but not parents or grandparents\n A third cousin is someone who shares the same great-great-grandparent as you, but not parents, grandparents or great-grandparents\n\netc.\n\nA first cousin once removed can be either:\n\n The child of your first cousin\n The first cousin of your parent\n\nA second cousin once removed can be either:\n\n The child of your second cousin\n The second cousin of your parent\n\nIf you have a first cousin once removed, then you are also the first cousin once removed of that person. If you have a second cousin once removed, then you are also the second cousin once removed of that person. Your second cousin's children are the third cousins of your children.\n\nEach time it is removed once, that person will go one generation down or up. Each time it is removed twice, that person will go two generations down or up.\n\n_URL_0_\n\nThe easiest translation is it means, \"distant,\" in terms of generations. Your first cousin, twice removed, is your first cousin's grandparent or grandchild (two generations removed). Since your first cousin's grandparent would be your grandparent, however, you can assume they're talking about their grandchild.\n\n",
"All these responses and nobody linked to the awesome Wikipedia article yet?\n\n_URL_0_",
"I always explain it this way:\n\nMy mom's first cousins are my first cousins once removed.\n\nMy mom's first cousins' children are my second cousins.\n\nMy mom's first cousins remain my first cousins, with a generation removed since they are her generation and not mine. Their kids, however, are the same generation as me, but we're now into a whole new generation down, hence the \"second\". \n\nMy second cousins' kids will be my second cousins once removed, but my kids and their kids will be full third cousins. My kids will also be first cousins twice removed to my mom's actual first cousins. So on and so forth. \n\n[Here's a helpful diagram](_URL_0_)\n\n",
"The simplest way I’ve heard it explained:\n\n1. Count how many generations back you have to go until your familial line and your cousin’s familial line meet as siblings. Always start with whoever is the earlier generation. This is the # cousins you are. For example, if your dad and their mom were siblings, you are first cousins because you only had to go back 1 generation for your lines to meet as siblings. If your grandfather and their grandfather were brothers, for example, you would be second cousins, because you had to go back 2 generations to find the sibling connection.\n\n2. If you and your cousin are not the same # of generations descended from those siblings, then the “removed” comes in. It simply describes the difference in generations from the sibling connection to you and your cousin. For example, if your dad and their grandfather were siblings then you are first cousins (1 generation up from you to find the sibling connection) once removed (the # generations difference between you and them). If your great-grandfather and their mother were siblings then you are first cousins (1 generation up from them (the earlier generation) to find the sibling connection) twice removed. \n\nEDIT: corrected second example",
"I always think ELI5s are easy to just Google but generally theres some justification for wanting a redditor to explain its complexities in lay form. But seriously this is just a basic definition.",
"If no one has posted this yet, [here is an insanely helpful chart for family relations!](_URL_0_)",
"I've got a few family members I'd like to have \"removed\". ",
"What would my dad's niece's son be considered? Second cousin?",
"[Here's an interesting graphic we use at work all the time](_URL_0_) \n\nSource: I deal with people's estates, and sometimes finding heirs is a bitch. ",
"Cousins have common ancestors.\n\n\n0) (zeroeth) cousins share a parent (these are siblings, 1 gen from common ancestor)\n\n1) (first) cousins share a grandparent (2 gens from common ancestor)\n\n2) second cousins share a great grandparent (3 gens from common ancestor)\n\n...\n\n\n\nAbove, the cousins are the same gen count from the common ancestor. When they are not the same gen count (ie my grandfather is your great grandfather), then they are \"removed\" from each other. The removal is the same as the difference in generations.",
"Maybe it's a cultural thing, but all of my parents' cousins are my aunts and uncles, and all my cousins' kids are my nieces and nephews.",
"CGP Grey covered this in an excellent video: _URL_0_",
"[Here's](_URL_0_) a chart to show you, it's easier to visualise the relationships this way\n\n",
"Any german speakers here? Is this comparable to \"Graden\"?\n\"Cousine ersten Grades, zweiten Grades usw.\"?",
"Three words: Parent's sibling's kids. Siblings is how you get across, parents and kids are how you get up and down.\n\n1st cousin: parent's sibling's kid. 2nd cousin: parent's parent's sibling's kid's kid. 3rd cousin: parent's parent's parent's sibling's kid's kid's kid. 2nd is your grandparent's sibling's grandkid, 3rd is great grandparent's sibling's great grandkid.\n\nSo that's fine if you go up (parent) as many times as you go down (kid). When you don't match them though, the difference between the two is the \"removed\" part. For example: your parent's parent's sibling's kid is your first cousin once removed, since one of the kids is missing. If you also got rid of one of the parents, they'd be a first cousin, so it's first cousin once removed. Parent's parent's parent's sibling's kid is your first cousin twice removed (two kids missing), and that kid's kid is your second cousin once removed (only one kid missing).\n\nReally, it's just keeping track of where they are up (parents) and down (kids) this family tree, specifically the parent - > sibling - > kid relation. If you keep track of that, the rest will figure itself out.\n\nSource: my second cousin once removed has won the Superbowl a couple of times, so I've been explaining this to not-ridiculous-family folk for the last ten years. ",
"In genealogy, there's a trick called \"count the Gs.\" In other words, common grandparents, great-grandparents, etc., determine the degree of cousins, and the difference between relationship gives you the removed.\n\nLet me make this clearer. If you have the same parents you're siblings, so stop there. If you don't have the same parents, the first step is to determine the most recent common ancestor, which will be at least a grandparent.\n\nOkay. You have at least one common *g*randparent? That's one G, so you're first cousins. You're both grandchildren of that grandparent, so 1G - 1G = no removed. You're direct first cousins.\n\n*G*reat *g*randparent in common? Two Gs, so second cousins.\n\n*G*reat *g*reat *g*randparent in common? Three Gs, third cousins, etc.\n\nNow let's suppose that your grandmother is your cousin's great grandmother. We stop at the most recent, so that's one G (for your *g*randmother) and you're first cousins. But it's your cousin's *g*reat *g*randmother, so for him or her, it's 2G. 2G - 1G = 1G, so this person would be your first cousin once removed.\n\nA little more complicated one: your *g*reat *g*randfather is your cousins's *g*reat *g*reat *g*reat *g*randfather. So, your *g*reat *g*randfather = 2G. Second cousins. His *g*reat *g*reat *g*reat *g*randfather = 4G. 4G - 2G = 2G, so this person would be your second cousin, twice removed.\n\nAnd so on. The hard part isn't figuring out what degree of cousins you are, of course. It's figuring out how you're related in the first place...",
"[CGP Grey has a great YouTube video explaining family trees](_URL_0_), in which he also explains (and illustrates) once and twice removed in a very simple way.",
"It is the worst way of defining a family. Take a look at this chart:\n\n_URL_0_\n\nNotice that \"cousin once removed\" has 2 meanings: once in the generation before yours, and once in the generation after. Its a mess.",
"*x*th cousin, *y*ce removed: x is the lowest amount of generations until the common ancestor, and y is the difference between the gap.\n\nsrc: CGPGrey",
"Before you can understand what the \"removed\" part means, you must first understand what the number means in 1st, 2nd, 3rd cousins ect. What the number means is simple. It is how many generations you must go back beyond your parents before you find a common ancestor. Therefore if you and your cousin share a grandmother you have to go back one generation beyond your parents until you share an ancestor, and they are your first cousin. If you share a great grandmother, you must go back two generations beyond your parents and they would be your second cousin. (Therefore, the children of your uncle/ aunt are your first cousins. The children of your parent's first cousins are your second cousins).\n\nThe problem arises however when you compare family members of different generations. For example, lets pretend your mother has a cousin name Mary. If you trace back your lineage to Mary, then you would find that you and her share your great grandmother, and Mary would be your second cousin. However, if you were to trace back your lineage from Mary's perspective, she would say that you and her share her grandmother and you would therefore be first cousins. When this is the case you go by the person of the oldest generation. Therefore you would start with Mary and trace her lineage back to your grandmother and she would be your first cousin. But then you would count how many generations are between you and Mary and you would find one. That would make you and Mary (your mothers first cousin), \"first cousins, Once removed).\n\nIf you then go on to have children, your children and Mary would still share Mary's grandmother as a common ancestor. However now there are two generations between your children and Mary so it would make them \"first cousins, twice removed\"",
"How come you didn't just Google this?",
"Snitches get stitches, and sometimes you gotta call the ghost busters. ",
"This really seems like one of those unnecessarily difficult western concepts.\n\nIs it not easier to just say that you and your first cousin are first cousins, while your and their children are second cousins? And so on and so forth. It's much easier to just follow the generations. This is how the rest of the world does it, if I understand correctly. The actual generation is thrown in there.",
"This will probably get burried, so I'm going to PM the OP. \n\nBut [this](_URL_1_) is by far the best explanation about family tree thanks to youtubes CGP Grey. He also did a [part 2](_URL_0_) explaining cross and parallel cousins. ",
"For you and a given cousin, find the first common ancestor you have working up the family tree. Count how many generations are between you and that coommon ancestor and your cousin and that ancestor. Subtract these two numbers (the generational difference). This is how many times removed you are.",
"... now that I think about it, the word \"removed\" is kind of weird too. Re moved. Quite literally \"moved again.\" ",
"What is the son of the couple consisting of my father's brother and my mother's sister?",
"Awesome tutorial I stumbled upon one day:\n_URL_0_ ",
"Don't believe no one has done this yet...\n\n_URL_0_\n\nReally good explanation by grey, you see on which level the lower cousin is and subtract it by the other cousin. Difficult to explain on text, though the video should do the trick :)",
"I know I'm late to this post, but I've read a few of the responses here and want to throw in my $.02 for the heck of it. I, my family, and every other family I have ever been familiar with goes by this, incorrect or not:\nParallel cousins are considered \"first\". If there's a generation difference between you and the other (your parent's cousin, or your cousin's child, for example) that is considered second cousin, or once removed. A two generation split would be third cousin, or twice removed, and so on.\n",
"I always referred to my mother's cousin as my \"second aunt\" as opposed to a \"first cousin once removed\".\n\nTo me, it makes more sense, as my cousins' mothers are my aunts, so I call my second cousins' mothers my second aunts, etc.\n\nGenerational differences are accomplished via \"great/grand\", and the direction via niece vs aunt.\n\nI'd call my grandma's cousin my grand-second aunt\n\nI guess, the algorithm for determining the term might be:\n1) Navigate directly up or down to appropriate generation. One step is a parent/child (no prefix), Two steps is a grand. Add a great for any subsequent steps.\n\n2) Determine relation to great/grand/parent/child, be it cousin, second cousin or more.\n\nThis feels less insane to me for some reason.\n\n",
"Wow! This really blew up, beyond my expectations! I want to thank you all for your posts and answers :)"
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dqie0c | why are there not increase cases of cancer when woman go through pregnancy. with all of the changes in the body and the division of cells wouldn’t there be a higher risk or does the body have a failsafe due to needing to procreate? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/dqie0c/eli5_why_are_there_not_increase_cases_of_cancer/ | {
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"Those cells that are dividing are designed to do so via DNA.. cancer is mutated cells gone rogue, recruiting their neighbors to do the same. Not acting as the DNA tells them to.. best way I can describe it to a 5 year old.",
"Actually, a pregnancy decreases cancer risk, mostly due to fetal stem cells going into the mother's blood and thus helping her stay healthy and strong over the first years of the child's life when she evolutionary had to care for her offspring.",
"Some types of breast cancer do appear and reproduce incredibly fast during pregnancy. I know women who had to choose between their baby and their lives. It's horrific.",
"I remember reading that every day your immune system destroys approximately 14 cells that would have otherwise developed into a cancer. That's 14 times every single day you have a chance to develop cancer, luckily the immune system is very effective."
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20umtn | how do we measure the mass of the universe? is it possible we didn't count it all? | I got chewed out for asking this in another sub so let me just start right off and say, I am not trolling. I seriously don't understand why we need dark matter and dark energy to account for missing mass in the universe. What if we didn't count it all? Why is everyone so confident we did? Just how much mass is missing anyway? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/20umtn/eli5_how_do_we_measure_the_mass_of_the_universe/ | {
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"We *know* we didn't count it all. The stuff we didn't count is dark matter. We didn't count it because we can't find it. That's the mystery...we know it's there because of it's gravity but we can't find it. "
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2f01gt | how does the word assume differ from infer? | Assume and infer have similar definitions but are technically different. Can someone please explain?! | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2f01gt/eli5how_does_the_word_assume_differ_from_infer/ | {
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"when you infer you use logic to reach an conclusion based on other facts you know adding up to find a truth. When you assume you are just reusing something you may have heard in the past or decided on by yourself without using logic to determine whether it is valid or not.",
"_URL_0_\n\n > In this article we focus on two of the elements of reasoning: inferences and assumptions. Learning to distinguish inferences from assumptions is an important intellectual skill. Many confuse the two elements. Let us begin with a review of the basic meanings:\n\n > Inference: An inference is a step of the mind, an intellectual act by which one concludes that something is true in light of something else’s being true, or seeming to be true. If you come at me with a knife in your hand, I probably would infer that you mean to do me harm. Inferences can be accurate or inaccurate, logical or illogical, justified or unjustified.\n\n > Assumption: An assumption is something we take for granted or presuppose. Usually it is something we previously learned and do not question. It is part of our system of beliefs. We assume our beliefs to be true and use them to interpret the world about us. If we believe that it is dangerous to walk late at night in big cities and we are staying in Chicago, we will infer that it is dangerous to go for a walk late at night. We take for granted our belief that it is dangerous to walk late at night in big cities. If our belief is a sound one, our assumption is sound. If our belief is not sound, our assumption is not sound. Beliefs, and hence assumptions, can be unjustified or justified, depending upon whether we do or do not have good reasons for them. Consider this example: “I heard a scratch at the door. I got up to let the cat in.” My inference was based on the assumption (my prior belief) that only the cat makes that noise, and that he makes it only when he wants to be let in.\n\n_URL_0_",
"Assume has a higher degree of 'guessing' the meaning while infer is more of studying the evidence and making a judgement "
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pynxk | why does a limit to speed exist? | I understand the whole speed of light being the limit thing, but *why*? If an object is in space and has an infinite trajectory and an infinite fuel supply, why could it not keep accelerating forever? Why would the acceleration ever decrease? There is no friction, no terminal velocity, so if a spaceship keeps shooting out fire from its ass why wouldn't it keep going faster and faster? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/pynxk/why_does_a_limit_to_speed_exist/ | {
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"You *can* accelerate forever (if you have an infinite fuel supply). It just turns out that maintaining the same acceleration forever will never get something past the speed of light.",
"Everything is travelling through spacetime. Even when you're sitting absolutely still, all your motion is being directed towards moving-through-time, in the futurewards direction.\n\nHere's a graph:\n\nspace\n\n^\n\n|\n\n|\n\n|------------ > \n\n_________________ > time\n\nWhen you start to move, some of that moving-through-time motion is diverted into moving-through-space motion. I can't do the formatting in this comment box, but imagine that arrow gets tilted up slightly from where it intersects the space axis. You're still travelling though time, just less than the person who's sitting still. \n\nNow the more energy you put into travelling through space, the higher that arrow gets tilted and the slower time seems to travel for you (in comparison with the guy sitting still). It takes more and more energy to go faster as you approach the speed of light. \n\nLight travels vertically on our graph. Light is always 0 on the time axis. No time passes at all for a photon, ever. For a photon, everything happens simultaneously. From a photon's point of view, it is emitted and absorbed at the same time. Light is something that invests all of its energy in moving-through-space and none in moving-through-time.\n\nSo if by some impossible way (e=mc^2, so you can't accelerate a massive object to light speed) you invested *all* of your energy into travelling through space, you would still only be travelling at the speed of light. \n\n**EDIT:** [Drew the graph in Paint.](_URL_0_) Forgive me. \n\n**EDIT 2:** To clarify some things with that horrific Paint sketch, the yellow is supposed to be light, and it's supposed to be completely vertical, not slightly angled like in the sketch. As the blue guy travels faster, time passes less quickly from his point of view (the time/x-coordinate gets smaller as the space/y-coordinate increases).\n\nThis sketch also shows that if our little blue buddy were to somehow impossibly exceed the speed of light, the green arrow would angle backwards and the time value (the x-coordinate) would be negative. This is why people say you would go backwards in time if you exceeded the speed of light (which is impossible). \n",
":)\n\nIt can keep accelerating forever, and this will actually make the journey shorter and shorter (just as you'd experience it when driving your car faster on the same distance).\n\nIf the object were to reach the speed of light (which it can't), then the time it would take from start to whatever's in its directional path would be reduced to zero, even if the distance is infinite, because it has become omnipresent (regarding that 1 dimension that its path is, and also only beginning at the starting point). Obviously, that's so extreme that you need an infinite amount of energy to reach that speed, and it takes you an infinite amount of time (meaning that you will not ever complete the task).\n\nIf you go at the speed of light, you go at infinite speed, at least from your perspective.\n\n\"But I'm only going 300,000 km per second!\" Not from your perspective. You'd indeed measure a timespan of zero from here to Jupiter if you were going at the speed of light, and your math would necessarily output that \"instant\" means \"infinite speed\". And this is why we have time dilation."
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1oy6tn | everyone's advice for me (a person in their 20s) is to go travel after college. how the hell do you do that when you have no money? i assume most of my friends are traveling with their parents money. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1oy6tn/eli5_everyones_advice_for_me_a_person_in_their/ | {
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"Why do you need money to travel? The point is to figure out how to deal with people, explore, and figure out how to make things work. It isn't about living in hotels or something. Look at [Jack VS Life](_URL_0_) to see what I mean. ",
"Well, for most 20 somethings the major cost of travel would be the plane ticket. Even then you can get pretty decent tickets just about anywhere in the world for max-ish 2000-4000$. Even working a minimum type job will get you enough to save up for a 3-6 month trip every now and then. Plus once you travel you can earn money through work-visa programs, student-programs or farming co-ops. If your willing to think a little outside the box you can travel for long periods of time for next to nothing. Of course you are not staying at the Ritz or even the Super-8 motel, or even a hostel. There are super cheap ways to travel for practically nothing like couch surfing. It's hard, it's dirty and it's tiring but at the end of it you get to go to amazing place and meet new people. \n\nI have plenty of friends for example who have travelled to New Zealand and area for a year. They have been saving up for a ticket and a little extra money but worked while they were down their too so that they could travel to other countries in the region, like Malaysia.\n\n",
"I've traveled for free, technically. I took a teaching job in Korea, and currently have on in Japan. Free plane ticket, steady pay, opportunity to travel to more exotic locales (Thailand/China/India/etc), cheap (or no) rent. \n\nI've met tons of interesting people, learned tons of interesting things, and done tons of really cool things. I stood in war zones; I've eaten fresh sushi (it was alive moments before I ate it), and just. . . wow. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. \n\nThe best part is that, when I'm done, I have a shit ton of money from work. I didn't blow it all sleeping in some hostel, and partying for two months and then return home to need to find a job. \n\nThe other best part is that it's not that hard to break in to. You can be in Korea in about two months, if you really wanted to. Korea not your thing? You can teach almost anywhere on Earth. All you need is a four year degree (in any subject) and the desire to get lost somewhere. \n\nEdit* This is a GREAT way to get rid of student loans. "
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1kaj5q | why is "american" considered a nationality, and not a race? like swedish or german? | A lot have people have told me that American is a nationality, and thus not a "race". According to my parents, I'm half swedish. If I went to Sweden, would I be able to say, "Oh, I'm half American". Hasn't the american gene pool developed enough to the point where we could be considered our own race? (Is there a better word for that?) | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1kaj5q/eli5_why_is_american_considered_a_nationality_and/ | {
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"Swedish and German are not considered races either, they are also nationalities. \n\nEdit: Many nations in Europe though are homogeneous enough to be considered to have one dominant culture and ethnicity. That is not true for the US, and an ethnicity is not he same as a race. Ethnicity is mostly cultural factors. ",
"I mean, we *could* consider American a race. But it seems kinda silly to say that [T-Pain](_URL_1_) and [Andy Samberg](_URL_0_) are the same race. That doesn't really match up with how anyone thinks about race.",
"Technically speaking all humans are one race, there are no zoological distinctions between what we call social races.\n\nSocially though, a race has some distinctive and unmistakable physical characteristic, skin color is the most well established differentiation but there are a few others, but the important thing is to be able to tell at a glance. But know that all such social divisions are purely social constructs, and for the most part very misleading.\n\nSince you can't tell a Caucasian Frenchman from an Caucasian American, they are said to be the same race. Even though the two are possibly even probably more different from each other culturally and psychologically than a Caucasian American and an African American. ",
"Were too diverse, which is what makes us so unique.\n\nAround the turn of the 2nd Century the Germanic tribes mainly stayed put. There was very little opportunities where gene pools could intermingle amongst the different races except from invasion, refuges fleeing a tragedy, or the occasional migrant or traveler, especially when you compared it with today. Hence the people of the time actually had definitive features that indicated where they came from. Strong Jaw, blond hair, black hair, red hair, tall, short, etc. It was easy to see they were Celtic, Anglo, Saxon, Etc. \n\nMany people of today still hold onto their features from those times to indicate they are of that race. For instance, I have red highlights, I know my ancestry is from Ireland and I can trace my roots back to the Invasion of the Anglo-Saxons when they invaded the Celtic Isles. I am also Part German as well and some of my strong facial features indicate that. \n\nFortunately America is such a diversity of people, religions, cultures, etc which is one of their greatest assets. I wouldn't want to see it considered a race. \n\nFinal thoughts, now that the world is so connected the Racial lines are becoming blurred. Much like the Caucasian race, where everyone is 1/2, 1/4, or beyond of various European tribes, the world will soon not have clear racial lines, only where there is isolationism where the term \"race\" still exist."
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7qig5a | why can the aging process of alcoholic beverages not be artificially sped up or completely skipped? | A 10 year old whiskey, a 20 year old wine. It is a big business having alcoholic beverages age and sell them for a multiple of their original value.
Why did no one discover a way from A to C without having to move through B? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7qig5a/eli5why_can_the_aging_process_of_alcoholic/ | {
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"Often alcoholic beverages are aged in wooden barrels. During the aging, the beverage is infused with flavour from the wood of the barrel. While theoretically it would be possible to artificially add those flavours, it is difficult to know exactly what and how much to add since those flavours are very subtle and depend on a lot of things, including the wood used, the specific beverage and the time it is aged for. There is also little incentive to do so, as often aged beverages are enthusiast products, and enthusiasts usually aren't very appreciative of artificial flavours. The long aged products are a status symbol as well, and skipping the aging process would diminish their value and prestige as a status symbol.",
"The time it takes is what makes it expensive. There are lots of alcoholic beverages that are based on 'not aged' alcohol and then spiced, colored and whatnot - the usually cheaper versions of the good stuff. Whiskey for example gets its caramel brown color from the aging process in the barrel, as well as the characteristic taste (often they use barrels that were used to age red-wine before, not new barrels, so it's a hint of the red wine and the wood). However if you go to the store and look at many whiskey bottles, you will see that many contain caramel color, especially the not so well-aged ones to make them look like really well aged whiskey. Some rum sorts contain spices and chemical aroma to mimic well aged rum. \n\nPeople pay a lot for real aged spirit that gets color and taste from the natural process. If you do it artificially or skip it you can still drink it, but it will be considered cheap and no one would pay as much for it as they do now. Spirits and wine are a cultural thing too, and a luxury good at that. The luxury isn't in the ingredients, but in the process. ",
"The aging process can be easily faked by raising and lowering the temperature from warm to freezing of the barrels over the timespan of a couple of days to equivalate a year of normal aging. \n\nThis works by the heat expanding and opening the pores in the wooden barrel, letting in water molequles before freezing and closing the pores and capturing the «taste» of the wood. Releasing it as it warms up again.\n\nThis is a very normal process in making moonshine wiskey etc. But is said to not give the same quality of normal aging.\n\nI guess time is virtue no matter where you look\n\nEdit: during the aging process, more of the water dissapears, presumably by condensation. Leaving a much finer wiskey behind after years",
"In a way, things *can* be sped up.\n\nAgeing in wooden barrels means that some of the liquid evaporates, the wood passes some chemicals to the liquid. These processes can be sped up (a bit). There's whiskey from warmer, moister parts of the world than Scotland, for example, where the whiskey tastes a lot like older whiskey even at a relatively young age. A 5 year old may taste more like your typical 10 year old.\n\nHowever, while some aspects of the flavor taste more mature, others don't. It's hard to describe. So, at the end of the day, time passes at a riven rate (effects of general relativity don't matter on earth) and some things just take time.",
"Such a way already exists, and it's already used for a handful of products you can find on shelves. The taste acquired through aging in wooden barrels is based on reactions with the wood. Increase the surface area of the wood, and you can make a younger spirit taste like an older spirit; this is already well known, and a reason why cask size matters. What might not be commonly known is that you can say, age a spirit in microparticles of wood, and such small particles have huge surface area compared to their volume. This doesn't recreate the smell of an older spirit, though. In order to do that, you need to siphon off parts of the distillate and then strategically add them back in to the finished product. It's more complicated that I've made it out to be, but these are the very basics.\n\nThe current commercial level applications are for low end to mid end product, not due to technology limitations, but due to the nature of the industry as it currently exists. Unfortunately due to consumer ignorance, labeling standards with respect to age, and other industry BS, you're not going to see this kind of application of natural products chemistry used to say, make excellent \"aged\" wine and spirits very cheap and very plentiful. It'd entirely be possible, but the industry as it stands has a vested interest against it, lawmakers lean to whatever their funders want and regulatory bodies with respect to alcohol are largely captured agencies, and most consumers are clueless and generally not that interested so don't expect any kind of meaningful anything from them.",
"One thing I don't see already mentioned is that liquors will age faster in smaller barrels due to the much higher surface area to volume ratio (thus more contact area for flavors from the wood to enter a given volume of liquor. You can even buy small barrels yourself - it's a great way to take a cheap whiskey or rum and after a couple months, have a product that tastes like its been aged for several years additional. However, small barrels just aren't commercially viable due to the greatly increased material and labor costs - not to mention marketing issues (few people are going to believe a 3 year old small barrel whiskey is as good as, say, a 10 year old whiskey from a standard barrel) ",
"It can be, although it's not a perfect process. There are quite a few patented ways to do it using wood chips, or filtering it through the wood, or even a few using high frequency sound. The bigger problem comes in when you try to sell it, in quite a few cases there are legal requirements for how long a particular alcohol has to be aged before you can sell it as a scotch or a brandy.",
"Vintage (year) matters for wine, not only because the aging process, but also the climate the year the grapes were harvested. So older isn't necessarily better; specific years in specific regions are.\n\nLarge winemakers will use artificial processes to try to bring as much consistency as possible. [source](_URL_0_) "
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86jhbn | why does better quality music( 320 kbps, and so on) occupy more digital memory? | Since I started using Spotify Premium I noticed that if you choose to stream music with "extreme" quality, it fills up my phone's memory much more quickly, and so I'm curious as to why that is. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/86jhbn/eli5_why_does_better_quality_music_320_kbps_and/ | {
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"Just like with an image, higher resolution = bigger file size. The bit rate of an audio file (ie 320 Kbps) is essentially the resolution of the song. Higher bit rates = more bits of data per second of music. It has absolutely nothing to do with musical notes like one of the previous answers suggests.",
"Short answer is lower quality music has been compressed by removing certain sound information that we can't hear (high and low frequencies), usually the quality depreciation isn't too bad using earphones but with a high-end hi-fi with a fat bass the 'clipping' will become more apparent so the higher bitrate will be more appropriate.",
"The bit is a unit of digital storage. 8 bits are in a byte, 1024 bytes are a kilobyte, 1024 kilobytes are a megabyte and so on. \n\n\nSo it should stand to reason why the higher quality music uses more space. The clue is in the name. 320Kbps (kilobits per second) means literally 320,000 bits per second. \n\nSo naturally that's going to use up storage three times faster than 96Kbps. \n\n320Kbps means that there can be many more digital 'snapshots' (or samples) of the sound wave per second than you can get with 96Kbps, so you get better quality, clearer high end audio (fizzing cymbals and so on), various other things that lower bitrates can miss. ",
"Breaking it down:\n\n* **K** Kilo. 1,000.\n* **b** Bit. A 1 or 0. 8 of them in a byte.\n* **p** Per\n* **s** Second\n\nSo there's 320,000 1s and 0s per second. Or 40,000 bytes per second. Multiply by the song's length in seconds, and that's basically how much space it will take up. There is a relatively negligible amount of extra for the metadata like the song's title, artist, etc. This will be dwarfed by the actual song's data though."
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5zmrel | how do we take pictures of space while the earth is spinning? | The earth is spinning at 30 m/s. Wouldn´t every single movement prevent us from taking clear and sharp images of galaxys/planets/stars? Especially at such distances? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5zmrel/eli5_how_do_we_take_pictures_of_space_while_the/ | {
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"The pictures of galaxies you might come across are taken via satellite. The satellites camera is focused on 1 single point in the \"sky\" and it will keep itself focused for how long it needs to be (with thrusters or gyrodiscs, dont really know bout that bit)",
"That's only one rotation per day, or roughly 0.25º per minute. Long-exposure photography of the night sky shows exactly the effect you would think, but on the timescale of less than a second, it's fine.",
"That works out to only a degree every 4 minutes. But you do make a fair point and a lot of amateur astro photography does show the trailing of stars on long exposures.\n\nIf you can gather more light or make up for the spin you do get clearer images, more sensitive sensors become more prone to noise, though.",
"First, you can set cameras/telescopes to track specific objects in the sky. This is done routinely with earthbound cameras. \n\nSecond, we have cameras/telescopes in space. ",
"When it comes to aiming something like as a telescope, at a really distant object like a star, what matters is not linear movements but angles. And the Earth's rotation makes the angle change quite slowly, slow enough that a motor turning the other way can counteract it."
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9fk3jg | why do zippers make a higher-pitched noise when they're pulled faster? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9fk3jg/eli5_why_do_zippers_make_a_higherpitched_noise/ | {
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"Sounds are vibrations in air. Low pitched sounds are slower vibrations while higher pitched sounds are faster vibrations. Moving a zipper faster pulls it past the teeth faster and produces faster vibrations, thus a higher pitched sound."
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fbr6ms | how does instagram and/or messenger "know" when a message has been seen or if someone is typing? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fbr6ms/eli5_how_does_instagram_andor_messenger_know_when/ | {
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"It is part of the protocol. If someone reads a message or is typing their app will send this information to your app (via the server)."
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zx8po | why is prostitution illegal? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/zx8po/eli5_why_is_prostitution_illegal/ | {
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"In historic times, prostitution used to lead to illegitimate children (bastards). Children raised illegitimately were poor or poorly brought up, leading to an increase in crime. Prostitution became associated with the ills of society. Banning it was seen as a solution, and in many places it worked. Wide-spread, affordable, effective birth control is a relatively modern invention, and its effects haven't been fully realized yet.",
"I have always wondered about this too. To quote the great George Carlin who said \"Selling is legal. Fucking is legal. So why isn't selling-fucking legal?\" Perfect Logic.",
"Because boys grow up and have daughters.",
"Because the moral majority thought that sex was bad, so by extension a career based on sex is also bad. There have also been some secular arguments about spreading disease and safety of the women, none of which really hold much water. In places where it currently is legal, these aren't actual problems, they are only big problems for illegal prostitution.",
"* Some people feel that sex is a special experience, and that prostitution devalues all sex when it can sometimes be paid for. \n\n* Some people worry of infidelity of their long-term partners (or themselves) with seemingly easily-available sex in the form of prostitution.\n\n* Some people don't believe that risk of pregnancy, abuse and STIs are not practically manageable in such an industry.\n\n* Some people believe that something like prostitution can only regulated effectively by a government but don't want their tax dollars involved in that. \n\n* Some people just don't want it to be an option for their loved ones to have to turn to in hard times.",
"I would never explain prostitution to a 5 year old!",
"It's not.\n\n(Sydney)",
"Many people have most of the core reasons for it being illegal today down, but are forgetting one of the most important historically: syphilis. It went really rampant during some more recent parts of history and banning prostitution was one way to control it.",
"Criminalization of certain activities serves a number of purposes:\n\n!) **Deterrence**: You could just fine an activity, but making something criminal makes people think it's actually *wrong*, thus it serves as a very effective deterrent.\n\n2) **Incapacitation**: Many crimes do harm to others. Criminalizing activity makes society safe by removing those who have proven that they are willing and capable of inflicting those harms on others.\n\n3) **Rehabilitation**: Some people think criminals should get psychological help. Removing criminals from society helps them get the help they need (though this is the least common because it's so difficult and expensive).\n\n4) **Justice**: Most of all, criminalization aligns society's deontological intuitions with the law. As society's conceptions of what is morally right and wrong change, so do criminal laws turn into civil fines.\n\nProstitution does correlate with other crime, so incapacitation would serve a purpose here, as would deterrence, but the biggest reason is probably people's own intuitions as to justice.\n\n**Actually explained like you're 5**:\nMost people think love is so special that it should only be for mommies and daddies. They think it's naughty to love people for money. So people put the bad guys who don't think love is special in jail to punish them and to prove that we do think love is special. Putting the bad guys in jail also protects us from the other bad things they do and convinces other people not to be like the bad guys.",
"Long story short: When our govt figures out a way to get \"their cut\", you can bet your ass it'll become legal. ",
"For no real reason at all. The ban of prostitution, just as the war on drugs, causes a black market. Thus making services more dangerous (murder, assaults) and making things they were trying to cut out (ex: STIs) more prevalent, than they would be through a legitimized consumer market ",
"We try to legislate morality, and used to (some still do) consider prostitution immoral.",
"As far as I know, in the UK it's not illegal to pay for sex, merely illegal to advertise sex-for-pay, solicit paid sex acts or do just about anything associated with street prosititution. This is probably to provide a nice, handy loophole that keeps high-end escort services favoured by politicians quasi-legal and lucrative. \n\nThe main reason street prostitution is illegal? NIMBY or *Not In My Backyard*. Nobody wants their kids playing amongst the tied-off jizz balloons of last nights punters, any more than they want to see shivering, lank-haired junkies in laddered stockings throwing up in their driveways or scattering their dirtied needles in the public parks. It also has the added benefit that the government isn't obliged to spend money to care for, regulate and protect the most vulnerable and at-risk segments of society and can contentedly leave them to suffer abuse and die hideous and degrading deaths, often at the hands of angry lorry drivers or conservative MPs.",
"Because governments would have more trouble taxing it than it would be worth for how pissed the Christians would get.",
"It's illegal because of religious nutjobs.\n\nThere are many countries where it's perfectly legal and an official, and normally taxed service-business.",
"Because fathers don't want their daughters growing up to be whores. (note: they don't mind making whores of other father's daughters, though)",
"It is not. (Germany)",
"I'm personally okay with an adult prostituting themselves of their own free will. My primary concern with it is that in many cases it's not their will. In third world counties girls are often sold to brothels as children in exchange for money, and are then raised in an abusive culture of rape. Here in the US that's less common, but I'd wager a good amount of prostitutes are doing it to support a drug habit, forced to by boyfriends/pimps, and or are being abused by their pimps. Even if they're not, many women feel that it's their only option, a last resort, something they're truly not okay with doing. It's different than another job where one feels this way (like a hated office gig) because in this case they feel violated every single night.\n\nI have no issue with people being prostitutes because they enjoy it, but where I'm from (I currently live near a few prostitutes and my cousin also did it for a brief time) it just doesn't seem to be *their* choice. ",
"Better yet, why is prostitution illegal unless you record it and sell the video aka pronagraphy?",
"Supreme Court Justice *Ruth Bader Ginsburg* has stated that there is no constitutional prohibition against prostitution. Its just that nobody has the money and time to fight a constitutional court case against prohibition.\n\nThe SC can't make a decision until someone brings a case before them.",
"Simply it's cultural. There isn't the stats to support the reason for banning it. All the fears and claims of protection exist regardless of legalization. It's that whole \"if X is outlawed then only outlaws will X\". \n\nSo you don't stop it you drive it underground. Once underground criminal rules take over. Which actually has a fair amount of honor but puts the stakes much higher. It puts people in jail for something that goes against a free society (prostitution is literally a financial agreement between two adults) and the moment you legislate something that happens between two consenting adults you have broken a free society.\n\nAdditionally decriminalization would allow the industy to be regulated. In Nevada they require registered brothels to have their prostitutes tested for STD's often and you can be sure when visiting a legitimate brothel that it's clean.\n\nAll of the claims against it fall under two categories: 1) That despite the risks we are a free society and the risks are minimal enough that it's irrelevant. 2) That any claims of female equality and degradation is in fact the opposite and it sends the message that women are incapable of running a business selling their body (which they are able to and should be completely allowed.\n\nBut it's cultural and the same groups who can keep their fucking noses out of others businesses continue to oppress us because they have \"moral concerns\" which would be fair. If it wasn't completely fucking irrelevant because it's solved by that fact that if you don't like prostitution don't fucking be one or visit one. Otherwise it's none of your fucking business what two other people do. ",
"Its a demented hold over from earlier times in human history. There are no actual good reasons for prostitution to be illegal now and there are many good reasons to make it legal, to wit: \n\n* Tax revenue - converting an illegal occupation to a legal one means all that cash flow can be taxed. \n* training: all the pros could be required to be trained in how to not let STD's propagate\n* safety : require medical certification of disease free, use of condoms, safe techniques etc.. \n* licensing: register and inspect each pro\n* control: \n* quality : training is erotic techniques, and psychological awareness of specific needs\n* emotional health: no more stigma, less anxiety\n",
"Spread of infection. ",
"In true ELI5 fashion, I'll boil it down so its nice and simple. Prostitution is illegal for the same reason drugs and speeding are illegal: the public thinks it should be. There is nothing inherently immoral about any of these things, but because the majority of citizens believe it's wrong, there are laws preventing it.",
"While others in this thread make good points, the reason that prostitution is still illegal, and will remain illegal for some time, is less complicated than the historical reasons.\n\nAs long as there are people who want to hire prostitutes, people will sell themselves as prostitutes whether it is legal or not. The practical issue with prostitution is that there are too many cases where girls become prostitutes in a way that we don't consider fully consenting - they're too young to understand the repercussions, or for some other reason they don't fully understand the mental and physical risks involved, or they're pressured into it financially. Because these problems are so serious and outweigh the benefits of what people traditionally/ideally think of prostitution, we should try to make the demand for prostitution low, and a good way to do that is to make it illegal.\n",
"Prostitution isn't illegal. Geo-blocked in most countries though.\n\n\n",
"It's legal in Canada. It's legal in a lot of places. Solicitation in public is what is often illegal, or houses of I'll repute, pimping etc. the act of money in exchange for a sexual act is widely legal",
"Pretty much the same reason Marijuana is illegal.",
"For the same reason that selling organs is illegal. Society is worried about people getting exploited and ending up in a situation that puts their health at risk.",
"Because the government doesn't want your mom to get rich :(",
"There are several modern justifications provided for the illegality of prostitution:\n\n1) Paternalism. \nProstitution often results in the exploitation and abuse of women. Female prostitutes are generally placed at high risk of being on the receiving end of physical violence from a variety of sources (clients, pimps, other prostitutes et cetera), and the act of selling your body for sex is also considered to be intrinsically damaging. Therefore prostitution is banned to protect women who would be tempted to get into prostitution in the same way that many drugs are illegal to protect prospective users.\n\n2) Immorality.\nMany people, including but not limited to many religious groups, believe that prostitution is immoral. If you consider the large number of people who go bat-shit insane when they hear about pre-marital sex, contraceptives et cetera it's not hard to see how those same people would consider paying someone for sex (or receiving money in exchange for sex) to be incredibly sinful.\n\n3) General public order.\nIf you've ever seen a red light district, or heard an account of a red light district, then you'll be aware of the fact that they tend to be shit-holes. Street-walkers often leave [pretty disgusting messes](_URL_0_) in the areas they solicit, have been known to damage public property (see aforementioned link), and some people find them generally intimidating. Clients can be equally problematic. A quick google search should find you a variety of anecdotal stories of how unpleasant it can be living next to a brothel: a constant flow of (often intoxicated) strangers in the neighbourhood, people mistaking your house for the brothel and knocking on the door all hours of the night et cetera.\n\nNow obviously there exist a variety of counter-arguments to these three points, and many of these counter-arguments are quite powerful. For example, in New Zealand, where prostitution is legal, the justification provided for its legalisation was that regulating the prostitution industry is a more effective means of protecting vulnerable women than arresting and punishing them. But generally speaking, those three arguments I've outlined are usually the ones used to justify prohibition of prostitution. ",
"some countries license hookers (Hungary for example), some dont care (mexico) and others (U.S.A.) care a great deal because they believe the only one that should be fucking you is the government",
"First of all, prostitution isn't illegal everywhere and hasn't always been illegal historically. \n\nThe short, obvious answer is that prostitution tends to be illegal based on religion: lots of religions see any sex outside marriage as a sin, so in Christian countries it's illegal because the chuch says so. ",
"Grab a camera and then its not illegal.",
"Prostitutes are competition for non-prostitute women. \n\nIt's in most women's best interest to have a monopoly on their husbands access to sex. Politicians cater to women in this respect by outlawing prostitution. Politicians get votes, men have less access to sex and are forced to pay higher prices to have sex, and consenting women who would willingly rent their bodies for money are prosecuted as criminals.",
"Because the US is very moralistic (overly strict and disapproving) when it comes to certain social issues. Others have explained the history of this better than I can.",
"Because the government controls your body and what you do with it. \"GOD BLESS AMERICA, MY HOME SWEET HOME...\"",
"It's not taxable.",
"People in this thread are answering in a very mechanistic and rationalistic way and avoiding the issues around why prostitution was banned in the first place.\n\nProstitution has been seen as a corrupting influence on society, a temptation that might undermine the cohesion of the family unit by making infidelity easy and accessible and to tempt men into seeking sexual gratification as an end in itself outside of emotional commitments and long-term relationships.\n\nBans resulted because that was simply the old way of doing things- something is no good, then ban it. It is only in more recent times that we've realized that banning things doesn't always stop them happening and sometimes makes the situation worse.\n\nI think that it also should be recognized that a lot of the old ideas around sexual fidelity are actually quite good for social and personal stability. It's fashionable in post-sexual revolution times to ridicule ideas like these as old fashioned and irrational but that ridicule isn't based on anything other than the assertion that these ideas have been superseded and that the new ideas around sexual freedom are inherently better."
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rubv7 | what is cancer made of? | We all know that cancer is bad, but I just realized realized recently that I don't actually know what it *is*. Is it a living thing? Is that how it is able to grow? What does it even look like?, etc. Thanks! | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/rubv7/eli5_what_is_cancer_made_of/ | {
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"Very simply, eli5, every cell has its purpose coded in the DNA and formed by its environment and stuff. There is a cycle to its life, simplified to carry out the purpose, prepare to divide, divide, repeat.\n\nWhen the DNA gets damaged (from variety of factors - radiation, chemicals, viruses...), the cell usually fails and dies like a program with a corrupted source code. Sometimes though it survives and malfunctions, then it is destroyed by immunity system responses. This happens very often (several times during the day).\n\nSometimes, though, by a very rare coincidence, a cell malfunctions such that it misses its purpose phase and skips to division AND somehow manages to pose to the immune system as ok not to be destroyed. Its life cycle is very much shortened to prepare for division, divide, repeat.\n\nThis also requires a lot of resources and as the whole blob now still manages to pose legit, it gets those resources. This drains the organism, while the tumor can also be harmful just by pressing onto something important. \n\nThen a chunk of it separates and catches on somewhere else and you have a metastasis. Since it all looks like a very important growth/regeneration process it eats all the resources while spreads everywhere. ",
"It is a living thing - strictly speaking, it's you. \n\nCancer is a disease where cells in your body grow more than they're supposed to. \n\nNormally, cells grow just enough to be useful to your body. After that, the body tells it to stop. When a cell is damaged in a certain way (say, by radiation or certain chemicals), it can grow even when the body tells it not to. Cancer cells can spread and form tumors that can interfere with important parts of your body and cause you harm, say, by pressing up against them or stealing nutrients.",
"cancer is a bunch of your body cells flipping shit and not listening to your body anymore. \n\nthey grow on as rogue entitiy in your body, causing various kinds of problems."
]
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1kgjof | why does the cost of housing vary greatly by location while the cost of other consumer products do not? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1kgjof/why_does_the_cost_of_housing_vary_greatly_by/ | {
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"Because you can't pick up and move a house (easily). Undesirable surroundings will make a house lose value because you are stuck with it, but a TV bought in a crummy area works just as well when you get back home."
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91wma9 | how do doctors know a course of antibiotics is sufficient to kill off harmful bacteria? | i came here to find out why it's important to finish an entire course of antibiotics. How do the antibiotics know, when all the pills in the bottle are identical? So i found this:
_URL_0_
From that response, i gather that the intent with a "standard" course of antibiotics is to take a scorched earth approach, and i'm assuming that a bottle of pills are presumed to be more than enough to kill whatever's ailing you.
BUT... how can we be assured of that? How do we know a bottle of antibiotics is more than sufficient? i suppose you can request another course if the first one doesn't do the job, but what makes doctors so confident in this seemingly one-size-fits-all approach to treatment? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/91wma9/eli5_how_do_doctors_know_a_course_of_antibiotics/ | {
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"Experience and experimental evidence. Once a doctor knows or has a good idea of what type of bacteria is causing the infection, they can prescribe the correct antibiotic (or a broad-spectrum antibiotic if the cause isn't known). As for \"how many pills would be just barely enough,\" that has come through experiment - it's likely that a couple of pills are enough to kill the infection, but double or triple that amount is prescribed in order to guarantee success and correct for patients who don't take their medicines on the right schedule. \n\nI remember reading about a study years ago that showed that three days of treatment was enough to cure something like 90% of pneumonia patients, with no real difference in the group that was given placebos after that first 3-day treatment and the group that was given another week of antibiotics. So they have a good idea of the minimum amount needed from decades of medical research, and they shoot well over that target, as you said, to take a \"scorched earth\" approach. \n\nAnd of course, if you have a stronger infection than they thought, or if it's something that the antibiotic couldn't fight, they tell you to come back and they will use something else. I remember a few years ago I was treated for a minor infection on a cut that had to be stitched up - they took a culture and I asked what they needed it for if they were just prescribing amoxicillin anyways. The answer was \"Odds are good it'll be what we expect and the amoxicillin will take care of it. In case it's something weird, we can call you asap and bring you back in for a different treatment, but we're treating the most likely thing first so that you can get healthy right away.\" "
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2dpbvz | the different between cmyk and rgb in practical applications (digital illustration. | Hi Reddit!
Long story short, i am a freelance illustrator who has a good amount of experience making art for the web... But i admit i'm not terribly savvy about making work for print. My specialty is animation concept artwork, so there is usually little need for me to have high quality prints of my work. However, i would really like to start making dabbling in graphic design and making prints and things.
If not working in traditional media, I mainly use photoshop, and as of recently i'm teaching myself illustrator. Basically, i know the difference between CMYK and RGB as additive/subtractive color. Aside from that, i never really learned what color profile to use, and usually just default to RGB. Every time i've made prints of my work, it's difficult to get the colors to look correct. I wonder if this is because i don't make them as CMYK images? There's honestly a lot about digital color profiles and such i don't know about, and i was hoping someone could help me understand how you use them. When starting a new project that is destined for print, is it important to use CMYK from the get go? Or can you just convert an image from RGB to CMYK when you are ready to print?
TL;DR I've never been taught how and when to use CMYK, RGB, and color profiles in print vs digital media. I want to start making prints of artwork and need to know the appropriate applications of each color mode.
Thank you!! | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2dpbvz/eli5_the_different_between_cmyk_and_rgb_in/ | {
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"Yes you should work in cmyk for print. But most importantly you also need to calibrate your monitor using something like a spyder. That is if you're intent on full colour matching, and even then there is a disparity between the two gamuts. The other alternative is to get a swatch book and simply define your colours from that and ignore mismatch on screen. "
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a9iq5z | what do countries like saudi arabia actually ‘do’ with the weapons purchased from western countries? are they stockpiling guns and missiles for something? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a9iq5z/eli5_what_do_countries_like_saudi_arabia_actually/ | {
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"Well, the case of Saudi Arabia, they bomb the hell out of Yemen and create a humanitarian crisis... ",
"Nah they are using them to utterly destroy yemen and its people. Saudis action in yemen is a borderline genocide and is quickly causing a humanitarian crisis in the area. ",
"Weapons do not need to be used to be effective. Just imagine how different diplomatic negotiations are when it is well known that one side have lots of big modern weapons. This is sometimes called bigger army diplomacy. So even if you just own the weapons and use them in exercises they still play a very important role. But Saudi Arabia are also involved in military actions in neighboring countries like Yemen. They are also suspected of selling weapons to oppressive regimes and terrorists in order to gain oil and political influence. Even if it is not the same weapons they still need to replace the weapons they sell off and they can often use the same ammunition.",
"Saudi Arabia and other countries have been involved in the [civil war in Yemen](_URL_0_) since march 2015 so a lot of the equipment is used there.\n\n\nIn general that to what all countries do with military equipment the us it to equipment there armed forced so it is used in training or is stored for future convicts. For Saudi Arabia there main rival in the area is Iran.",
"Ppl will mention Yemen, and that's indeed big use of Saudi weapons in the last years, but before that, they just stockpiled them and were ridiculed for beeing a crappily trained army. The weapons just serve as geopolitical capital. Makes them buddies with the USA for buying them... Too risky to switch sides on. Even if they fund terrorism etc. ",
"Do you ever think where Sunni based terrorist groups get their millions of dollars of equipment from? Isis didn’t use rocks to take over that’s for sure. Not joking here, research the 1979 siege in Mecca and see why Saudi has to double down of spreading wahabist.",
"Weapons, aircraft and tanks wear down and break over time. Between constant training, maintenance and event just dry-rotting in storage, equipment eventually needs to be replaced. \n\nThat said, the Saudis have a ridiculous amount of money. They’re known to buy more stuff than they need, but cheap out when it comes to training and maintenance. ",
"Yemen has already been mentioned, in addition to that the Saudis are known to distribute surplus armaments to other groups in the region. For example at the start of the Syrian civil war they bought up large amounts of weapons left over from the Balkan war and supplied them to the Syrian rebels..."
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3rn1cg | the math behind this photo | Can someone explain how no matter what number you pick between 1 and 9 you will always get 9 when following this picture?
_URL_0_
Thanks | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3rn1cg/eli5_the_math_behind_this_photo/ | {
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"When you add the digits of a number that is divisible by 9, the result is also divisible by 9.\n\nSpecifically, if it is a two-digit number (that isn't 99) then the result is exactly 9.\n\nThis calculation here is the same as \"pick a number between 2 and 10, multiply it by 9, and add the digits\".",
"basically you always end up with a multiple of 9, all the multiples of 9 if you add their digits end up with 9. (9,18,27,36 etc )\n\n\n\n((x3) + 3)3 = 3(x3) + 9 = x9 + 9 \n\nx is always multiplied by 9 \n\n\n\n\n"
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dn333s | what is popcorn lung and how can vaping cause it? | I don’t vape or smoke and not planning on ever doing it, it just interested me a bit when heard on the news | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/dn333s/eli5_what_is_popcorn_lung_and_how_can_vaping/ | {
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"Popcorn lung is a disease. While not exclusively caused by, a large number of cases came from, inhaling diacetyl which was used to give microwave popcorn it's buttery flavor.\n\nHence the name popcorn lung.\n\n\nDiacetyl is present in many things naturally and can be found in some juices hence the connection. Concentration, temperature, length of exposure, and time to develop a problem among many other factors haven't been properly researched.\n\n[Read more here on snopes](_URL_0_)"
]
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28xgn2 | all publicity is good publicity. | Like, even really terrible ones? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/28xgn2/eli5_all_publicity_is_good_publicity/ | {
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"The goal of advertising is to make people aware you exist. People can't buy your products/services of they don't know you exist.\r\rSo that saying means that anything that gets people talking about your company is good, because it increases the number of people who've heard of you. ",
"Pretty much, yes.\n\nTake the whole big fiasco with Chick-Fil-A a while back. Many people were calling for boycotts when the owner came out against gay marriage and it was found that they had donated to anti-homosexuality groups. However, sales increased dramatically that year, due either to patronage specifically from those who were against homosexuality or simply because their name was all over the news for a little while.\n\nPeople may forget the offense, but they remember the name. Even bad press is free advertising for companies.",
"This just in. A local music artist is threatening to kill the 3 legged puppy unless 10 million copies of his album sell within the next 5 minutes. We will have more on this story after a quick word from our sponsors."
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pb4c5 | how do third party sites generate unlock codes for phones, and why do they charge? | I was looking up how to generate unlock codes for various phones, the only options you have is either contact your carrier or go to a third party site that can generate it for you (sometimes instantly). How do they get access to the ability to generate unlock codes, and why doesn't someone just offer the generator for free already? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/pb4c5/how_do_third_party_sites_generate_unlock_codes/ | {
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"All legal unlock methods (the kind that don't void your warranty) are straight from the manufacturer. The manufacturer of your phone keeps a large private database, and each phone has a unique unlock code. A reseller pays the manufacturer money to be able to search this database. \n\nThere is no generator, as they are unique to YOUR phone. Every phone has a unique code, called the IMEI, that is entered while running the search for the unlock code. \n\nThere are several other ways to unlock your phone, such as a SIM hack, which is a thin circuit board, between the SIM card and the phone contacts, that can be used to emulate a carrier's SIM format.\n\nAs an aside, unlock codes are usually not avail for hot, brand new phones, because the phone usually has a 3 month or so exclusivity contract with a certain carrier, and they get a lot of money to keep it that way. "
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2y9cqt | why is pizza in northeast usa so much better than the rest of the country? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2y9cqt/eli5_why_is_pizza_in_northeast_usa_so_much_better/ | {
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"_URL_0_\n\nIf you look at the map, and know that pizza is a dish that originates in a certain boot-shaped country in the south of Europe, I think you'll find it easy to understand."
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5bfy9b | when the internet was created, why was the deep web created? why is the internet so huge? | [deleted] | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5bfy9b/eli5_when_the_internet_was_created_why_was_the/ | {
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"text": [
"The \"deep web\" is nothing special, it's just a part of the world wide web that isn't indexed by search engines. Things like your bank account, your reddit preferences, your Facebook front page, are all a part of the \"deep web\". It's a natural part of the world wide web, it wasn't \"created\" in any sense."
]
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4zy5ra | do cars burn more fuel at a faster or slower speed? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4zy5ra/eli5_do_cars_burn_more_fuel_at_a_faster_or_slower/ | {
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"More fuel in general or more fuel per distance traveled? \n\nIn general speed isn't a great representative of fuel spent. Maintaining speed isn't overly difficult/costly in terms of fuel, while accelerating is. A good rule of thumb would be, you spend more fuel the further down you have the accelerator pressed. \n\nIn terms of fuel per distance (mpg) it's a little bit of both. Cars today are typically optimized in design to perform best (based on shape and gearing primarily) to perform best at highway speeds (roughly 60-70mph). That is to say they will get worse gas milage above or below this target speed. "
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2pjqha | why do we refer inanimate objects as "she" more than (if not always) "he"? | Just wondering... The question came up to me after browsing Kantai Collection's wiki, and some wiki entries on battleships.
| explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2pjqha/eli5_why_do_we_refer_inanimate_objects_as_she/ | {
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"With ships I think it's because people live within them (as a child in the womb) and because they provide warmth and protection in a hostile environment.\n\nThe other context you often hear it is people saying, about their car or something similar perhaps, that \"she's a real beauty\". That just wouldn't sound right with \"he\".",
"I don't know if there's an official reason, but I suspect it's a holdover from our romance language roots which ascribe genders to everything. For example, almost every noun in French is preceded by le (male), or la (female), even though things like ships (le navire) and potatoes (la pomme de terre) have no gender.\n\nedit: I don't care about karma, but whythe hell is this getting downvoted? Sure, my answer is speculative, but so is every other top level response in this thread. AFAIK, there isn't a known/confirmed reason for this phenomenon, so speculation is all we have, and and at least my reply doesn't hinge on some bullshit about being in the womb.",
"Because men own boats or hobby cars more often, and they don't want to sound gay. \"Later today I'm going to wax and shine my Brucey\"",
"I was always under the impression that it was a holdover of the nautical tradition of referring to ships as 'she'. In maritime lore, the tradition is traced to Prince Henry the Navigator who supposedly said ships were a 'she' because they \"took much powder and paint to keep them looking good\".",
"There are probably many reasons. \n\nOne reason probably is related to the top-rated comment so far about men owning them and not wanting to sound gay. \n\nBut more than that, Old English and most Western/Slavic (not sure about Eastern languages) languages today are not gender-neutral. Many nouns have their own gender. For example, in Russian, the word for history (история) is feminine, while the word for house (дом) is masculine.\n\nI can imagine that many words we've borrowed from other languages carried with them their original gender. ",
"guy's calling a car or a boat \"she\" is symbolic of how they intend to take care of it and treat it right",
"Because inanimate objects are possessions, just like women were when men started using this terminology?"
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g36ycv | how are successive generations of data standards (usb, hdmi etc.) able to pack more features (data speed, quality etc.) into the same form factor ? | For example, HDMI generations appear to have the same connector, yet the new generation has more features than the older one. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/g36ycv/eli5_how_are_successive_generations_of_data/ | {
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"They key is almost always that they become more able to put the same amount of data in a smaller physical space, either die to precision in reading or writing mechanisms.\n\nImagine taking a 1st grader and having them write out a whole page about their day. Their writing will be rather large, so the amount of information they put in there will be limited. Ask someone in college to do the same task and they will be able to write cleaner and more precisely, allowing them to actually put more information on the page.\n\nThe same is true with most evolving standards. They can either write or read more precisely (or both), allowing them to do things like send signals in shorter pulses, which allows for more data over the same time.",
"Faster chips handling the communication at each end.\n\nSame way that a network cable tends to work at whatever speed you want, depending on what network card/port is at both ends of it. It's just a cable in between, it's how much data you can process, compress, etc. and send over it, and how sensitive and quick the sensors at both ends (e.g. TV and laptop) are at converting and interpreting the signal that the other side is sending.",
"Lots of complicated reasons.\n\nFor one, as technology improves, we can send the zeros and ones across the wire faster and faster. Since our processors have gotten so fast, they're able to read signals off the wire faster than previous generations. \n\nTo put this into perspective, one of the most widely used serial protocols is RS232. The fastest official transfer rate is 19,200bit/s. The ethernet hardware in your PC is most likely capable of 1,000,000,000bit/s, and even then that's an old standard that's pretty slow. New standards are ten times faster.\n\nRaw processing speed isn't enough though. As signals on the wire get faster, weird things happen. The signal is strongly affected by outside interference, and sometimes it even interferes *with itself*. To combat this, we develop new cable technologies, either shielded copper, or fiber optics. But that's still not enough, we sometimes need special hardware to clean up the signal and extract the data from the noise. These are very specialized computer chips designed specifically to deal with noisy signals. This technology is still relatively new, and improving rapidly.\n\nOn top of all that, we keep just simply adding more wires. For instance, USB1 and 2 use a single twisted pair for data. Basically, one data connection shared between upload and download (that's why it's called universal *serial* bus). USB3, on the other hand, adds two *more* data lines, tripling the total amount of data one cable can carry.\n\nTo even further increase data transfer rates, some systems use compression. Since processors are so fast now, it actually makes a lot of sense to compress data before it goes on the wire, and decompress it on the other side. Generally speaking, the slowest part of your system is going to be data transfer. If you can reduce the total amount of data you put on the wire, you reduce time spent waiting for the transfer to finish.\n\nThese data transfer technologies have a lot of components, but each one is improving independently! With each generation, most or all of the components involved has improved, which tends to result in massive gains when it's all put together!",
"Data speed and quality are most commonly related to more advanced encoding techniques.\n\nThe fundamental issue is one of noise. If you're willing to transmit slowly enough over a robust channel, you can virtually eliminate noise from consideration. But as you start to transmit more quickly, noise - and accommodating it - becomes a major factor.\n\nThe original mechanism for dealing with this sort of issue was a simple parity check. You count up all the high signal values. If it's even, you have one parity. If it's odd, you have the other. So if there's a single bit error, you'll be able to detect it. However, if there are two bit errors, then you won't.\n\nMore advanced codes based on Shannon's Limit and the Hamming weight (I include these terms without definition if you want to Google-fu a more comprehensive answer) significantly increase your capabilities. These allow not only detecting but repairing errors up to a certain limit.\n\nAs your encoding becomes more sophisticated, you can push the envelope on noise pretty far. Depending on how much latency you can tolerate (how large your encoding blocks are), you can create some fairly robust transmissions over channels being run at speeds which incur noise that would be unacceptable with less sophisticated encoding.\n\nNote that hardware has almost nothing to do with this. While the hardware will be insufficient to run some of these encoding techniques if you go back far enough, the frequency limits on hardware have remained relatively unchanged for decades. More sophisticated processing also isn't relevant because these encoding techniques are normally run in dedicated firmware. Similarly, the physical cabling has remained relatively unchanged over the same time span. The answer really boils down to 'better math'.",
"Part of it is that they use existing technology to make new technology.\n\nOnce the new technology exists they can then use that to make even newer, smaller, faster, better technology, so that they can improve each cycle.",
"The connection type is only 1 limitation. The main limitation is the chipset in your TV (for HDMI). Think about Toslink and Coaxial, both are limited to 5.1 compressed multichannel (typically DD or DTS) or 2 channel PCM (open source digital codec). One uses a connection type that was invented around the 1930’s (RCA) that only uses a 2 conduct (copper/aluminum) coax cable. And the other uses a connection that was invented in the 1990’s by Toshiba (hence the Toslink name) that uses a fiber optic medium. Even though these are using 2 different technologies, developed 60 years apart, they aren't limited by the connector types, they're limited by the internal chipset S/PDIF (Sony Phillips Digital Interface). The same is true for DisplayPort. First the mini-DP connector was used for the DisplayPort standard, then Intel adopted it for their thunderbolt connection, before moving to the USB Type-C. So the connector itself doesn't really matter, it's the chipset behind the connector that's makes all the difference."
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9wryd3 | what is the most efficient method of consuming food in an attempt to gain considerable weight? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9wryd3/eli5_what_is_the_most_efficient_method_of/ | {
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"What matters is calories in vs. calories out.\n\nIf you eat 5,000 calories a day and burn 1,000 you're going to gain weight no matter how you eat those calories.There is not much, if any, difference between eating one huge meal or 20 tiny meals.",
"The main thing is dumping the most calories in together with enough simple carbs/sugars that your blood insulin high, which stimulates fat storage. Having enough protein will also make sure that all the other organs like muscles maintain mass. Mostly though, it's keeping the calories up, however you do it.\n\nI knew a guy who had a metabolism imbalance that caused him to struggle to keep a healthy weight, and this is a lot of what he did. Eat whatever fit the most calories into the smallest space, then keep up on enough protein and micronutrients so that nothing broke down. He spent a lot of time in the gym too, since when your body is burning away fat so quickly, it's important to keep your muscle mass. The calories burnt working out are relatively small compared to the amount of stuff you eat when you're shoving all that stuff down.",
"Drinking your calories. A mass gainer shake could easily surpass 800 cal per serving.Also follow r/gainit for more. ",
"Figure out your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and eat 500 kcal more per day. Ensure you are getting adequate protein. Do this consistently and you will gain ~1 pound (0.45 kg) per week.\n\nThe timing of the meals does not matter, as long as you are eating the required calories per day. Note that timing of meals DOES affect your hunger and perceived energy levels."
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2pcuts | where do the common aesthetical themes for elves and dwarves used in movies and games come from? | Watching the new Hobbit film yesterday, I was thinking about how the elves' armour and weapons look very similar to elvish armour and weapons in Skyrim and Dragon Age and equally how all of these depictions seem 'correct'. The same for Dwarves; Skyrim and Dragon Age are the only games I could think of to support this comparison, but I'm sure there are more. Seeing as both of these races aren't real, I couldn't work out how this common perception of them arose as it obviously didn't arise from a historical reference ie. Romans in games and films all look the same because that's how they actually looked. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2pcuts/eli5_where_do_the_common_aesthetical_themes_for/ | {
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"Pretty much all of it comes from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, mainly Lord of the Rings.",
"Those depictions of elves and dwarves stem from The Lord of the Rings (the 1954 novels, not the movie). \n\nTolkien pretty much *invented* the modern ideas of elves and dwarves, which were later solidified in tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons.",
"Dwarves, elves, goblins, fairies, kobolds, and the like come from various European folk stories. The weren't very well defined, mostly just elusive little humanoid creatures who were usually up to no good.\n\nTolkien came along and created a rich fantasy world with a deep history that fleshed out what were once vague legend, and most modern fantasy depictions are heavily influenced by his work.",
"You what? Motherfucker, it opens January 1st here in my country :("
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di9vk4 | how does capital letters in username not matter? | As title, password is capital & lowercase letter sensitive. Why is username different? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/di9vk4/eli5_how_does_capital_letters_in_username_not/ | {
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"a developer can set if they want something to be case sensitive or not. Login and user names (not passwords) are usually not case sensitive to make it easy on the user logging in and so that there is no confusion among users of the site about user names.\n\nFor example, they don't want people to confuse these user names, which all are really similar, if they were case sensitive it would be hell:\n\nreddituser, Reddituser, reddiTuser, REDDITUSER, reddituseR, RedditUser -- if it was case sensitive, these would all be different accounts but thats hard to tell. If its not case sensitive, only one user can have the account.\n\nand so on... it would be quite confusing if usernames were case sensitive.",
"As stated elsewhere, it can, but most developers choose not to. There are two ways:\n\n* Store it in a database that ignores case when searching\n* Compare a capitalized version of what the user entered to a capitalized version in the database\n\n & #x200B;\n\nEither way, UserName will equal username, USERname, UsErName, etc."
]
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35ukle | how do we measure data that can be stored in brains or sperm cells in units like byte? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/35ukle/eli5_how_do_we_measure_data_that_can_be_stored_in/ | {
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"Anytime you can manipulate something to represent two values (e.g. on or off, present or not present, up or down etc.) you have 1 bit of binary information. When you have 8 of these switches you can manipulate, you have the potential to represent one byte of data.\n\nThese switches can also be organic in form, such as biological cells. We can look at how we can manipulate or deform these cells to record information using binary values. This could, for example, work by manipulating the base pairs of the DNA code stored in the cell.\n\nSo long as you have a way of manipulating it to represent two values, you have a bit of information. If you have a way of manipulating 4 values (e.g. DNA pairs of G-C, C-G, T-A, or A-T) that is effectively the same as 2 bits of information per pair.",
"You can define a byte-capacity of most anything if you define how you intend to measure the thing for information.\n\nIf I have a mug I can easily store 1 bit of information; I can either leave it upright or upside down. If I decide I'm going to make it more complex I can actually store more bits; I can also leave the handle facing either left or right; that's a second bit. Now I have two bits I can store in this mug.\n\n (upright, left), (upside down, left), (upright, right), (upside down, right)\n \nwhich we can say corrosponds to\n \n 11, 01, 10, 00\n\nrespectively.\n\nOf course I can get even more bits out of the mug; instead of simply leaving the handle pointed left or right I can leave it one of North, South, East or West and now I have another bit of information I can store by saying:\n\n North = 11, East = 10, South = 00, West =01\n\nwhich, when added to the bit from being upright or upside down means I have three bits total. \n\nIn order to approximate something like the bits you can store in something in nature you need to define your terms carefully, but it's still the same idea. For something like DNA you have to determine what sort of measurements the body can make on DNA (In what we did above we know we can can easily see if a mug is upside down or not, and can easily see what direction the handle is oriented in.) and see how many variations there are on the specific thing being measured. (Since a mug is either upside down or not, that's only 2 possible values. That's worth 1 bit. The mug could face any of 4 directions, though. 4 variation is 2 bits of information.)\n",
"According to this video a sperm carries over 37 megabytes of data and that a ejaculation is like transferring 1,500 TB of data.\n\n_URL_0_"
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a5omu9 | why is hiv more common in africa than it is in india? | In 2017 India had 2.1 million people with HIV but East and Southern Africa had over 19 million.
Why isn’t it as common in India even though India has a population of over 1 billion? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/a5omu9/eli5_why_is_hiv_more_common_in_africa_than_it_is/ | {
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"text": [
"hiv originated in africa, and it's actually a rather slow virus, so it's still more common there than anywhere else."
]
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|
231y6q | why does the us government bail out general motors every time they go under? | It's not like GM is good at making cars, and the US still has better companies like Ford and even Tesla | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/231y6q/eli5_why_does_the_us_government_bail_out_general/ | {
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"For one, they have 219 *thousand* employees. That's a lot of people to suddenly go on unemployment.\n\nLike the banks, they are \"too big to fail\", which means letting them go under would cause serious problems for the economy, much more than adding more debt to prop them up again.",
" > every time they go under\n\nYou mean once?",
"You are forgetting that the lowest base model Tesla would be over $100k if it wasn't subsidized by the US government.\n\nGM makes cheap crappy cars pretty much and they employ a LOT of people. You don't want all those people on unemployment (it costs the government huge amounts of money) and without jobs. They probably wouldn't be able to find jobs for a very long time. \n\nAny country would probably bail out their biggest manufacturers of products if they knew the company would be profitable in the future. \n\nKeep in mind the companies pay taxes to the government and so do the employees. So you don't want a huge company going under if you can prevent it.",
"Governments bail out companies because it would be more expensive for them not to. If the companies went under, all their employees become unemployed, and so the government a) loses the revenue from their income tax receipts and b) incurs a cost when they have to pay unemployment benefits.\n\nThere are other macroeconomic consequences that would apply, but those two are the major ones.",
"This sounds like some shitty loaded question from someone who doesn't like GM vehicles."
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6pfhla | what causes so much weight gain during pregnancy? | Perhaps a stupid question, but I'm curious - why is it that women can gain anything like 20, 30, 40lbs etc and yet the baby only accounts for circa 5-10lbs of that when born? What causes all the extra weight? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6pfhla/eli5_what_causes_so_much_weight_gain_during/ | {
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"During pregnancy hormones are being released to increase the fat storage. Especially in the breasts. This is to prepare the mother for taking care of the child. Not only does she have to produce milk for the baby but during times of low food supply there is an additional mouth to feed which lowers the food supply further. So people who gain weight during their pregnancy have had a higher chance of raising their child successfully and the genes have therefore been passed on.",
"Many women in western cultures simply overeat while pregnant due to common misconceptions about how many extra calories are required to feed a fetus.\n\nThe most a woman needs to eat extra, at the very end of the pregnancy, is 300 calories per day.\n\nWeight gained during pregnancy should be mostly the baby, placenta, amniotic fluid, etc, not a layer of fat that sticks around."
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z61ym | why is everyone obsessed with going to a top college these days? | Even before I got to high school, students and parents were posting on College Confidential about how to get into an Ivy League school, what their chances were, etc. Today, it's even more prevalent. From what I can tell, this wasn't as big of a deal a couple of decades ago -- people went to their local schools, if they went to college at all, and turned out fine. Why the need for everyone to be a Harvard man?
EDIT:
> Because nowadays teachers and basically everyone you meet during your school years will tell you that if you don't go to a really good college you won't be making a lot and have a good life. What they fail to mention is that the college you're going to should be one of the better ones for what you want to do. For example, my friend wanted to get into my state's best college but he wanted to do music and business and the college he wanted to get into was not suited towards those at all. In the end he ended up going to the "lesser" college but he'll be getting a better education for what he wants there.
TL;DR: From K-12 everyone tells you to get into the best college but not the one suited for you so people go crazy over it. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/z61ym/eli5_why_is_everyone_obsessed_with_going_to_a_top/ | {
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"It's been nothing new. Just it's been more prevalent I guess. It's a good goal to get into a good school. As a junior in high school who has to go though the miserably stressful application process this year, I can tell you that it's very desirable to get into a good school that fits you. It shows everyone and yourself what you are capable of and provides a great education.",
"Easy answer: Jobs are really (over the whole world) hard to come by, employers want the best people who is out there, therefore its necessary to go to a good college and university to have good chances.",
"There are certain majors where the school is incredibly important. While they are few MBA, Law, Computer Science and a few others are heavily reliant on the school from which they are derived. \n\nFor the most part it doesn't matter one whit what school you go to as much as what you actually learn. ",
"Because nowadays teachers and basically everyone you meet during your school years will tell you that if you don't go to a really good college you won't be making a lot and have a good life. What they fail to mention is that the college you're going to should be one of the better ones for what you want to do. For example, my friend wanted to get into my state's best college but he wanted to do music and business and the college he wanted to get into was not suited towards those at all. In the end he ended up going to the \"lesser\" college but he'll be getting a better education for what he wants there.\n\nTL;DR: From K-12 everyone tells you to get into the best college but not the one suited for you so people go crazy over it."
]
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1zfcxy | what laws (international presumably) if any has russia broken in invading crimea? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zfcxy/eli5_what_laws_international_presumably_if_any/ | {
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"It is against the rules of the United Nations for any member country to invade the territory of another unless the Security Council has explicitly permitted such an action. That's one of the reasons that the 2002 allied invasion of Iraq was controversial -- depending on which legal interpretation you preferred it was by no means certain that the Security Council had permitted an invasion.\n\nIn the case of Russia and Ukraine it's far more clear-cut -- the Security Council has not agreed to any action by Russia in that respect.\n\nThe big problem with enforcing international law is that there is no recognised global police force. Even if a country has obviously broken the rules, unless other countries are prepared to take action (economic, political, or military) there are few if any repercussions.",
"Russia has signed but not ratified the [Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court](_URL_0_), which states in article 5.1.d: \n > 1. The jurisdiction of the Court shall be limited to the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole. The Court has jurisdiction in accordance with this Statute with respect to the following crimes: - - - \n- - - (d) The crime of aggression.\n\nHowever, statute doesn't say what this crime is. \n\nInternational costumary law could say it is [Nuremberg Principle VI](_URL_1_)\n\n > \"The crimes hereinafter set out are punishable as crimes under international law:\n(a) Crimes against peace:\n(i) Planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances;\n(ii) Participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of any of the acts mentioned under (i).\n\nAnd as stated before in this thread, Charter of the United Nations. \n\nThere is more, but those three are best I remembered because the Rome statute is enforced by International Criminal Court, Nuremberg principle by humanity and international costumery law and the UN charter by the United Nations. ",
"Russia has violated a number of its treaty obligations to Ukraine. In 1994, it promised to \"respect the Independence and Sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine.\"\n_URL_0_\n\nIn 1997, it also signed a number of treaties with Ukraine on the Black Sea Fleet, in which it promised not to interfere in Ukraine's internal affairs.\n_URL_1_\n"
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"http://russian-front.com/2014/03/01/treaties-governing-the-black-sea-fleet/"
]
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||
47br9e | can one live off distilled water? will there be any side effects? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/47br9e/eli5_can_one_live_off_distilled_water_will_there/ | {
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"Yes. In fact, most purified water that you drink is distilled at one point. Distilling is just a method to remove most of the impurities of the substance. People living in arid areas with sea water distill water to desalinate it, making it safe for consumption.\n\nSo, no real side effects unless you somehow re-contaminate the water.",
"No. There are no nutrients in water and you will die a lingering death of starvation. Now eat your dinner.",
"Hi Again,\n\nI understand your question to be: \n\"Would it be a bad thing if all my drinking water was distilled water?\"\n\nThe quick answer is yes, possibly and it depends.\n\n & nbsp;\n\n**Warning: some links may not be suitable for children. Or lunchtime.**\n\nIf you don't get iodine in your food or water then there is a condition called [goitre](_URL_1_) which is a swelling of the thyroid gland. In parts of the English county of Derbyshire this condition was not uncommon and known as [Derbyshire Neck](_URL_0_). The cause is iodine deficiency.\n\n\nRain water is distilled water, and if the rain water doesn't pick up any iodine from the soil or rock before it is used as drinking water then you have lost one potential source of iodine in your diet. The history of Derbyshire shows that this is not a theoretical problem and the consequences are significant."
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791gqp | why do windows reflect better when it's dark outside? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/791gqp/eli5_why_do_windows_reflect_better_when_its_dark/ | {
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"They don't actually reflect better. The difference is that there is far less light coming from outside so you can see the reflected light from inside more easily. It is the same sort of idea behind how you can see stars at night but not during the day; they don't stop shining, there is just other light overpowering them."
]
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||
85oi9p | why are policy makers obsessed with economic growth? what about in countries where population has naturally plateaued or is in decline? why is it reasonable to expect growth ad infinitum? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/85oi9p/eli5why_are_policy_makers_obsessed_with_economic/ | {
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"Because of technological and other advancements in development. Economic growth means improvement in our standard of living.\n\n25 years ago, few middle-class families had cell phones or internet. 50 years ago, many didn't have air conditioning or a clothes dryer. 80 years ago, you might not have had a washing machine, a refrigerator, or a car.\n\nToday, that family spends thousands of dollars a year on such things. That money doesn't just come from thin air, it is the result of economic growth that makes people more wealthy than they were in the past.",
"Economic growth can come from anywhere and until all citizens are objectively employed to thier fullest creative and productive capacity, there is always room for growth. "
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y2mfk | "actual unemployment" in the us vs. the unemployment numbers released by the government each month | I'm confused, why do economists claim 'actual unemployment' is in the teens and the unemployment is said, by the govt, to be at 8+ percent? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/y2mfk/eli5_actual_unemployment_in_the_us_vs_the/ | {
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"In the U.S. George W. Bush had the unemployment calculations changed. Now, instead of looking at who is really unemployed (a bit difficult to do), only those people who are actively drawing unemployment funds are counted. So, the numbers get skewed in the \"less than reality\" direction. Example: I lose my job and go on unemployment. I am now counted as unemployed. Several months later I run out of unemployment funds, yet still have no job. Because I'm not drawing off of unemployment funds, I'm not counted as unemployed. To the government it looks like I got a job, and they report a decrease in the unemployment rate. In reality, I'm not working, I'm homeless, and the unemployment rate is unchanged.",
"In 1994 they stopped including \"long term discouraged workers\" in the unemployment number, this number is still guesstimated at _URL_0_. Iirc the number is between 15 and 23%. Not far from the numbers of the great depression tht used the same method.",
"First, you have the raw population of a country.\n\nThen, you have the civilian noninstitutional population - everyone who's above 16, not institutionalized, and not in the military. This is a subset of the total population.\n\nThen, you have the fully employed.\n\nThen, you have the underemployed.\n\nThen, you have those seeking work.\n\nThen, you have those who have given up seeking work.\n\nThen, you have those who do not desire to work - the home makers and whatnot.\n\nThe fully employed, the underemployed, and those actively seeking work make up the \"labor force.\" The percentage of persons actively seeking, but not currently holding, jobs, compared to the whole labor force, gives you the unemployment rate.\n\n\"Real unemployment\" includes those who have given up seeking work in the calculations for the unemployment rate.",
"The government actually releases a variety of different unemployment measures (see [here](_URL_0_)). The \"official\" unemployment rate is the U-3 statistic--this is the number that most people focus on. But there's a broader measure called the U-6 which some people believe is a better indicator of the job situation."
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21t2rp | eli 5 how do us citizens serve in foreign militaries without losing there citizenship? | it says right on my passport that i'll lose my citizenship if i do so, but for example folks who are Israeli citizens as well are obligated to serve in the IDF
and historical examples
_URL_0_
_URL_1_
_URL_2_ | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/21t2rp/eli_5_how_do_us_citizens_serve_in_foreign/ | {
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"According to the [US State Department](_URL_0_),\n\n > Military service in foreign countries, however, usually does not cause loss of nationality since an intention to relinquish nationality normally is lacking. In adjudicating loss of nationality cases, the Department has established an administrative presumption that a person serving in the armed forces of a foreign state not engaged in hostilities against the United States does not have the intention to relinquish nationality."
]
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"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafayette_Escadrille",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_tigers",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln_Brigade"
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[
"http://travel.state.gov/content/travel/english/legal-considerations/us-citizenship-laws-policies/citizenship-and-dual-nationality/citizenship-and-foreign-military-service.html"
]
] |
|
3uk4l7 | why do weather forecasts have an absolute temperature and a "feels like" temperature? | Why does a weather network have a reading of say 3°C but they will say "feels like -2°C"? If it says feels like-2°C why isn't the absolute temperature -2°C? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3uk4l7/eli5_why_do_weather_forecasts_have_an_absolute/ | {
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"The thermometer reading may be 3 but if it's windy, the heat will be sucked out of your body more quickly than if the air is still, and it will seem colder. The 'feels like' reading is to warn you to put on enough clothing.",
"I have never experienced this before, but I suspect they are factoring in wind chill. Humans sweat and experience evaporative cooling which is higher when there is wind. Thermometers.don't experience wind chill, so they adjust for it in their reporting. ",
"The sensor will give what them tempurture actually is. But you have to account for the fact that a human body is a sac of water and being exposed to wind and humidity it loses more heat then say a glass thermometer."
]
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2bylhu | why can i keep butter at room temperature for days at a time, but not cream, when butter is made from cream? | I understand that butter is not RECOMMENDED to be kept at room temperature, but everybody does it. If I left cream out at room temp for 3 days, I would likely get very sick from consuming it. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2bylhu/eli5why_can_i_keep_butter_at_room_temperature_for/ | {
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"text": [
"The butter you're leaving on the counter is salted butter, which is therefore preserved. If you did that with unsalted butter, it'll spoil. You can prevent that if you store your butter in a [french butter dish](_URL_0_). It's an extremely simple device, The lid holds the butter in the cup. It's butter, it'll stick in there. The basin has just a little bit of water in it. When you place the lid on the basin, the water creates an air tight seal around the cup. It'll keep your butter fresh for a month."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.amazon.com/Andersons-Baking-Better-Butter-Keeper/dp/B001A2YQUM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1406568385&sr=8-3&keywords=french+butter+keeper"
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amsbp6 | why do some plastic surgeries end up with the subject not being able to make expressions ? are there natural-looking procedures ? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/amsbp6/eli5_why_do_some_plastic_surgeries_end_up_with/ | {
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"A lot of people get botox which is literally paralyzing nerves. It's most common in the forehead so the person can't make proper expressions \n\nThe other reason is damage to the nerves which is also fairly common with any surgery although it often is temporary ",
"There are many procedures that look natural. This is more an issue of the skill of the doctor and what the patient wants. Some patients want things to be very natural. Others like a more unnatural look because it shows that they have the money for these things. Others end up with a skewed view of what looks natural so they don’t realize the change. An interesting side effect of getting some muscles temporarily paralyzed by Botox is that you don’t feel as sad if you can’t make sad expressions. "
]
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j8onq | what is fractional reserve banking? | Some people on the internet say it's a bad thing, is that true? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/j8onq/eli5_what_is_fractional_reserve_banking/ | {
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"Fractional reserve banking, at its core, just means that when you give me $100 to keep in my vaults (me being the banker), I only have to keep a fraction of it, say $10. The other $90 I can invest in loans. In full-reserve banking I have to keep *all $100*. Let's expand this example though. Lets say ten people each put in ten dollars (the numbers will still be $10 \"in reserves\" and $90 left over for loans). Now, at any point, only one person can ever take out all of their money ($10), and this is one of the obvious problems that those against fractional reserve banking state. The central bank, like the Federal Reserve, can give loans to banks if they are in desperate need of money in order to avoid running out of cash, and there are other things like deposit insurance from the FDIC which are intended to protect depositors from losing any of their money.\n\nThe more complicated issue with fractional reserve banking is that, in a way, it actually *creates more money*. You see, when A puts $100 in, I can loan $90 to B, and B can then put his money in my bank and I can loan out $81 to C, and so on and so forth. What ends up happening is that the money that is in their accounts is more than the actual cash currency (physical bills). This is something called *money multiplication* and it is one of the more serious dangers that skeptics of fractional reserves point out.",
"Most economists consider it a good thing.",
"Fractional reserve banking, at its core, just means that when you give me $100 to keep in my vaults (me being the banker), I only have to keep a fraction of it, say $10. The other $90 I can invest in loans. In full-reserve banking I have to keep *all $100*. Let's expand this example though. Lets say ten people each put in ten dollars (the numbers will still be $10 \"in reserves\" and $90 left over for loans). Now, at any point, only one person can ever take out all of their money ($10), and this is one of the obvious problems that those against fractional reserve banking state. The central bank, like the Federal Reserve, can give loans to banks if they are in desperate need of money in order to avoid running out of cash, and there are other things like deposit insurance from the FDIC which are intended to protect depositors from losing any of their money.\n\nThe more complicated issue with fractional reserve banking is that, in a way, it actually *creates more money*. You see, when A puts $100 in, I can loan $90 to B, and B can then put his money in my bank and I can loan out $81 to C, and so on and so forth. What ends up happening is that the money that is in their accounts is more than the actual cash currency (physical bills). This is something called *money multiplication* and it is one of the more serious dangers that skeptics of fractional reserves point out.",
"Most economists consider it a good thing."
]
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1112d7 | "due process of law," "substantive due process" | I was reading the article about Justice Scalia's statements about abortion and homosexual sodomy, which got me into researching the Constitutional basis for Roe v. Wade, but I can't wrap my mind around this **concept of "due process," particularly in the case of the 14th amendment**. I understand what due process means in a criminal or civil sense (e.g. right to trial by jury), but what does it mean in a broader sense? All the explanations I read seem to be circular reasoning, they just don't give an exact definition. Does **"deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law"** mean that it's acceptable to create a law depriving these things? Or just that they can only be deprived after being given the proper judiciary hearings for breaking other laws under the enumerated powers of the Constitution? And without an understanding of this, trying to understand **"substantive due process"** just made my brain explode. Lastly, **explanations of fundamental rights**, like abortion via the "right to privacy under due process" in the Roe V. Wade decision, or of the right to marry and how it is particularly a man to woman, would be immensely appreciated.
I know this is quite in depth, but I've got 10 wikipedia pages open right now, have been reading for at least 2 hours, and I seem to be no further ahead in my understanding then when I started. **Please, please, please help me, Reddit**. I can't stand it when I don't understand something, and this one is really going to eat at me until I do. I searched here already and found nothing that helped, either, so my apologies if there are good explanations already out there; feel free to link them if you don't want to explain yourself, there could certainly be ones that I missed.
Thank you!!! | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1112d7/eli5_due_process_of_law_substantive_due_process/ | {
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"Procedural Due Process = Did the government go through the correct *procedures* when depriving you of your life, liberty or property? Example: if you were thrown in prison for life without being given a trial, this violates PDP. \n\nSubstantive Due Process: Does the government have adequate *reason* to deprive you of your life, liberty or property? Example: if the government threw you in jail because you were the 5th person to walk past the police station that morning, that is a violation of SDP, even if they gave you a full trial and went through all the correct procedures.\n\nHope this helps! The examples are off the top of my head so as to keep it simple, so someone let me know if they're incorrect.\n\nSource: My Con Law outline. "
]
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|
2g3ocu | what's the point of the hidden track at the end of a lot of albums? | I admit the first to think of it had a good idea but after that, is it really relevant? It's not really hidden nor a secret. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2g3ocu/eli5whats_the_point_of_the_hidden_track_at_the/ | {
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"I can remember rocking out my Nirvana Nevermind album over and over and over again. I remember hearing a while later that there was a \"secret\" track on it Endless, Nameless. I can remember freaking out about it and thinking it was the most incredible thing ever. I had enjoyed it numerous times and here I had some \"new\" content that i'd never heard before. Now with digital music and internet, you're right, it's basically just another track on the album because it' sure as hell not a secret. I'd imagine some of those secret tracks were just songs that the artist and management couldn't agree on, so they kinda met in the middle and threw it on as \"separate\" from the real album. Total speculation doe ",
"As a musician who has been guilty of the \"secret track\", I guess I can only speak for my motivations and what I know from musician friends who have done it.\n\nIt's sort of hard to explain to younger people, because today's world is all about single songs, shuffle play, mashups, mixes and remixes, but to a more oldschool musician, an album is a pretty painstaking process. Everything is obsessed over, from the obvious things like sound to the album art, but the biggest issue is the song order. Your songs are ordered in a way to create a distinct flow or musical journey. Some songs just do not sound as good when preceded by other certain songs. You want a very cohesive flow, whether it be a slow song offering reprieve after a really rockin song, or vice versa, something to wake the listener up. To us, you are supposed to listen to the whole album.\n\nSo let's say you have another song you reeeeaaalllly want on your album, but it doesn't *quite* fit the flow or the feeling, or maybe it's something that's really good, but not something you really want to pursue or save for a later album. Or hell, maybe you wrote it in the actual studio while recording. It's cool to throw it in there as a little extra. Like, hey, this song exists, but it's not PART OF THE ALBUM.",
"I simply did it on my album because it was a throwback to the 90's. I created 13 tracks on the album, then placed 3s of blnk tracks all the way up to 98. Track 99 had the hidden track. When people listened to they album that was one thing they mentioned: They'd be in the car or at home listening and lulled by the album and after it's over it just keeps playing. You forget the album is playing and you just keep doing your shit. All of a sudden, a couple minutes later, you hear sounds and music starts playing again. ",
"I remember back in the day, 311 had a hidden track at the beginning of the Transistor CD. You actually had to rewind from the beginning of Song 1. Now, that's how you do a hidden track."
]
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1nawoi | what do animals feel when their young are taken away (to be adopted)? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1nawoi/what_do_animals_feel_when_their_young_are_taken/ | {
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"I've heard with cats, the mother cat will search the house for a couple hours, then completely forget about the kitten, drink some water then find a sunbeam to lie in.\n\nCats are assholes.",
"Fear i would guess, they don't know what adoption is. Take a kitten away from its mother and you will see the cat searching for the kitten for weeks. My cat has been a bit off ever since one of her kittens was stolen (not joking). I also heard that chickens go crazy if the eggs get spoiled and don't hatch but i don't know how far that's true.",
"I mentioned the other day that our cats had stockholm syndrome because we take them away from their family and make them love us.",
"I reckon they feel something like this: _URL_0_",
"Most animals only have parental instincts up to a point. And most are shorter than what we consider when compared to our own human experience. For animals the experience varies upon the developmental stage at which the offspring is Separated from its parent. If the offspring is separated while still in the nursing stage (ie mother still breast feeding or still in \"baby stages\" the mother will suffer more momental anxiety from the separation then if the separation occurs towards the latter ends of this stage. In the case of Dogs and Cats; for the most part pups are allowed to stay with their mother for close to 18 weeks. This is long enough for the mother to nurse their offspring and then then hormonally be able to relinquish their offspring without being all too concerned. And in the case of abandoned pups/kits being adopted its almost always a case of there being no parent around to care for the animal in the first place / a man abandoned litter. In which case the parent animal is never able to establish a parent child bond. Either way; The parent animal \"feels\" almost nothing and moves on with its life to the next mating cycle (as most mammals have yearly mating cycles) "
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||
4bgpt5 | how does tempered glass work? how does it stop the actual screen from cracking? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4bgpt5/eli5_how_does_tempered_glass_work_how_does_it/ | {
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"The idea of tempered glass is that they make it so that the surface of the glass is squeezed hard - it is under compression. To balance this, the inside of the glass is being pulled apart, or 'under tension'\n\nThis means that it takes a lot of force to break the surface of the glass, because that would involve pulling it apart, but you can't pull it apart, because it is being pushed together.\n\nThey do this generally in one of two ways - either they cool the glass down quickly, so the outside sets before the inside cools and contracts; or they use chemistry to stuff big atoms into the glass. These big atoms take up more space, pushing on their neighbours, squashing them and making that compression.",
"[Prince Rupert's Drop](_URL_0_) is a really cool demonstration of the forces at play. You can hit it with a hammer and not damage it, but once you do crack it(usually at the fragile tail), the forces are released and the whole thing shatters explosively.",
"You might like this video explaining [Prince Rupert's Drop](_URL_0_) starting at 2:33! That's the concept behind tempered glass. I find it nifty! ",
"SmarterEveryDay did a wonderful piece on this.\n\n_URL_0_"
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6peg52 | why do android phone manufacturers make carrier-specific phone models instead of releasing only one universal model that works on all carriers? | It doesn't make sense to me why Android phone manufacturers like Samsung and LG make carrier specific phones (T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, etc.).
1) Wouldn't it be cheaper making one variant of a phone as opposed to several?
2) Wouldn't it reduce the cost of R & D, especially when it comes to making carrier-specific software and security updates, not to forget that it would decrease the time it takes for users to receive updates since there would be no need for carriers to make a modified version?
3) Wouldn't it reduce the amount of bugs and issues that might pop up due to carriers modifying the OEM software and accidentally making an error?
4) Wouldn't this help with the reduction of fragmentation that has been around ever since Android was first released? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6peg52/eli5_why_do_android_phone_manufacturers_make/ | {
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"In the US, Sprint, Verizon and US Cellular use CDMA. AT & T and T-Mobile use GSM. You cant use a cdma phone on a gsm network nor vice versa. So you either make two models or you put two separate transmitters in one phone and up the price. ",
"Europe is mostly all GSM. It's interesting how this Chagres the phone market over here. You might give this of interest: _URL_0_",
"At least in the US, the vast majority of people buy phones through their carriers. Very few people purchase phones on their own. This means, as a phone manufacturer, you need to throw the carriers a bone to get them to start selling your phone instead of somebody else's.\n\nThat bone, historically, has been to carrier lock and allow them to put their custom apps on the device."
]
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"https://www.androidcentral.com/unlocked-phones-europe"
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4enjmm | why do really muscular guys appear to take more hits before they get knocked out, even by equally large guys? | I've been watching a lot of videos of street fights and it seems like the really big guys just do NOT go down. Does it have something to do with their stature or is it their fighting skills. Also what would a smaller dude have to do to take down a big guy? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4enjmm/eli5_why_do_really_muscular_guys_appear_to_take/ | {
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"Muscle mass and strength. \n\nPunch a pencil neck, and he's a bobble head. That brain is bouncing around inside the skull like a superball in a racquetball court.\n\nStrong neck muscles can prevent much of that.\n\nBeing knocked out is a brain injury."
]
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ragy1 | what is lorem ipsum ? | I've read the explanation , but it seems like I actually need someone to ELI5. Anyone ? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ragy1/what_is_lorem_ipsum/ | {
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"Lorem Ipsum is placeholder text, which originally was in latin. Today, there are many programs that automatically generate 'lorem ipsum' looking text. It can be random words which do not have any meaning.\n\nThe most common, recent, example of using Lorem Ipsum is when you're designing a webpage. Sometimes you want to see what a page will look like with real-looking text. You normally design it first, then the client you are making the site for gives you the final text to put on the site later.",
"Lorem Ipsum is bogus text in (more or less accurate) latin. It is used by designers as a placeholder for text that they don't have yet.\n\nSay you're designing an ad. You know there will be two paragraphs of text but the text is not finalized yet. But you already want to see what it would look like. So you replace the two paragraphs with bogus text. \n\nLorem ipsum is used because it looks like a real text would. It's not like you wrote \"blah blah blah\" on and on, which wouldn't look real.\n\nYou can find numerous \"lorem ipsum\" generators online, and I hear the new version of Adobe softwares will come with their own generator built-in.",
"Lorem ipsum is just \"filler text\". So, if someone designs a page layout -- say for a MS Word document or something, and wants to fill it up with words so people can see how the layout looks, they will often fill the page with the \"lorem ipsum\". \n\nLorem ipsum is Latin, and it has a translation, but no one expects you to understand it. The text is just there to show how the page layout looks. ",
"Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.\n\nIt is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using 'Content here, content here', making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for 'lorem ipsum' will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).\n \n\nContrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of \"de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum\" (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC. This book is a treatise on the theory of ethics, very popular during the Renaissance. The first line of Lorem Ipsum, \"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..\", comes from a line in section 1.10.32.\n\nThe standard chunk of Lorem Ipsum used since the 1500s is reproduced below for those interested. Sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 from \"de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum\" by Cicero are also reproduced in their exact original form, accompanied by English versions from the 1914 translation by H. Rackham.\n\nThere are many variations of passages of Lorem Ipsum available, but the majority have suffered alteration in some form, by injected humour, or randomised words which don't look even slightly believable. If you are going to use a passage of Lorem Ipsum, you need to be sure there isn't anything embarrassing hidden in the middle of text. All the Lorem Ipsum generators on the Internet tend to repeat predefined chunks as necessary, making this the first true generator on the Internet. It uses a dictionary of over 200 Latin words, combined with a handful of model sentence structures, to generate Lorem Ipsum which looks reasonable. The generated Lorem Ipsum is therefore always free from repetition, injected humour, or non-characteristic words etc.",
"It's the text equivalent of [placekitten](_URL_0_) for images."
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yyktv | what happened in jonestown and how did it start? | I did read several articles on the internet and even watched the Discovery Channel documentary but I still can't quite get it how can something like this even happen.
Were they running away from America? Were they trying to | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/yyktv/eli5_what_happened_in_jonestown_and_how_did_it/ | {
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"Jim Jones, a student of Marxism, started an organized temple in the 1950s in Indiana. It combined the rhetoric of the Bible with the rhetoric of Marxism, and grew to over 10,000 followers. In the mid-1960s Jones had visions of a nuclear holocaust and predicted it would occur in 1967. So in 1965, he moved a small portion of his congregation (about 200 people) to California, to prepare for the nuclear holocaust. \n\nIn California, he rejected the Bible, and started preaching from a text he wrote himself. By the 1970s, he had expanded his temple into Los Angeles and San Francisco. Turns out, he was using mind control tactics he'd somehow learned the North Koreans and Chinese had used before. Also, he was raping women and men in the congregation. \n\nTo get away from California investigations of his finances and of his psychological abuse of his followers, he started (mid-1970s) transferring the temple to Guyana, and called it Jonestown. By 1978 there were nearly 1000 people there. But there were also some reports of abuse. So a US Congressman representing San Francisco went down to Jonestown with a team to investigate. During the visit, a few people asked to go back with the team to California. \n\nAs the team and the defectors were going to their plane, Jonestown security shot them all to death. The next day (or later that day?), before more authorities could get there, Jones ordered his entire congregation to drink a concoction of cyanide-laced, grape flavored Flavor Aid. Parents were instructed to poison their children. 918 people died, including 276 children.\n\n\n\n"
]
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ddymlu | if i send a letter internationally through usps, do the other countries who process and deliver the letter get a cut of the postage i pay in the us? is there any revenue sharing between the postal agencies? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/ddymlu/eli5_if_i_send_a_letter_internationally_through/ | {
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"The pay is portioned out by a really complex equation, which is run by a UN organization called the [Universal Postal Union](_URL_0_). Almost every country is a member of this and this organization deals with rates and lots of stuff regarding international shipping.\n\nTheir rates are currently a bit controversial, as they tend to offer low rates for developing nations (even China) to ship internationally, so the developed nations are a bit mad that about that. As a result, the US was just about to leave the UPU, but negotiated a different deal about 2 weeks ago that allows the US to be able to set their own inbound rates, instead of having it set by the UPU. Basically the deal was that China could ship stuff really cheap to the US because of the low UPU rates for China, which was a substantial advantage in international trade for China with sending goods to the US, but now the US can set the rate instead.",
"_URL_0_\n\nHave a listen to this podcast :)",
"[Yes, There is a whole complex system to work it out but. But they try to pay each country the mail will pass through. Here is a vedo on the topic](_URL_0_)"
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||
2kuh7y | what's the legal basis for the rulings on judge judy? | Since it's not actually an official court, I don't understand how any of the rulings declared on it could be enforceable | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2kuh7y/eli5_whats_the_legal_basis_for_the_rulings_on/ | {
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"The people appearing in the \"court\" have signed an legally binding agreement giving Judge Judy the power of arbitration.\n\nBasically, because before they could appear on the show, they had to sign a contract saying they will follow the instructions given by her ",
"It is an arbitration agreement under the Federal Arbitration Act, (and possibly also state law,) which is a law that allows people to enter into a specifically enforceable contract establishing the procedures and methods for resolving their disputes. The arbitration agreement presumably specifies Judge Judy as the arbitrator of the dispute.",
"The people going on the show have agreed to [arbitration](_URL_0_) - in short, they've legally agreed to accept the decision of an impartial 3rd party instead of taking the suit to court.\n\nThe show's producers agree to pay whatever the final judgement is, to get people onto the show.",
"It's binding arbitration- both parties agree to do whatever she says. If you're in the US, you've probably agreed to something similar (minus the TV show part) if you've got an account with Microsoft (section 10 of [their terms of use](_URL_4_)), Sony's PlayStation Network (section 18 of [their terms of use](_URL_2_)), Nintendo (various sections of their different [terms of use](_URL_3_)), Verizon (section titled [How do I resolve disputes with Verizon Wireless](_URL_1_)), AT & T ([the linked section](_URL_0_)), and many more. ",
"Also, the parties are sometimes given a stipend for shows like this, and also collect royalties each time it airs, so they all come out OK. And there's a perverse incentive for them to act crazy, so they get aired more often. I'm not sure if Judge Judy's show pays, but I know other shows like that do."
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"https://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/globalText?textName=CUSTOMER_AGREEMENT&jspName=footer/customerAgreement.jsp",
"http://www.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/terms-of-service/",
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3l8t0g | what is the 'fed rate hike decision' and why is it so important i hear about it almost everyday? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3l8t0g/eli5_what_is_the_fed_rate_hike_decision_and_why/ | {
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"One of the most important roles that The US Federal Reserve had is to set the interest rate. The interest rate has an impact on the amount of money it costs to service a loan and the amount of money that you receive in interest for keeping your money in the bank. \n\nThe Federal Reserve have not increased interest rates in 9 years and because they have not increased interest rates in so long, it is believed that it would cause volatility in both the US and international markets when they do so."
]
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[]
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||
40hvk7 | why do some casinos won't allow a person to join a game or take home the money after a big winning? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/40hvk7/eli5_why_do_some_casinos_wont_allow_a_person_to/ | {
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"When do either of these things happen?",
"The casino doesnt ever have to let you play at any specific table if for some reason they dont want to. They can kick you out for any reason as its a private establishment. That said they absolutely CANNOT keep you from leaving any time you want and taking your winnings with you, but it is their job to make money, when someone wins a jackpot they will do everything they can to make that person stay and lose some of it back to the casino. ",
"Casinos don't have to let you play. If they don't want you to play a particular game or at a particular table, they are within their rights to let you. \n\nIf you do win big, there are lots of forms to fill out, and if you don't fill them out, they are not required or allowed to let you take the money. That's why they make the process as slow and painful as possible, usually in the meantime they will give you some free chips to play other games while they get the paperwork in order. They want you to stay in the casino as long as possible, but no, they are not allowed to force you to stay. However, it is not *your* money until all the paperwork is complete."
]
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||
5ndvu5 | ontological, phenomenological | What do these words mean when used in a sentence? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5ndvu5/eli5_ontological_phenomenological/ | {
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"They are philosophical terms. Ontology refers to the study of the nature of being and existence, and Phenomenology to first person experience and consciousness. What they mean in a sentence depends largely on the rest of the sentence, but that's a start. ",
"An ontology is also a detailed structure of knowledge on a topic. People sometimes use them to try to train AI to become an expert on that subject.\n\nA phenomenological study is looking at one or a few cases of something happenning and describing it with an aim to better understand it and possibly identify topics that could be researched further.\n\nA phenomenological ontology could be a unique body of knowledge."
]
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[],
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|
4bmgju | why do so many critically acclaimed, well made video games fail commercially? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4bmgju/eli5_why_do_so_many_critically_acclaimed_well/ | {
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"They're not AAA titles and as heavily advertised, or they're niche genres not many people play. Lot of story heavy or puzzle heavy games make people think, and a lot of people just want mindless action. Also most people won't invest in new titles, and would rather buy what they know. Call of Action XXX and such. Need for Acceleration Sport. ",
"The big issue is that the reviewers are not the general public. \n\nJust because they thought it was awesome does not mean everyone (or anyone) will. Usually quite the opposite, some people may buy the video game because of the good reviews but video game sales are only of the strongest \"want markets\" that we have. Most people buy video games fully on impulse so it is difficult to get someone to buy something they would not have already wanted. \n\nAlso think of Oscar winning movies that did not do incredible at the box office. \n\nHave a great day! :-) ",
"Can you give an example of such games, OP? I've seen many games that were *heavily anticipated* but ended up being critically panned. Many games from very successful series that were buggy as hell. Many games that were *potentially* good games, but used terrible DRM that made them unplayable for extended periods. "
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||
86f0mt | why are phone noises so unrealistic on screen? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/86f0mt/eli5_why_are_phone_noises_so_unrealistic_on_screen/ | {
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"text": [
"The sounds and ringtones of phones are protected by copyright. It’s to avoid having to pay royalties to the respective companies. "
]
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[]
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||
2tsf21 | why do supercars redline at 10-12 thousand rpm, but my truck redlines at 4 thousand rpm? | 5 thousand* | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2tsf21/eli5_why_do_supercars_redline_at_1012_thousand/ | {
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"From what I understand it has to do with 3 things.\n\nStrength of components - high end motors are made with stronger piston rods, etc.\n\nBalance - As you'd imagine, a slight shimmy at 4k rpm is annoying, at 10k it's catastrophic, so all rotating parts are balanced to even tighter tolerances.\n\nLongevity - I think to a degree the higher RPM you sacrifice power and performance for longevity. a NASCAR engine only has to make it 500 miles, your truck, hopefully 300,000 or more.\n\nI might also add other things like fuel pressure, oil pressure, etc all need to be higher at those RPMs.\n\nI have little actual experience, just read a bunch.",
"Because you have a $5000 dollar motor and they have an $100.000 dollar motor",
"Trucks need mainly torque, because they tow stuff and weigh a lot. They need that instant power to get going. Torque is how hard you're turning the wheels more than how fast. Horsepower is usually made higher in rpm range. Trucks make a lot of torque with larger bigger engines. The engine doesnt turn as fast but each time it does its more powerful. Sports cars have smaller engines that turn faster. Faster engine turns, faster you go. They need torque as well but can get by on mostly horsepower. So revving out to 10k rpm they can go really fast. Also if your truck redlines that low it is probably a diesel. Diesels make almost instant power but die off in high rpm so revving them higher is a waiste. Ferrari is opposite it loves high rpms and makes a ton of power near redline. "
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fdpva5 | what does it feel like to be in a multiple days/weeks coma ? are you still "awake" in your head during this time ? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fdpva5/eli5_what_does_it_feel_like_to_be_in_a_multiple/ | {
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"As far as i have read about this the main comment about being in a coma is unconsciousness. Ie no consciousness. Aka being in a coma.",
"Less than two years ago, after a head injury, I spent three days in a partial coma. I was alone in my apartment, and found myself conscious (but not alert) for just a couple of minutes, approximately once every twelve to sixteen hours. I was able to get up, go to the toilet, and return to bed, without having any meta-awareness, kind of like sleep-walking. It was only after three and a half days of this that I finally had the thought, “This isn’t good,” and phoned someone to come help me. \nI’m quite sure I wasn’t merely sleeping. I don’t recall dreaming, or even thinking, at all. This was definitely a coma. I estimate that I was between a 2 and a 3 on the Glasgow coma scale."
]
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[],
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13m0l4 | arbitrage | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/13m0l4/eli5_arbitrage/ | {
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"Let's say you have an apple. Bob really likes apples, so he'll give you 2 oranges for an apple. Chuck really likes oranges, and will give you 2 pears for one (Bob hates pears). Maxine likes pears, and will give you 2 apples for one (Chuck is allergic to apples).\n\nSo you start out with 1 apple, and after three trades, you have 8 apples, without having to give anything up. What's more, you can go through the whole process, and get 64 apples, 512 apples, as many as you want, until someone runs out of fruit or changes the exchange rate.\n\nThat's arbitrage...you find a loop in exchange rates that gets you something for nothing, they you run around that loop as often as you can, to get a lot of something for nothing.",
"Arbitrage is just taking advantage of the difference in prices of something by buying and selling at the same time.\n\nI used to do this all the time in the Star Wars MMO back when the Empire and Republic trade networks were not linked. Most Empire players played \"Dark Side\" while Republic players were \"Light Side\" and some items could only be used by people of certain alignment. The result? Dark side items on the Republic network (and vice versa) were extremely cheap while light side items were in demand. So I simply bought up all the cheap light side items on the Empire network and sent them to a guy that could list them for a profit on the Republic network. I took items where there was excess supply, and brought them to market where there was excess demand."
]
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379thm | why do motels/hotels frequently have numbers in their names? | Such as Motel 6 or Super 8.
I tried googling it, but didn't come up with anything.
Edit: Thanks guys! Initial room cost is apparently the answer. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/379thm/eli5_why_do_motelshotels_frequently_have_numbers/ | {
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"Well, Motel 6 was called that because it's room rate was $6 per night.\n\nI'm going to guess that Super 8 was $8 per night.\n\nSource: Wikipedia page on Motel 6",
"I think that Motel 6 is so named because it originally cost $6/ night (and the first one was on the Beachfront in Santa Barbara). I would guess that Super 8 might have gotten its name for similar reasons. ",
"Money\n\nMotel 6:[They decided on a US$6 nightly room rate that would cover building costs, land leases, and janitorial supplies; hence the company name \"Motel 6\".](_URL_1_)\n\nSuper 8: [The original room rate was US$8.88, hence the numeric brand name](_URL_0_)"
]
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[],
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"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_8_Motels",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motel_6"
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6097sc | how does the anatomy of conjoined twins work? | Are their pairs of every vital organ? Do the organs only function for one twin, or can, for example, blood mix and circulate amongst both twins? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6097sc/eli5_how_does_the_anatomy_of_conjoined_twins_work/ | {
"a_id": [
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"It's different depending on each case. Usually they have separate organs but share a circulatory system. It's not uncommon for them to only have 1 heart and liver shared between the two. ",
"Every case is different. They will usually share the circulatory system. This means that neutralists and hormones will be shared amongst them. The number of vital organs differ from case to case. Some conjoined twins can be separated by surgery and some are normal people only with an extra head."
]
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6jiopb | is a predisposition to substance abuse based on family history mainly due to environment or genetics? how could genes make you more likely to abuse drugs/alcohol? | I was caught drinking at college about a year ago, and I had to go through an alcohol education program. I just remembered that I was asked if several different types of family members had been heavy drinkers, and being you average Irish-American-Catholic boy, I have 2 parents, 4 grandparents, and countless aunts/uncles/cousins who love to drink. So do I!
But am I actually more likely to be an addict or alcoholic because of my genes? I have cousins with serious substance abuse issues, but it seems to me that an environment where everyone you know drinks is just a huge influence.
| explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6jiopb/eli5_is_a_predisposition_to_substance_abuse_based/ | {
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"Addiction researcher here. **Yes**, your genes predispose you to addiction. \n\nThere are genes that control how strongly you react to drugs – not only the physical and mental effects, but its reinforcing effects. Every time your brain performs an action (in this case drinking) and it likes the result, it will reprogram your brain to increase the likelihood you'll do it again. Addictive drugs hijack that system. Addicts brains reprogram to a greater extent. Also theres a lot of overlap with people who are depressed or anxious, which also encourages drinking. \n\nHeres the kicker, environment can act on genes to encourage addiction. Second, we also need to consider social values. If you get bad hangovers, sometimes get angry, and drink > 5 drinks in less than 2 hours 5x per month, you could be classified as having a substance abuse disorder. That is not to say you're a hopeless addict, but medicine might categorize you as such. Depending on where you come from, this kind of drinking might not be too much a problem (e.g. college).\n\nAs a parting note, addiction medicine is an emerging field with many complicated unanswered questions. Environmental, cultural, and biological factors all contribute a critical role in addiction.\n"
]
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1i70p3 | how are fbi profilers so accurate (or are they?) and how do they do it? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1i70p3/eli5_how_are_fbi_profilers_so_accurate_or_are/ | {
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"Are we [so sure](_URL_0_) that they actually are that accurate in the first place? I know this is going to get downvoted to hell, but their methodology and results haven't really been scientifically studied at all, and it's rather an open question as to how or if it works.\n\nFor what it's worth, I am not making the positive claim that there's nothing to it. However, it's pretty much impossible to know without doing some fairly complicated and time consuming studies. As with all scientific questions, a skeptical mindset is the proper way to approach something like this, and there's a handy rule of thumb: before trying to work out how something works, first make sure that the effect you're trying to explain actually exists...",
"They aren't. Forensic profiling, like almost all forms of forensic science, has never been demonstrated to be particularly accurate, and there are no rigorous standards for how it must be done.\n\nAt least it's not like firearms analysis, which is *known* to be inaccurate, and yet still admitted in courts.",
"Let me try to answer from what I have learned from my university criminal profiling class. \n\nThe goal of criminal profiling is not necessarily to target any one individual, but to narrow down the list of suspects. Although finding the offender or offenders is the end goal, you will never be able to build an accurate enough profile that will be 100% right. Trying to do so is extremely problematic. Rather you look at the physical evidence, look at the victims, and try to infer characteristics about the offender. With these you can narrow your search parameters and hopefully focus your efforts more effectively.\n\nSo how profiling works is in a couple of ways. You look at established studies and findings from other disciplines (sociology, psychology, criminology, etc) and try to apply it to your profile. For example, a psych study may have found that most people with trait Z, act in X way, when in Y situation. Knowing this finding, you might be able with to better understand why the offender acted the way they did and build some inferences about them. \n\nAnother way profiles are built is by looking at demographic data. So say a robbery is committed, looking at the stats for robberies, who would have been most likely to commit it? What age, gender, race, etc. is most likely? Or given the crime happened in the city rather than the suburbs, what characteristics can we logically infer?\n\nNow the problem with this is exactly what you asked in your question, how specified can these get and are they accurate? The answer is not as specific as one would like. The problem is two fold. When basing inferences about an offender off things like studies or demographics, you run the risk that the offender is atypical, that is they deviate a lot from the average. Another problem is that the more specific you get the more chance you have at being too specific. For example you might have data showing 90% chance they have this characteristic and 50% they have this one. If you combine them that's 45% chance they have both, which as you can imagine isn't exactly the best odds to go on.\n\nMy answer is getting pretty long now so I'll just say this. What you see in movies, tv, or in books is highly sensationalized. In reality profiling is still a developing science and is a balancing act between narrowing down possible suspects, but not getting too specific so that you make erroneous claims or are too narrow so that no one fits it. It is not perfect by any stretch, in fact, you can't convict someone on a profile alone and you need something like physical evidence to go with it. As long as the profiles and investigators keep in mind that all you are trying to do is narrow down the pool and not trying to find the exact person, then profiling can be effective. \n\nI apologize for any errors, I'm typing this on a tablet and editing is hard."
]
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49f3ig | why are glasses associated with intelligence in culture? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/49f3ig/eli5_why_are_glasses_associated_with_intelligence/ | {
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"In the past, literacy (the ability to read and write) was uncommon but a very useful skill to have. If you were illiterate, you would have to hire someone who was literate to write letters or documents for you. Performing merchant trades that involve large but accurate sums of money would be impossible for someone who could not read and write.\n\nHowever, someone who was literate but had bad or declining eyesight would want to invest in glasses to continue using their skill. Thus, there was a link between people who wear glasses and literacy. People who were literate were generally considered more educated and intelligent in the culture.\n\nNowadays, the link is more due to the conditions children go through when growing up. Having a lack of exposure to sunlight for children and teenagers makes you more likely to become near-sighted. Kids who end up studying in their room all day generally do not have enough exposure to sunlight. This makes the children who study more have a higher chance of wearing glasses.",
"It may have to do with a few correlations. First the people that 'needed' glasses were people that spent a lot of time reading, writing or working on small things. You can farm all day with 20-60 vision but it's very hard to do detail work. This means that more educated people tended to have glasses.\n\nSecond they've discovered a link between myopia and lack of sunlight, again selecting for people that spent more time reading and indoors than outdoors doing stuff. [link](_URL_0_)\n\n\nThis is just a guess historians might have a better explanation."
]
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[],
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||
6ud8fl | why do never hear of people having two infections (viral or bacterial) at once. is it simply rare or is there another reason? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6ud8fl/eli5why_do_never_hear_of_people_having_two/ | {
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"It is not rare. In fact a lot of people who die of pneumonia got the pneumonia because they already had some other infection that was weakening them.\n\nAn extreme case: lots of people with untreated AIDS.",
"It is pretty common, especially among people who are immunocompromised. (Either because of illnesses or the drugs they are taking). That is one reason why hospitals are so strict with protocols cause they don't want to accidentally cross-infect people. \n\nHaving one infection can also put you at risk of a second one, either through just lowering your resistance or because the drugs you are given allow other things to get a foothold. For example, for a bacterial infection, you will be given antibiotics, but those antibiotics can also mess with the natural balance in your body. For many women, using antibiotics can increase the risk of getting a vaginal yeast infection because the antibiotics will also eliminate the bacteria that normally keep the yeast in check. At which point you'll often still be battling whatever they gave you the original antibiotics for (especially with a longer course) and have the yeast infection. "
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[],
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emjm88 | what decides the noises/pattern of noises emergency vehicles make? | Sometimes it seems completely random or like a strict pattern. Is it based off the type of vehicle or emergency? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/emjm88/eli5_what_decides_the_noisespattern_of_noises/ | {
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"The driver or front seat passenger uses a switch, toggle, or has buttons to choose from a range of sounds. \n\nOn a long piece of road without cross traffic, just the regular siren would be fine. But in city traffic, the sounds get changed frequently both to get attention *(because a constant sound is often ignored by the brain)* and because some drivers might not hear a certain range.",
"My sister is a paramedic... There are buttons for different sounds. The main siren is a constant repeating pattern, but the are buttons for chirps, warbles, honks, trills and others. Usually police and fire have distinct sounds, police being higher pitch and faster and fire being lower pitch and slower but there are some ambulances in my city with the same sound as the police cars, so it just depends on where you are.\n\n[_URL_0_](_URL_1_)"
]
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"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5\\_yWYrHBH-M",
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_yWYrHBH-M"
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|
cexc0i | how does sunscreen make you stay longer in the sun? how does the higher number change things. | Does it block a certain percentage of UV rays? Does it give a flat time until it's completely gone and then tanning starts?
And how does a higher sunscreen change things? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/cexc0i/eli5_how_does_sunscreen_make_you_stay_longer_in/ | {
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" > Does it block a certain percentage of UV rays? \n\nThat's exactly what it does, more specifically it blocks UV-B rays, which are the type that cause sunburns. To my knowledge it doesn't \"last\" a certain amount of time, but rather it is worn away due to water, sweat, etc over time, which is why you need to reapply it. \n\n[Here's](_URL_0_) a pretty good video that shows the UV protection of sunscreen. \n\nEDIT: A little more research - SPF tells you how much longer it takes for the UV rays to burn your skin when used properly. SPF 30 means it takes 30 times longer to burn the protected areas than the unprotected."
]
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170l7i | why is everything in the universe so far apart? | Could we have existed back when things were closer together and had an easier time traveling to other stars and such? Because all the things were closer together a long time ago, right? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/170l7i/eli5_why_is_everything_in_the_universe_so_far/ | {
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"Far apart compared to what? On a universal scale, it's pretty crowded. Our point of reference is just unimaginably small.",
"The stars weren't closer together in the past. Our galaxy is held together by gravity, so the expansion of the universe doesn't apply to interstellar travel. That even applies to galaxies near us - Andromeda is actually on a collision course with us due to gravity. Bigger structures, where gravity isn't keeping them together, are the things getting farther away."
]
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71328m | what are dryer sheets made out of? | Not asking about the chemicals they put on the sheets, but the actual sheet. Once you wash away the chemicals, they look like random strings of plastic have been melted together. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/71328m/eli5_what_are_dryer_sheets_made_out_of/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"The actual fabric is just a non-woven polyester, and the chemicals are mostly just postively charged chemicals to grab the negative charges from the clothing so they don't cling with some smelly chemicals to make the clothing smell good. Remember that static is negative charge and opposites attract."
]
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3lkij3 | what are the straight up facts on quality of life for today's young adults than young adults in e.g. the 60s? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3lkij3/eli5_what_are_the_straight_up_facts_on_quality_of/ | {
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"Your job opportunities now, believe it or not, are about the same level of awful as when I graduated from university in the early 1970s. Housing costs are equally horrifying (there was a reason so many of us lived in communes-- both urban and rural.) The idea of ever being able to own our own home was so remote as to be fantastical. And the rents were too damned high-- so much so that many college grads lived in streets and parks during the summer months-- especially in California. \n\nWomen who wished to work could be secretaries, nurses, school teachers, librarians or nuns. Period. All job applications for women began with \"WPM\" (meaning how many words-per-minute do you type?) \n\nRepressive sexuality rivaled the Middle East's (you could be arrested and imprisoned for \"living in sin\" without \"benefit of wedlock.\" You could be arrested and imprisoned for \"sodomy.\" You could even be arrested and imprisoned for giving or getting a blow job. And no birth control unless you were married and had the permission of your husband. Women couldn't even buy condoms. Single mothers were called \"widows.\" Unmarried girls who found themselves pregnant \"went to live with their Aunt _______\" for a time.\n\nReligion in the public sphere, public prayer, so-called \"moral clauses\" in employment contracts were enforced-- and rampant. Oh, and Christian. Television stations signed off with prayers. Presidents led us in national days of prayer. Public school cafeterias could not serve meat on Fridays -- a sap to the Catholic church. Jews? (We'd heard about those, but didn't know any personally.) Negroes were exotics who lived \"elsewhere. Mexicans were \"braceros\" who came and went seasonally following the crops. They certainly weren't enrolled in our \"white\" school system. \n\nCigarette smoke was everywhere you went-- including elevators and airplanes.\n\n\"Fine dining\" consisted of steak, potatoes, canned vegetables, and two martinis. The wine was dreck. Fresh fruits and vegetables were only available seasonally in stores. Bottled water only came in 5 gallon jugs that cost a fortune -- and the water (and air, for that matter,) were literally hazardous to your health in many American cities. \n\nDress codes --for women especially --were halfway between Sunday School and Sharia. No trousers allowed in restaurants or in school, skirts no more than mid-knee level-- you'd be sent home or denied service if you showed up in pants. No cleavage, no sleeveless except at the beach. Hats, gloves, nylon stockings were required on public transportation. Men wearing tee shirts as outerwear were generally found only in prisons or in their own bedroom. Denim jeans weren't allowed in the classroom. \n\nWomen could not dine alone or get a room alone in hotels. Nor could they get credit of any sort without the co-signature of a man. \n\nA telephone call from LA to NYC cost $1 a minute (in 1960s dollars.) \n\nThere were three television stations to choose from, all with politically and morally censored content. \n\nThere was no interactive electronic media other than ham radio and AM call-in-- both of which were highly restricted.\n\nCommies (*shudder*) threatened to take over the world and were to be found in every closet and under every bed. National paranoia was palpable --and of days-following -9/11 intensity -- for years on end. People were literally blacklisted as unhirable for suspected \"communist\" sympathies. \n\nAll-in-all, this sixty-something woman is *extremely* happy to have survived all that to see the relative ease, convenience, and VERY COOL technologies we enjoy today. And I laugh in the face of anyone who longs for the good old days of the 1950s. \n\nGood luck, OP!\n"
]
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[]
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||
44dk75 | why do screws loosen over time? | I know there is something about vibrations but why do they loosen over time? And can you do anything to prevent it? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/44dk75/eli5_why_do_screws_loosen_over_time/ | {
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"Because of the way screws work - basically a wedge, but wrapped round into a spiral - they're always far more likely to loosen than tighten up with any kind of disturbance. Think of it as being more likely to slide downhill than uphill.\n\nAs for what you can do about it - plenty. If you're talking about woodscrews you can use makes with a more aggressive cut - I use [these](_URL_0_) a lot - they have lots of roughnesses on the thread which stop them coming loose.\n\nIf you're talking about machine screws - what many people call bolts, then you can use thread-locking compoud, which is basically glue which locks the threads together. You can use nylon locknuts, which grip the thread, or aerotight nuts, which do the same, or you can use shake-proof washers, or spring washers, or wired castellated nuts, or split-pins, or stake-nuts....",
"the point of a fastener of any kind is to hold things together that would not otherwise stay that way. there are joins that get tighter in response to stress, but they're generally more complicated and not preferred for a number of reasons. \n\none of the simplest things to do is to avoid over-tightening them. it pulls on the material and the threading which wears out the join faster. a common mistake with wood is using too small of a hole, it over-stresses the wood and creates a weak point in the wood between the threads. in bolts, not using a large enough washer will pull on the material around the hole too much.\n\n"
]
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"http://s7g3.scene7.com/is/image/ae235?$p$&layer=0&size=281,281&layer=1&size=281,281&src=ae235/17988_P"
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|
c09gnz | how do you measure and describe "direction" when standing at the north or south pole? | For most navigation, you can plan and communicate direction based on something relative to a compass, like north-northeast, etc. But if you were on an expedition to either pole, how would you describe your return route? For example, if you were at the North Pole, no matter which direction you moved, it could be called South. | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c09gnz/eli5_how_do_you_measure_and_describe_direction/ | {
"a_id": [
"er2vnmj",
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"text": [
"Latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates can be used to describe a location regardless of position on Earth. They are unique points. If you want to tell someone where to go *relative* to you, you could always use degrees from a reference.",
"If you had any reason to do so, you could describe what meridian (aka line of longitude) you were going to follow. But if the person you are communicating with is in your immediate vicinity, you would just say \"your left\" or \"your right\" or \"behind you\" or whatever, the same way we do in ordinary life."
]
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[],
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|
1pyu1c | what's the difference between "individual rights" and "government powers." | I know that rights are defined and that powers are enumerated but what makes something like sovereign immunity a power and not a right? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1pyu1c/eli5_whats_the_difference_between_individual/ | {
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"I assume that you're asking in the context of the United States because A) I'm from there and a chauvinist and B) I don't know as many specifics about other countries.\n\nSo, in that context, I think that you're a little confused about how rights and powers were first framed in the constitution. The constitution was set up explicitly to limit the things that the government could do. It aimed to do that my strictly listing the exact things that the federal government had the power to do. These are the \"enumerated powers\", because they are specifically listed. \n\nThis is again made explicit in the Tenth Amendment, which says \"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.\"\n\nSo the people and the states have all the rights, and the federal government can only do the things listed. The rights of the people are not enumerated. They are many and unennumerable, uncountable. That is why we have the 9th amendment, which says \"he enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.\"\n\nSo, the people have these rights listed in the Bill of Rights, but those are not just the only rights the people have, unlike the powers listed for the federal government, which is a list of the *only* things that it can do.\n\nNow obviously, this hasn't worked out in practice, but that was how it was written and intended at the time."
]
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5cnvhy | what role did surveillance play in the cold war? which side(s) used it and how did it effect the events of the war? | Okay, so, I'm making a shitpost on youtube that involves this specific knowledge about the cold war, so I was hoping you smart guys could help me out. I'm sorry if this isn't material for the ELI5 sub, I need some quick answers and /r/askhistory seems kinda dead.
Thanks in advance | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5cnvhy/eli5what_role_did_surveillance_play_in_the_cold/ | {
"a_id": [
"d9y6kj4"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Probably the most important aspect of surveillance were American spy satellite photos taken of Soviet nuclear missiles being installed in Cuba. This triggered the Cuban missile crisis and almost caused a nuclear war."
]
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[]
] |
|
1zyqmt | how do stock markets calculate value? | I realise the question isn't phrased that well, but it's the best I could think of.
I'm confused as to how the value of shares is calculated. For example, I just looked at the London Stock Exchange and their website tells me that the company 'G4S' has risen by nearly 4%.
How do they know this? How do they calculate the value of a share and what causes it to change? Who says it's worth 'X'?
I guess what confuses me is that the Stock Exchange is not natural, we humans made it, so why are we at the whim of its fluctuations? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zyqmt/eli5how_do_stock_markets_calculate_value/ | {
"a_id": [
"cfy6i17"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"The exchange doesn't calculate value. It just records that someone bought shares for such and such price. If for some reason someone today is willing to pay more than was paid yesterday, the price will rise."
]
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[]
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|
7806um | why are leaves just turning brown and falling off in midwest rather than showing the beautiful fall color we all crave? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7806um/eli5_why_are_leaves_just_turning_brown_and/ | {
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"dopygoy",
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"text": [
"I caught this picture a couple days ago from my front window. The trees in Minnesota seem to be providing us with some amazing color. Maybe someone with more biology experience can explain your phenomenon.\n\n_URL_0_",
"Usually, it's due to lack of rain. I have no idea what the mechanism is behind it, but at least where I live, drought years typically have very little in the way of fall colors.\n"
]
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[
"https://i.imgur.com/SVdW9dd.jpg"
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||
5zwvob | why do we have glands in our armpits to produce hormones and scents, and what is their purpose? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5zwvob/eli5_why_do_we_have_glands_in_our_armpits_to/ | {
"a_id": [
"df1ofee"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"They release pheromones that are attractive to the opposite sex, subconsciously. They help stimulate sexual arrousal/desire. Humans are extremely social animals, and anything that can increase the bond of sex is hugely important for us. In today's society we associate the smell of sweat with poor hygiene, but nonetheless during sex our instincts return and the effects are still very much active on your brain"
]
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||
blfuhx | can empirical rule be applied to discreet variables? | I've been told that the 68-95-99.7 rule can only be applied to continuous but not discreet variables. Here's the example:
& #x200B;
I've predicted that it's going to rain in Chicago on March 1st 2020. Can the 68-95-99.7 rule be used to calculate the odds of me guessing correctly? Why or why not? What about the odds of me guessing the weather correctly in Chicago on March 1st for the next 10 years? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/blfuhx/eli5_can_empirical_rule_be_applied_to_discreet/ | {
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"text": [
"The empirical rule applies only to normally distributed values. The normal distribution does imply a continuous distribution, however the common binomial distribution for discrete trials approaches a normal distribution for large enough sampling. For the probability of a single day having rain based on previous samplings on that day and location, I would imagine you would use the mean and standard deviation from those trials, but I'm not sure if it would be normally distributed."
]
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|
59s1kx | period hormones | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/59s1kx/eli5_period_hormones/ | {
"a_id": [
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"text": [
"It's not actually your period specifically, but the PMS that happens before and during it. This video can probably explain it a lot better than I can. _URL_0_"
]
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"https://youtu.be/LNDE_LDWXW0"
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||
174ccc | why has japan averaged one prime minister a year for nearly 20 years? | Minus Koizumi of course. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/174ccc/why_has_japan_averaged_one_prime_minister_a_year/ | {
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"text": [
"Several reasons: \n\n1. Prime Ministers are expected to resign when the polls are going down, they are not expected to serve their full term. Any damage to the poll could be a reason for resigning (including [wearing an outdated shirt](_URL_0_). \n\n2. Unlike the benefits that come with being the head of government in many other countries, being the Japanese Prime Minister is a difficult job with low salary and high stress, being defiant is not worth it. \n\n3. Prime Ministers have very little political power, so changing prime ministers is unlikely to cause unstability. \n\n"
]
} | [] | [] | [
[
"http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2010/05/japanese-leader-s-shirt-causes-global-furor/19706/"
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|
38te7q | explain star wars to me. (episodes 1-6) | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/38te7q/eli5_explain_star_wars_to_me_episodes_16/ | {
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"text": [
"They are movies. You don't want them explained, you want to watch them. But watch them in the order they were made, 4 5 6 1 2 3\n\n"
]
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[]
] |
||
8cg81l | why does chicken taste completely different after it's been in the fridge? | Whether it's cold or reheated, even after just one day, refrigerated chicken tastes so bizarre. Turkey too, so I guess it's a poultry thing. Why is that? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8cg81l/eli5_why_does_chicken_taste_completely_different/ | {
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"text": [
"It dries out, the fridge is a very dry environment. The drying out changes the texture but also the flavour. ",
"One thing I do is when I cook it, I cook it separately if I know I will be eating it later. Then I separate the chicken in a container and *add the cooking juices (strained) into the container with the chicken*. It keeps it full of flavor and moist. Then I just take out what I need for my meal and reheat the portion I want separately. It taste good for days when in the fridge. Perfect for salads, wraps, sandwiches, rice, pasta."
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74wmac | how does a throwing knife or tomahawk always manage to land blade first and not the handle? | explainlikeimfive | https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/74wmac/eli5_how_does_a_throwing_knife_or_tomahawk_always/ | {
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"Whats actually happening is the person throwing the knife is always landing the blade first. This is because they practiced a huge amount doing it. When you get really familiar with a specific sort of weapon, it becomes very easy to hit exactly where you want.\n",
"Well... As someone who has trained with throwing knifes for a bit... I think they landed blade first about 5% of the times i threw them for the first few hours... They land blade first because the people throwing them are really good at what they are doing, or because hollywood is cheating, depending on where you saw them ",
"You have to learn to judge distances. As the knife/ax travels it spins. So if you can accurately distance yourself from the target it should hit the correct side first. For example I throw a knife and 3 feet away from me it is oriented forward, then the next two feet it's not as it spins, then at 6 feet it is once again oriented correctly. As long as you distance yourself in one of these \"openings\" you should be able to strike the target with the knife correctly oriented.",
"The simple answer is that they don't.\n\nThrown weapons are designed to give you the best chance to hit with the blade, but it takes a lot of practice and even then it isn't a sure thing.\n\nPeople who throw knives or axes at fairs and circuses and such are entertainers working in more or less the same conditions every time. With lots of practice they can get good enough throwing *a specific weapon at a specific range into a specific target* that they can land the shot most of the time.\n\nIn TV and movies they're straight up cheating. They have as many tries as they need to get the shot right, or they use special effects. You only see the end result, which makes it look like thrown weapons are extremely accurate and deadly in the hands of a skilled user, when the reality is it's more of a toss-up.\n\nThe only exceptions would be weapons like throwing stars, which are designed to be sharp from every angle. Even then, they were hardly ever used as a primary killing weapon. They would instead be thrown as a distraction, or stuck in the ground in the hopes an enemy would step on them. But they were rarely, if ever, thrown at an enemy with the intent to land a killing blow.\n\nWhile I'm sure there were a handful of people throughout history that got extremely good at throwing sharp things and used this skill in combat, for most people throwing a knife or axe in a fight just meant you were throwing your weapon away. ",
"_URL_0_ they cover it pretty good here. Basically the thrower does a quick calculation of revolutions over the distance to be thrown. ",
"They don't. It's very difficult to land it correctly without training.\n\nOne time I went camping and my buddy brought some tomahawks, it took me at least 2 hour of practicing before I could reliably sink them blade-first into the tree stump 10 feet away. ",
"The thrower practices at a very precise distance and throws the knife so it makes just the right number of rotations. Being able to judge distance on the fly and consistently hit point first is something you only see in movies.",
"Practice. It doesn't happen naturally. As others have said, it takes a lot of practice to even throw a specific weapon a specific distance. Practice long enough at different distances and you can learn to be reasonably effective. In an actual combat situation a thrown weapon is either an act of desperation or distraction.\n\nA few suggestions for those idiots that are going to try this at home without expert supervision:\n\n* Don't. If you want to learn then find an expert willing to teach you. Renaissance Faires or historical reenactments are good places to look for a tutor.\n\n* If you aren't going to listen to the above advice then for the love of Thor make sure that no one else is at risk. People behind the target aren't safe, people next to the target aren't safe and people next to you aren't safe. Seriously.\n\n* Weapons bounce back. Some will land blade first and you'll feel awesome, some will partially land blade first but will bounce off, most will land in an awkward mess handle first, but then occasionally it will hit this perfect polar opposite of a sweet spot at the edge of the bottom of the handle which will cause it to bounce back at your face. When you are learning this happens often enough to be a very real risk, but infrequently enough to catch you by surprise. Be ready for this. Don't set your target to close. And take the next advice.\n\n* Start with a screwdriver. Seriously. They are a good first step for learners. Still treat it as a weapon, so all the above points still apply. Practice until you are sinking the screw end into the target every time and then work your way up to more deadly weapons. an added bonus is that now you know how to turn a common household tool into an effective thrown weapon. Cool.\n\n* Don't drink and throw. Ever. I know, it helps lift your game at pool, but pool balls don't cut your face in half when you get it wrong.\n\nEdit: Suggestion of eye-wear is a good safety precaution too. Although there are other parts of the anatomy that are also vulnerable to flying knives and hatchets. Also others have suggested using proper practice knives instead of screwdrivers. That sounds like a good idea. I was taught to practice with screwdrivers before moving on to hatchets.",
"I actually teach throwing knives for a living (2 months a year) and do have a lot of insight into this.\n\nThey will hit tip first about 20% of the time. There is no trick to it, the knives are as center balanced as can be or they are crap they sell to the uninformed. Note that 20% is kind of misleading but under \"sterile\" conditions is accurate because 20% is the amount of the rotation that is capable of sticking into the board.\n\nThe way a practiced person does it is based on distance. If you can properly gauge the distance then you can adjust your throw to rotate the right number of times. My style of throw does 1 1/4 rotations per 10 feet (blade up on release). So if my target is 15 feet I will release the knife at a different angle or hold by the other end to adjust how it hits. My personal average is about 5/7 within a 5\" circle at about 12 feet. When I change range I drop to about 50%. Rinaldo of the danger committee can hit within about 1/4 inch from 10 feet and within about an inch from at least 20, but my god is that man talented. Seen him cut a cucumber in half sitting on his partners forearm.\n\nThe average person will land 1/14 without instructions, some people get lucky some people have a knack for it but without help or practice you are bound to suck at it.\n\nIf you have questions I would be happy to answer them.",
" I see a lot of long winded answers that I'm not going to bother reading. This simple honest answer to this question is \"they don't\". ",
"Balance and a lot of practice. You have to be able control the power, gauge the distance and decide if you're going forward power or a looping twist. Starting out is easy. You take a knife and practice throwing at the ground. Use a butter knife :)\n\nAfter a few minutes, you should be hitting point down most of the time. In a few months, with daily practice, you will be hitting wood, at distance, with a moderate level of success. Axe throwing is easier than knife in it's success rate, but the trail and error end can be dangerous",
"always??! \n\ntry it."
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1zvrcu | what is the difference in my body when i'm sleeping compared to just laying down in bed with my eyes closed for the same amount of time? | Because sometimes when I couldn't sleep I just lay down and pretend like I'm asleep. After 1 or 2 hours of that I start to wonder what is happening in my body when I'm asleep. I know the brain functions differently when we're asleep, but does that also hold true for the rest of my body? Do I get less tired if I lay down with my eyes closed, but awake, 8 hours a night?
Sorry if this has been answered before, I searched the sub and found nothing. Thanks. | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zvrcu/eli5_what_is_the_difference_in_my_body_when_im/ | {
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"Mentally, when you sleep you're brain is different.\n\nIt's sorting short term memories into long term storage, it's rebooting to be ready for the next day, etc.\n\nPhysically, when you are awake, your body is still active, you still have that control over it. When you sleep, your body goes into a state of paralysis (except for sleepwalkers, but that's a whole different thing all together). In this state is where your body gets most of it's rest, it's the same rest that comes after a lot of exercise when you sit on the couch and you feel your body get heavy and after a few minutes it's nigh impossible to get yourself moving.\n\nPhysically, if you stayed still for 8 hours straight, other than being a magnificent master of self-control, your body would still be active, you would still be in that state of \"I can twitch if I want to, I can move if I want to\" it isn't in a state of true rest.",
"I know for the first 4 hours of sleep your body works on healing itself, doing protein synthesis which is important for your bodies upkeep. if you skip too much sleep your body becomes damaged because it isn't being 'maintained' by sleep.",
"Genuine ELI5: Sleep is your brain cleaning itself.. You cant wash clothes while your wearing them, and your brain cant clean while it's on.",
"Contrary to what everyone here is telling you. We don't KNOW what the brain is doing when we sleep. We do know we need sleep however and I will try to answer you question without making up a reason as to why we sleep.\n\nIf you were to lie in your bed for 8 hours while conscious. You would just get more and more tired as time went on. Your brain is running you can think and control your muscles even if you are choosing not to. Your muscles might feel slightly rested, but your mind will not.\n\nIf you're sleeping your mind is not active. You brain and body are actively sleeping some studies suggest the chemical adenosine builds up in your blood stream during the day making you tired this chemical then breaks down during sleep.\n\nSleep is still a pretty big mystery to us. The human brain in general is a really confusing thing."
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pc0qf | why are books better than other forms of media? | I don't quite understand why books are better than TV, Internet, radio, etc. They are all forms of information. Why are people who prefer other forms of media looked down upon in society? There are plenty of great movies and plenty of rubbish books. There are good books and crappy movies. Why do books rule the media domain, as the symbol of intelligence? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/pc0qf/eli5_why_are_books_better_than_other_forms_of/ | {
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"This doesn't directly answer your question, as I'm not sure the q is based on a premise that can really be argued in terms of \"better\", but consider that generally speaking books are free of ads and aren't sponsored by people who view readers simply as data fields to be mined. Also consider that with something that is book length, and author has plenty of time to communicate nuanced ideas, rather than purely market driven propaganda. Again, that's not to say something dense like \"all books good - other media bad\", not at all. But, for the most part, books require more imagination, and more critical thinking to consume than do movies, radio shows, etc.",
"Books are seen as the most intellectual form of media because they've been around for thousands of years. All of the very best thinkers in human history have written down their ideas, and the way we get to hear them is in books.\n\nSure, some great movies have been made in the past 100 years, but how could that ever compare to thousands and thousands of years of books? A lot of them have been really, really shitty, but the ones that are remembered are the great ones (most of the time). All of the greatest books of history could fill libraries upon libraries, but comparably good movies could only fill a couple of shelves.",
"It stems from the fact that studies have shown that reading a book increases cognitive abilities where as watching the television does not do this. There are a lot of studies out there which show that brain activity is far greater when reading a book than when you are watching TV. \n\nAs far as doing all your reading on the internet, I would venture to say that it's in between reading a book and watching television, but that's total speculation. And as far as video games go, there are studies to show that video games actually do help develop problem solving skills and fine motor skills in young children, but traditionalists will never say so.\n\nSources:\n_URL_3_\n_URL_0_\n_URL_1_\n_URL_2_\n_URL_4_",
"Though there are exceptions, movies are generally pretty expensive to make and distribute (same with TV). So studios usually want as many people as possible to watch their movie/show. Quite frankly, the average person just isn't that intelligent, and the average show/movie is usually something that can appeal to 'everyone'. Even if a movie has a great script, the director, actors, editors, etc all have a lot of influence on the final product. In the interest of earning back their investment, studios will often try to increase a product's entertainment value, often by toning down any intellectualism that may have been present. Compare the profits of Michael Bay's movies to someone like Charlie Kaufman to see what I mean.\n\nA book doesn't require a budget to write. It requires a good writer with good ideas. Sure, it costs the publisher money to release it, and they may try to make changes. But when an author gets a book released they way they wrote it, you get access to their pure, unfiltered, undiluted work. "
]
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[],
[],
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"http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/06/24/2607577.htm",
"http://www.physorg.com/news145901411.html",
"http://www.boston.com/ae/games/articles/2009/10/12/how_video_games_are_good_for_the_brain/",
"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2956114/?tool=pmcentrez",
"http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/study-some-cartoons-decrease-childrens-brain-funct/nDryh/"
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1ifjnn | why do the elderly often drive on the slower side? | I know it's a stereotype, but older people tend to drive slower. Any particular reason why they are more prone to doing this? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ifjnn/eli5_why_do_the_elderly_often_drive_on_the_slower/ | {
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"Fear and reduced vision and reaction time.",
"Slower reflexes make them few as if people in the \"faster\" lanes are driving \"too fast\". So, rather than be tailgated or passed on either side they drive in the slow lane. \n\nI wish slow driving **younger** people would follow this practice."
]
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1mizyu | if a colorblind person is colorblind from birth, how does it handicap them at all? | For example, they grow up learning that red is red, regardless of what color they see in comparison to everyone else, right? | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1mizyu/eli5_if_a_colorblind_person_is_colorblind_from/ | {
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"They are handicapped by lacking the ability to distinguish different colors. Red looks like they know red to be, but it might also look like green.",
"It's coloured blind, not colour swapped. For all we know my red may not be yours or anyone else's. That's not important. What is important is that i can distinguish the colours, where as a colour blind person is blind to the differences between some colours. ",
"Let us speculate that someone is red-blue colour blind: they cannot see the difference between red and blue.\n\nI place two cups in front of them: one red, one blue. I tell them I have poisoned the blue cup.\n\nLogically, they will be unable to determine which cup is poisoned, while a normal-eyed person will find my experiment trivial, and possibly slightly inhumane.\n\nThis is the handicap. They are unable to do something a normal person could do trivially, and being born with it doesn't really change that fact."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
367psz | why was napoleon accepted back open arms from the french after his return from exile in elba? | I keep pondering this question. What were the French thinking (their perspective) about Napoleon that would warranted them to disband from the restored Monarch and welcome Napoleon back as their Emperor? I could guess that they were unhappy with the way the restored Monarchy was running things.
please give a source if possible
Thanks! | explainlikeimfive | http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/367psz/eli5why_was_napoleon_accepted_back_open_arms_from/ | {
"a_id": [
"crbh02o"
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"score": [
4
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"text": [
"Napoleon managed to evade his guard and land in France in 1815 at which point he was greeted with open arms. Constables sent to arrest him instead declared their loyalty to him. The main factor in Napoleon being accepted happily was distaste with the current king and the fact that France was being ill-treated and divided up by the European powers. His charisma and promise to create a liberal society and create reforms also was helpful in people falling behind him.\n\nI'm sorry but that is from the top of my head and some of it might me a little swayed or partly false."
]
} | [] | [] | [
[]
] |
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