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AskReddit/cqc63ba
|
32ku8v
|
Does using a hair conditioner product really improve one's hair condition?
|
Basically, Hair conditioner is used to close and smooth the hair cuticle after shampooing. Shampoo is used to open the cuticle to get all the muck out from under the scales. (I studied hairdressing science).
| 3 |
AskReddit/cqrqm56
|
346js8
|
What would be the worst way to die?
|
Call it a copout, but there's something to be said for the utter misery of dying in a plane crash. Like a lot of the worst ways to die, it's not necessarily the death part that's going to be so awful. It's the utter inevitability that accompanies the long moments before it all ends. Let's just get the awful facts straight, so you know what you're dealing with when the plane starts to go down. First of all, you're probably about 6 miles in the sky. If you're in a real free fall, hypoxia might set in and you'll be unconscious for roughly the first mile of the fall because of lack of oxygen. But then you'll wake up -- hooray? -- to discover you're still plunging 120 miles per hour (193 kilometers per hour), and still have a full two or three minutes to go from about a 30,000 foot cruising altitude to the very hard and unforgiving ground. Maybe the worst part of a plane crash is that it's a common fear many people have. Let's be honest; the worst way to die is a deeply personal choice. If you fear air travel, your imagination soars about sputtering engines, clipped wings and the like. Oh and the cherry on top? If the only on-flight entertainment option is Paul Blart: Mall Cop.
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/dwowa4y
|
89470i
|
If you spin in an office chair, why do you spin faster if you move your legs in?
|
If you throw a ball, doesn't a lighter ball move faster than a heavier ball if you use the same amount of force? There's a similar concept to mass in the angular world, angular momentum. But angular momentum is a big more complicated--distance away from the axis of rotation increases it. So when you tuck in your legs, the mass of your spinning body is closer to the axis of rotation. This decreases your angular momentum, which makes you move faster.
| 2 |
AskHistorians/cleq3pn
|
2jsbj6
|
What were working conditions in the US like during the late 1800s?
|
Terrible; there was no legislation in the government at that time that protected workers. Children worked in factories without protection, men worked in mines for 13 hours a day, and women worked in sweat shops making fabric. Now obviously this is a generalization in the sense that women didn't JUST work in sweat shops; children didn't JUST work in factories, etc. During this time period, managers and owners would lock the doors of the sweat shops so their workers wouldn't quit (which many tried to do, due to the harsh conditions). This was the primary factor in the high death count in the Triangle Shirtwaist fire of 1911, where over 146 people died and were not able to escape due to the doors being locked. Tragedies like these were able to push legislation through congress and create worker rights. However, in the late 1800's, there were barely any rights. There were many worker strikes from the 1880's to the 1900's. Many of the riots were suppressed by the government due to the fact that the progressive movement was still trying to gain traction in the government. Conditions only change when Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson (who are progressives) are in office.
| 5 |
AskReddit/cj75yo5
|
2bnvq4
|
What is the oldest piece of clothing you have that you still wear now?
|
I started highschool the year we updated our sports uniforms and my sister handed me down her older jersey from the 80s. We were still allowed to wear the old ones but I was the only one in my grade who had the old style. I still wear it sometimes, its really comfortable and durable and doesn't have our school name anywhere on it.
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/d2l09ct
|
4gvc98
|
Why is mileage better on highways?
|
Two big reasons: Starting and stopping at lights and intersections hurts mileage. Cars tend to get better mileage at the speeds you travel at on highways relative to speeds you go at on city streets.
| 7 |
AskReddit/c1xax64
|
hpl92
|
What is your biggest fear about the state of the world as it relates to children you have presently or are planning to have?
|
I have a lot of nightmares about nuclear weapons. At this point I feel like everyone is just concentrating on creating weapons that can destroy each other. I don't want my children to grow up in a world where the only defense against international terrorism is retaliatory murder.
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/dxayz87
|
8bzvlt
|
How are electronics "grounded" on spacecraft?
|
"Grounding" in electrical circuits just means a reference point, to which everything else can be connected. For example, in a car, one side of the battery is connected to the car's body/chassis. This provides a convenient way to complete an electrical circuit. So, if you want to connect a headlight. You don't need to connect 2 wires - one taking current from the battery to the bulb, and one taking the return current from the bulb to the battery. Instead, you can just use 1 wire to take current from the battery to the bulb, and the return current can go via the car's chassis. The same principle is used in marine craft, aircraft and spacecraft. The metal structure serves as a convenient method of connecting multiple things together to allow circuits to be completed. If two spacecraft need to dock, then the bodies can be electrically connected together to form a single "ground" zone covering both craft. Each craft retains its own electrical system, but the two systems share the same reference point. For land based stationary applications (buildings), then the ground itself (which is electrically conductive) can be used as a convenient reference point, and as a failsafe method of carrying current in the case of an electrical fault. The ground itself isn't a very good electrical conductor, so it isn't usually used to carry current under normal conditions for energy efficiency reasons (but this is sometimes used in very rural areas, where a remote house or farm needs a long power line, but only a small amount of power, making it too expensive to run 2 wires on the power poles - in this case, you can just run a single wire, and use the ground as the return path).
| 84 |
AskReddit/dimsna3
|
6g1t4p
|
If it wasn't frowned upon to give your child a name outside the social norm, what name would you give them?
|
We are naming my kid after his grandfather. very traditional name. People reactions tell me that it is now the Social Norm to do this. you are somehow warping the kid for like if you give them a name like Douglas or Jonathan. but Blaze is going to look great on a resume when they're 30.
| 3 |
AskReddit/ewpyd24
|
cpjtwe
|
Why is Jeffrey Epstein’s death drawing so much attention from the media?
|
It's really one of the only times conspiracy theories have been entertained by serious media outlets like this. Because there's a good reason for it. This is a dude who's spent decades hanging around rich and powerful people in this country, including our current president and an ex-president, as well as many sitting members of our government. Brazenly committing horrible crimes during these same decades, supposedly being known for doing so even before he was legally charged, getting a slap on the wrist when he was first convicted, and supposedly having information on more people. It's an insane story that's either going to lead to major revelations or get thrown in the conspiracy theory bin for years to come.
| 2 |
AskReddit/e2ifaj8
|
8zfzv6
|
Why do good hotel rooms feel better than my bedroom at house?
|
Because a hotel has to be sanitary and clean for its guests, typically cleaner than your average house/room. If you were to clean your room and wash your sheets as often as hotels do, your room would feel the same.
| 5 |
AskReddit/cmn6iuh
|
2ogwfk
|
Why are September, October, November, and December our 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th months, when their names seem to imply 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th (sept-, octo-, nov-, dec)?
|
March used to be the tenth month. Unlike what some commenters said, July and August weren't created as new months by Julius and Augustus Ceasars, but actually renamed. As March was the first month, February was the last month (also explaining why its the shortest), January was the eleventh month, December was the tenth month, November was the ninth month, October was the eighth month, and September was the seventh month, as it should have been. When January became the first month, we just didn't change any of the names, leaving this oddity of language.
| 2 |
AskHistorians/clzjs7m
|
2lz9ds
|
How large was the Jewish diaspora in the 1st century AD?
|
I'll edit and answer the first part when I'm back home with my books (I'm away from home on a business trip). Until then, I'll just answer the second bit. But note on the first part that there was also a large jewish community in Mesopotamia. >How many of them were converts (or were most descendants of Judeans/Israelites)? It's difficult to say for certain. We know from Josephus that conversion took place in Roman areas, and the Talmud implies it. But there's no clear ratio of converts to native Jews. >Also, did they practice rabbinical Judaism or did they perform sacrifices and have a priesthood? If the latter, was it connected to the priesthood/temple in Jerusalem or were there other temples? There's a bit of a false dichotomy here. Rabbinic Judaism does have sacrifices and a priesthood. The former is on hold while there's no temple to perform them, but the historical belief of rabbinic Judaism was (consistently until the 19th century) that sacrifices are not void. The liturgy is based off the sacrificial system, and references it, including references to its future resumption. The priesthood still exists, just with a much-diminished role without sacrifice. Anyway, answering the denominational makeup isn't really possible either. Unless you were a religious authority involved in a particular group (namely Pharisees or Sadducees were the two big ones, but there were more. Assuming a rabbinic vs non-rabbinic religious division in late ancient Judaism is often assumed, but isn't quite how things were), you were probably pretty ambivalent. Josephus said that most of the Judean common people were pro-Pharisee, but rabbinic texts generally state that the peasantry were not really "rabbinic", even if the formal structure and religious authorities were pharasaic. But that goes mostly for Judea itself. Elsewhere, outside the centers of the religious institutions, it's pretty likely that people would be similarly apathetic towards the religious devides, even if they formally practiced something resembling one sort. There is record of another temple at elephantine in Egypt, but well before the time period you're asking about. By this time there wouldn't have been secondary temples .
| 5 |
AskReddit/d0g8mvs
|
47y4b2
|
What things did you find stashed in the woods while playing as a kid?
|
Not kidding, a box that had hair, a tattered shirt and was placed far far far back in some woods in SC. I believe there was an investigation that followed and a newspaper article or two about it. It was in Summerville, SC where I grew up and my friends and I stumbled across it while playing in a river that ran through next to it and connected our neighborhood to another one.
| 2 |
AskReddit/coojb4y
|
2w8kuj
|
Are there good GMOs and bad GMOs?
|
No, there are just GMOs and they're fine. There are luddites who would have you believe all sorts of bullshit they have no evidence of, however. They are bad. Selective breeding is just picking the "parents" and letting nature take it's course. Genetic modification is actually changing the DNA at a molecular level and is far more involved. However the results are much faster to obtain. And why are you afraid of DDT? It's pretty much harmless to humans in any sane amounts. You can eat it by the spoonful.
| 7 |
AskReddit/dbuq4ia
|
5lclhw
|
What's the weirdest name you've heard parents name their kid(s)?
|
Not my story, but a former colleague worked in the maternity unit of the local hospital. A boy called Female. Pronounced "fey-mah-lee". The worst thing is the parents said they saw it on a door in the hospital. The mind boggles.
| 2 |
AskReddit/ceecp2y
|
1u499j
|
What is the weirdest thing you have done to a best friend?
|
I've moved around a lot. SO lots of best friends. One friend that really sticks out was a Mormon girl that I was always hanging out with. One week, I was asked to house-sit for a family-friend. My mormon friend cam over with me, and whilst half-awake/half-asleep, we ended up making out, humping each other's legs, fingering each other. For teens, I'd say it was pretty normal thing to do. But when we woke up, she said she had a really weird dream and was really turned on. I told her she must have had a really good dream. We never talked about it until a few months later when I ended up going down on her. Weirdest friendship I've ever had.
| 2 |
AskReddit/d9dbfpn
|
5a2sr7
|
What is the most obscure word you use on a regular basis?
|
I like to throw "Forfend" around from time-to-time. But not every day, heaven forfend. (Must be pretty obscure: spellcheck wants me to hyphenate it or split it into two words. But the way I typed it is correct for once. Score: Me-1 Spellcheck-6,753,241).
| 2 |
askscience/cfhhumx
|
1y5ash
|
Why can we see infrared light when pointed to a camera?
|
I'm assuming you're referring to the phenomenon of pointing an IR source into a regular digital camera, and not an actual FLIR or heat camera specifically meant to show infrared. Simply, the frequencies of IR light used by remote controls and similar devices are close to the visible spectrum that your camera can pick up, and bleed very slightly into the visible spectrum. The camera "sees" it as an intense source of very far-red light. It doesn't redisplay it as infrared, because the screen on your camera only dispalys Red-Green-Blue.
| 11 |
AskReddit/ctvm2ag
|
3g7ifm
|
Could a shotgun shell filled with raw rice, fired at close range, kill a person?
|
Define close range. Barrel to skin, very possible. One foot, maybe. Three feet, probably not. Edit: It's also going to depend on where you aim it, buttock probably safe, eye socket, probably not.
| 2 |
AskReddit/ck9anjl
|
2fhjcq
|
If Justin Bieber died tomorrow, would the media present it as overwhelmingly positive or negative?
|
Positive. The media is mean to people who are alive, but respectful to the same person after they die. Apparently it's okay to be heartless when the person is alive but disrespectful to be the same way once they're dead. Joan Rivers' death today reminded me of this. The articles said she was loudmouthed but mostly described her as a funny comedian.
| 2 |
AskReddit/c86p1si
|
17leqj
|
What is the best band or artist you've seen live?
|
The Flaming Lips are hands down the greatest band I've seen live. They put on a crazy show, the only downside is that they play a similar show every time. So seeing them the second time just isn't as good.
| 4 |
askscience/c5xn4iw
|
ypepq
|
Would a 30 rack of beer sink or float in a lake?
|
I can speculate all day but why not try it? Experiment! I think as long as the rack holding the cans together isn't too heavy the rack should still float like one can does. If one can can support the weight of itself, then it follows that 30 cans should be able to support the weight of 30 cans.
| 2 |
AskReddit/cepgy04
|
1v7jkg
|
What makes your SO so special?
|
He makes me a better person. I have BPD and have struggled with it my whole life. He always encourages me to do better and he is understanding when I am struggling. He is proud of me when I achieve something that I've fought for. He cares about me and he wants others to care about me. He cleans up after himself. He's funny. he can annoy me and make me laugh at the same time. He has a good head on his shoulders. He is hardworking, he has integrity. true integrity. He truly does not care what others think of him. He is gentle when he needs to be, and super friendly.
| 8 |
AskReddit/c2a7j7m
|
j9c7p
|
Why do some words have silent letters?
|
Originally, English was a phonemic language meaning that words sound the same as they look. Cultural diffusion brought borrowed words into the language earlier in history; grammar and usage rules vary from language to language which were then adopted into English just like any other diffusion of language. Some of the adopted words did not follow the standard pronunciation rules and grammatics of fthe English language at that time so they just left them be. The reality is that we also stole our current alphabet from Latin and so we use that language to approximate all of our sounds. But some of them don't really line up 100% and were taken from written word alone. Hope this helps.
| 2 |
AskReddit/cxc07ay
|
3u52p6
|
What's the most quotable movie you've ever seen and quote from it?
|
Airplane! Rumack: "You'd better tell the Captain we've got to land as soon as we can. This woman has to be gotten to a hospital." Elaine Dickinson: "A hospital? What is it?" Rumack: "It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now."
| 13 |
explainlikeimfive/cxshbfi
|
3w0xr4
|
Why are there so many different colors in the sky during sunset?
|
When light is shining more or less perpendicularly through the atmosphere it's passing through a minimal amount of it the light is being refracted evenly. When the sunlight glancing across the atmosphere at sharp angle it's passing through more atmosphere and there's more opportunity for the light to get shifted. Imagine sunlight going straight through a pane of glass, you still see white light. But when you pass it through an angled piece of glass ,like a prism, the light travels at slightly different speeds through the varying thickness of the glass and winds up being shifted and split into its component wavelengths. Basically the atmosphere is stretching the sunlight when it hits it at an angle and the higher wavelength colors are still passing through but the lower ones, like red/orange/yellow, get refracted and thus that's what the sky winds up looking like
| 2 |
AskReddit/dg7reln
|
656cfu
|
What's a surprising fact you've found out about someone after they've died?
|
After my dad passed all sorts of surprising things came out of the woodwork, his sisters were staying with us and told us things that blew our minds. First our grandparents who had 7 children never actually got married, they just hooked up back in the 1920's and grandma just used his last name. He also had a wife in Norway, but she was committed to an insane asylum and died there. Second grandpa was always a nasty drunk, we all knew that. What we didn't know was that he killed someone in a bar fight back in Norway. He escaped by becoming a merchant marine and jumping ship when they got to NY. The third was that one of my aunts was basically taken in by the family. Apparently her parents were poor and in bad health, when the her natural mother and father passed away they just claimed her as their own and raised her (she was only 3 when it happened). I was 19 when my dad passed, I couldn't believe he wouldn't tell me those things, but then again he wasn't much of a talker.
| 3 |
explainlikeimfive/eku92wi
|
bcwpc8
|
Why are far away objects blurry for people with bad vision, and why do glasses help?
|
So the eye is a lens that focuses light onto a spot in the back of the eye, much like how camera lenses focus light onto a small sensor. Similar to cameras, if that lens moves to close or too far away from its focal point, things get blurry (at different distances). People that are near/far sighted have misshapen eyeballs (like grapes instead of spheres) that cause the lens to be too close/too far. Contacts and glasses are just a corrective lens on top that bends the light such that it hits the eye and focuses into the right spot.
| 3 |
AskReddit/dfhr08l
|
61w1s7
|
If we had to send someone back in time with modern made medieval war gear, what would it be made of and what techniques would they use?
|
L6 tool steel for the swords, not sure if you could make full plate with it but full plate with modern metal working with really decent padding would work
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/cvlgrij
|
3n7arh
|
What are the key differences between endangered native New Zealand birds and birds from basically every other country that makes them so vulnerable to mammalian predators?
|
The kakapo is flightless, ground dwelling and ground-nesting, unlike (almost?) all other parrots. Ground welling/nesting, flightless birds are very vulnerable, especially to introduced predators. eg dodo. They are also nocturnal, which is unusual for parrots, but I don't think that'd make them more vulnerable. Kakapos are super smart, tho,
| 2 |
AskReddit/cdk54eh
|
1r6q69
|
Is a significant IQ difference a problem for a romantic relationship?
|
>I was just always interested in new things, going places, learning, etc. She was always bothered by the idea of doing much of anything This seems more like a difference in personality traits and not IQ. It sounds like you score more highly on openness to experience than she does. But I don't see why IQ would be any different than differences in height--you'll probably gravity towards someone close to your range, but there are some people with large differences that make it work and it's not the only factor in a relationship.
| 2 |
AskReddit/dwwu6j5
|
8a9jig
|
What are some examples of great scenes in not so great movies?
|
Personally, it's the scene in Napoleon Dynamite where Napoleon's brother tries to prove how sturdy the "Tupperware" was by running it over with his van. The way he immediately drives away when it breaks, and the lady's nonchalant expression, are the only parts of that movie where I actually laughed.
| 3 |
AskReddit/drnj6ar
|
7lme6j
|
What overlooked problem that is never shown in apocalypse movies or shows would be the reason you die during it?
|
What happens to people who are already sick or badly injured when the apocalypse hits (that are not Rick Grimes)? Even something as mundane as a broken arm or leg could become a huge liability. Dentistry: we'd have to resort to pulling out rotten or aching teeth like Tom Hanks in Castaway. What to do about wisdom teeth? Communication with the rest of the world would be a lot more difficult. You likely wouldn't know what was happening in other states or countries. You wouldn't know if family members and friends living far distances away were still alive or not. (Okay, that gets addressed, but it's hard to capture the magnitude of these losses when characters often end up reuniting because the story wants them to. And knowing that a major percentage of people you know are dead can be disquieting when they are actual real people and not just filler characters for a movie or TV show.)
| 2 |
askscience/cf4ryps
|
1wridt
|
Why do some species have very long lifespans and others very short ones?
|
Some species have had sufficient evolutionary pressure that allow them to live much longer lives than other species. That's not very specific, but there are many factors involved in aging. Metabolic rate appears to be one, but it's not a hard-and-fast rule. Small animals tend to have faster metabolisms and live shorter lives (like birds) but some birds live fairly long (the cockatoo lives upwards of 60 years). Basically there is no one specific answer to your question because the process of aging isn't completely understood yet.
| 2 |
AskReddit/c43549h
|
r5v7v
|
Does pointing a fan out the window/door make a room cooler on a hot day?
|
depends on the circulation of the room and where the fan is located. heat rises. so you want to take cooler air into a room at a lower level or push warmer air out of a room at a higher level.
| 5 |
AskReddit/cwcc5rp
|
3q61px
|
What was the worst time you couldn't stop laughing?
|
I grew up in a very small town. There was a girl in the community that had been diagnosed with brain cancer at a very young age, and there were donation boxes to help with her medical bills in literally every store. You saw her picture every day, everyone knew her name, and everyone gave their change. 3 weeks into my first job at a pizzeria, we are getting food prepped for the day and my manager walks in from a trip to the bank. " The ladies at the bank just told me ABC died this morning" We all felt really bad, and then my buddy who was helping me prep whispers under his breath: "I want my money back." I lost it too the point where I couldn't do actual work for about 2 minutes. Best comedic timing I've ever heard, worst content ever.It was a perfect storm delivery. I couldn't help it, and I almost got fired because I literally couldn't stop laughing. TLDR: almost got fired for laughing at the death of a little girl with brain cancer
| 3 |
AskReddit/e6x20z8
|
9k6m7b
|
What’s the weirdest / creepiest thing you’ve seen in someone else’s home?
|
Was friends with a guy in highschool, let's call him C. We were hanging out, being teenagers in the streets, and we just had to stop at his place for something. He was taking forever so I decided to head inside and see what was keeping him so long. I went into his house for the first time, it was in the middle of the night and all the lights were off inside (I've never been inside so I didn't know where the lights were). As I'm looking for him, I kind of see him standing across the room, just standing there. Wondering what he's doing, I just call out his name, and he answers from upstairs. Something was standing there watching me. Visiting my SOs family. There is kinda a spare house outside for guests. So my SO calls me from the main house 'cause she said she felt creeped out there. I get into the house and just look around, nothing serious. She gets what she needed, and we leave. I open the door en she walks out, as I walk out I see something or someone standing there, not 20 metres from us. I ignore it, believing I'm seeing things and my SO says "there's someone standing there." and she points to where I saw it standing too.
| 2 |
AskReddit/e2c7kj4
|
8yn8oy
|
Is there any platform where you can find Japanese or Korean people to chat with?
|
Hellotalk is a great way to find people like that. When I was learning Japanese in high school, I used it a lot to practice. Really nice people. A lot of them are genuine and really like making foreign friends. I hope you enjoy it!
| 2 |
AskReddit/d3hlq0i
|
4ktexj
|
What was the worst time you decided to get the least amount of sleep?
|
The night before our first kid was born. My wife and I decided to stay up late with a movie and Chinese food. We went to bed at 1am only to wake up at 5am to her screaming in pain. 18 hours of labor on 4 hours of sleep sucked so bad. 0/10 would not recommend
| 2 |
AskReddit/cimkm3x
|
29n9kb
|
What is the best thing your parents have done for you?
|
My parents paid for me to go on a European tour my senior year of high school. It was absolutely amazing! I went to London, Paris, Rome, Pisa, and Florence with my model U.N. group. It was a wonderful experience that I will carry with me the rest of my life. Not every American gets to go to Europe. Most never even leave their home state. I am extremely fortunate that our finances allowed for not only the trip, but spending money for it. I didn't worry about running out of money the whole time I was there.
| 2 |
AskReddit/cqsc5tj
|
3481ob
|
What still can't you believe actually happened?
|
My grandma died 3 and a half months ago and there hasn't been even one morning since then when I haven't woken up and thought "Grandma died? Yes. She did." She was like my 2nd mom. My brain just can't comprehend it. I can't believe a world exists without her in it.
| 18 |
AskReddit/e2qx5zl
|
90jrrz
|
What do you like more?A shower in the morning or a shower before you go to bed?
|
A shower in the morning. I like to feel fresh for the day. I'd shower at night only if I needed a warm shower to help me sleep in cool weather, or a cold shower to help me sleep in hot weather.
| 4 |
explainlikeimfive/drnupkc
|
7logk8
|
Why does staring at a blue screen in the night mess with our natural body clock?
|
Your body is programmed to produce more serotonin, the chemical that makes you stay awake, when it sees blue because our body's have learned that blue means blue sky, so day. When you look at orange or warmer colors, your body starts producing more melatonin, which is the sleep chemical, because your body thinks it's a sunset, so night time.
| 2 |
AskReddit/e4oxqad
|
99lrnz
|
What's the dumbest thing you've done out of pure horniness?
|
Jacked off in school. ISS (in school suspension) so the desks were walled but anybody could've walked up or looked at me from the other side of the room. Used an arm floaty as a flesh light with some coconut body oil. Actually feels nice but not like the real thing. Edit: just realized it looks like I did the arm floaty in school lol these were separate occasions.
| 60 |
AskReddit/cxx8ctj
|
3wjxxl
|
What "Next Big Thing" never became the next big thing?
|
TiVo. I remember when it first came out, I thought for sure it was going to be the next big thing and completely revolutionize TV. I've never seen one in anyone's house in real life. Now all of the cable companies have their own boxes that do a lot of what TiVo did and now with Netflix/Hulu/Amazon Prime Video no one really records anything off of cable anymore.
| 2 |
AskReddit/eottfce
|
bt4akg
|
What’s happened in your life that only happens on TV or in movies?
|
Well, I’m an escort. So pretty much that whole experience for me is “something that only happens on TV or in movies” save for a couple internet friends who share a lot of experiences with me. Usually TV narratives are really far off from the ‘real’ escort experience, but some depictions are decent. I’ve never just met another escort without actively looking to meet other escorts.
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/dd0dfrx
|
5qm8co
|
How does tire size affect the speedometer reading and gas mileage of a vehicle?
|
A bigger tire has further to spin to make a full rotation. This affects the speedometer because it measures how many times the wheel rotates. It can affect gas mileage because a bigger tire is heavier and will probably have more drag. There is probably more factors but that is all I got.
| 3 |
AskReddit/ewxqp9y
|
cqnwm5
|
What are the pros and cons of being short/tall?
|
i'm 6'5 so i'll give all the cons clothes shopping sucks, small cars suck, most car sucks, shoe shopping sucks, low hanging ceiling fans are you natural predator, you will get minor concussions on a regular basis, you will always have people mention how tall you are, i could go on
| 2 |
AskReddit/dfzstzh
|
646p74
|
What fact did you learn at an embarrassingly late age?
|
I always though when TV programmes say 'viewer discretion is advised' it meant that you shouldn't tell your friends about it because it was a naughty show and they didn't want the police to find out. I figured out it meant discretion on whether or not to watch it embarrassingly late.
| 17 |
askscience/c6fboo0
|
10ondp
|
Does reverse altitude-sickness exist?
|
The problem with altitude sickness is that your body doesn't notice directly that oxygen is missing. Breathing is controlled by CO2 concentrations in your blood, and that doesn't increase in higher altitudes. If you go down to lower altitude, nothing happens right there. The air pressure has to increase much more to affect humans negatively. Even miners with 10% or more increased air pressured compared to sea level don't show any negative effects from the air. You have to go to diving pressures to see problems.
| 2 |
AskReddit/djccoyu
|
6j7g18
|
What do you have an extremely strong opinion on that is ultimately unimportant?
|
Many, many things. All individual opinions are ultimately unimportant. We exist as part of a wave of humanity, progressing toward the future, following an exponential curve of improvements in information organisation. Together, our opinions form the direction we progress, but our mass opinion is driven by physical forces, such as the need to communicate, and limited resources. Ultimately, any one of us is redundant, which is exactly as it should be, if we're to survive as a species. Even Einstein was redundant; other people had similar ideas at a similar time; it could happen no other way, based on the information that was becoming available at the time. The one exception is in family, lovers, and other close relationships. There, you stand a chance of actually being cared for, based on your personality opinions, or lack thereof. Which is perhaps why we value love so highly, against the backdrop of cold, uncaring universe that only seems to value the end goal. And yet, those individual interactions might inform the larger wave of humanity, from the depths of individual love and concern for one another. Which, again, seems exactly as it should be. "Moral reforms and deteriorations are moved by large forces, and they are mostly caused by reactions from the habits of a preceding period. Backwards and forwards swings the great pendulum, and its alternations are not determined by a few distinguished folk clinging to the end of it." - Sir Charles Petrie
| 4 |
AskReddit/d46mk5t
|
4nsv1k
|
If you only have 3 hours to live, what would you do?
|
Three hours? First Hour, Id make a long video of my opinions and honest thanks to my loved ones for after I go. Then I'd probably have my last fap, eyes washed in tears, an air of deep sadness as I relieve myself to Riley Reid one last time. Hour two I'd get as many of my friends together as possible and say my final piece and have a final Beer with my Brothers. Then I'd probably fap again, because why not? Im about to die. Its my real last time. Hour three, I gather as many Loved ones as possible, Aunts, Uncles, Parents etc together but not tell them Im about to die. I'd spend a few minutes talking to each of them and give a really sad goodbye and go fap one last time and die suddenly in the middle of shooting my load into jar of Nutella, a note near by reading "My NutsHella tasty." taking everyone age 60+ with me via shock induced heart attack when they hear how I died.
| 7 |
AskReddit/ci3u73r
|
27s3jh
|
What is "the thing you don't talk about" in your family?
|
My family got in a huge fight. Biggest we'd ever had, and I don't even remember what it was about. My Mum was talking about leaving my dad and everything. Anyway, a week later we find out my dad has cancer. A week after that He's dead. We never talk about the argument, and if anyone ever talks about my dad, he was the perfect man and could do no wrong. Not saying he wasn't a great guy, I respected him more than anyone, but I believe if he was still alive they wouldn't be together.
| 1,793 |
explainlikeimfive/dgoy4kk
|
67aapb
|
Why did we switch from breathing into someone's mouth during CPR to just compressions?
|
A couple of reasons. First, compressions are far more important. The main goal is to keep blood flowing to the brain. Chest compressions are supposed to do the heart-stuff when the heart decides it wants to take a day off. Of course, this blood requires oxygen or else bad things will happen, which is where ventilations come in. Now, as long as a persons airway is open, their lungs will continue to work perfectly fine, even if the transfer of gasses is impeded by the diaphragm not working properly. In any case, compressions will still do some of the lung work anyway, by forcing some air out of the lungs which is replaced when pressure on the ribs is released. As well, your lungs can hold a lot of air, so there's not a huge risk of "running out" of oxygen, as long as you keep blood flowing. Ventilations can make this a bit easier by forcing air into the lungs - but not too much, or they can be damaged! In fact, an even bigger danger than "not enough oxygen" is "too much carbon dioxide". Your blood is in a very delicate pH balance, and when too much CO2 builds up, that balance gets thrown off and stuff starts to go south. That feeling of "I need to get air" when you hold your breath for a long time isn't because of a lack of oxygen, it's because there's too much carbon dioxide that needs to be expelled. Tl;dr: Compressions keep your brain alive and the lungs don't really need any extra help keeping the oxygen flowing. The most important part is to make sure blood gets to where it's needed, which is the job of compressions. Ventilations aren't as important for keeping someone alive. Source: many first aid and lifeguard courses
| 6 |
explainlikeimfive/cjy2myi
|
2ebuzn
|
Why do we use capital punishment but not corporal punishment?
|
Theoretically punishment is supposed to be about rehabilitation. Keep that in mind. The death penalty is reserved for those that cannot be rehabilitated. Corporal punishment is an ineffective means of rehabilitative punishment for adults. It is generally not a good one for children either. Hence the cruel and unusual bit. I'm not saying it won't be effective, just not good. Taking a bamboo switch to a vandal will teach someone not to vandalize again. But again you run into cruel and unusual.
| 8 |
AskReddit/dz3buvs
|
8jxyxn
|
Who is or was your most embarrassing crush?
|
It was Traci. What embarrassed me was that up until she found out I was crushing on her, she used to want to hang out with me all the time. She called or texted me every day. But then when she found out I was crushing on her, she treated me like I had leprosy. I never so much as suggested we ever date, yet she acted like I had leprosy. She avoided me like the plague and completely dropped out of my life. It was humiliating.
| 2 |
AskReddit/dwnn0f6
|
88vtdj
|
What is the strangest dream you've ever had (that you can remember)?
|
I have strange dreams every night. Last night I was living in a house that was open to the elements, no doors or windows. I was told to bring the cats in but when I stepped out to do it there was a parade of tiny possums trying to come in. “You’re not cats,” I said, “You’re possums.” They agreed.
| 2 |
AskReddit/ewago43
|
cnh7gw
|
For those who don't believe in gun control, how do we stop mass shootings in America?
|
Step 1: stop telling me about the killers life, do stories on the victims lives, make people realize they weren't just a statistic, and make us weep that they are gone Step 2: if someone has proven themselves to be fit to carry a gun, let them carry. Every where, gun free zones are just massive targets Step 3: if a place must be gun free it should be liable for your personal security and should be required to take steps to insure my safety, ie: having armed guards Step 4: realizing that people who would follow the gun control laws are not the problem. Criminals are the problem, and by definition they do not follow laws Step 5: realize that pur southern border is not just a conduit for illegal immigrants, but also for illegal guns. In the USA it is easier to buy an illegal gun online than it is to buy a legal one.
| 19 |
AskReddit/dwsanho
|
89oa5e
|
How would you describe your hand writing?
|
Really bad. And have a job that requires a lot of writing for other people to read. They have learned to interpret my chicken scratch. Something was said to me once about my handwriting. Told them I was 50+ and at this point it isn’t going to change.
| 3 |
askscience/den7o65
|
5y2xyl
|
Why is water densest at 4 degrees Celsius?
|
Water molecules interact with each other by forming hydrogen bonds between the hydrogen on one water molecules and a lone pair of electrons on the oxygen atom of another water molecule. In liquid water, there are 1-4 bonds being formed per molecule, and they aren't in any particular order. This lack of ordering forces the molecules to be more spaced out, and density can be considered a way of counting how many molecules of something are in a given volume. Fewer molecules, lower density. The other contributing factor to density is molecular motion. If molecules are moving and vibrating faster, that pushes them apart and lowers the density. This motion is fueled by heat. As a matter of fact, temperature can be considered a measure of how fast molecules or atoms are moving. As the temperature decreases, this motion also decreases and the molecules can pack more tightly together, increasing density. Water is almost unique in that its solid phase is less dense than its liquid phase. This is because in solid ice, each water molecules wants to form four hydrogen bonds. For this to be geometrically possible, the water molecules have to space themselves out regularly at a distance that is larger than the average distance between liquid water molecules. The stability gained by forming all the possible hydrogen bonds outweighs the extra spacing between the molecules. At 4 deg C, that is where the balancing point between ice, liquid water, and molecular motion allows for the closest spacing of the water molecules, thus leading to the highest density.
| 10 |
AskHistorians/cm6b05p
|
2mozz9
|
Why did the Union not let the Confederacy secede?
|
It's a very complicated topic and you could easily have several different answers, economics, tradition, power projection etc. Essentially, the South served as a buffer to the expansion of European Powers on the North American Continent. The British and French had been attempting to improve their strategic position in North America for some time. The British went so far as to offer the Republic of Texas a guarantee of sovereignty, military assistance, and economic aid if they would stay an independent republic as opposed to joining the US. The British were not doing this out of the kindness of their heart, it would give them a chance to exert influence on the continent and check US expansion. The US was aware of this and it was a primary motivating factor for the Tyler administration's hard lobbying for Texas annexation. During the American Civil War the French were attempting to conquer Mexico to accomplish the same aim. The Confederacy knew from the beginning that their existence depended on both foreign trade, and foreign alliances, they just did not have the population, resources, or war industry that the Union had. In the event of a settlement of some sort the Confederates would have needed military assistance from a foreign power to deter the US from continuing aggression. The US knew this and did not want to open the door to European presence on the North American continent as it threatened further expansion and the strategic position of the US. This is also why the US threatened France with war if it did not give up its Mexican adventure and was the purpose of the Monroe doctrine etc. The two books that really touch on this are: One war at a time by Dean B. Mahin, Abraham Lincoln and a new birth of Freedom by Howard Jones. Tldr: The success of the Confederacy quite likely meant the creation of a weak state which could be used by European powers to further their interests on the continent at the expense of US interests.
| 2 |
AskReddit/enzd6el
|
bpzphr
|
What is something people don’t understand about you?
|
I've struggled in dealing with communicating my anger for years, but the worst part is that my size and stature make it worse. I'm a very tall and largely-built dude, and my expression of anger comes to be very intimidating for most people. I've never struck anyone or acted out physically, and I rarely raise my voice, but I really wish more people understood how much it hurts to not be able to express anger in any way because I come off as scary to others. It makes me feel like a troll or ogre. Anger is a natural emotion, and I feel strongly that I express it in a very healthy way, especially given how most people choose to express it. Maybe its cliché, but I'm a big, burly sweetheart who feels passionately about some things, and more often than not, it's written off as anger because my enthusiasm scares others.
| 2 |
AskReddit/emxae9i
|
bmkbg6
|
Who is fasting today?
|
I started fasting every other day as of Friday last week. Lost 10 lbs so far and psoriasis is clearing up. I was 309lbs to start so I have a long way to go.
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/cof29bn
|
2v7brg
|
How can computer games nearly instantly simulate and display realistic graphics while it takes me 5 minutes to render a frame of equal or less complexity in something like c4d?
|
The images shown are just pre-captured images of real buildings pasted onto the very simple models of the buildings in game. They aren't calculating most of the shadows or the detail of the subtle shape of the structures. It is similar to opening a photo on your computer and marveling at how quickly it managed to do that.
| 10 |
AskReddit/da0zmfp
|
5d0vt0
|
How can we fix the media?
|
Read only print media and local print media. Force cable news to include journalism school graduates and disclose political affiliation PLUS include special chyron to indicate OPINION programming
| 2 |
AskReddit/cppkas7
|
306hu6
|
How do you feel about snakes n' spiders?
|
A non venomous-domesticated?- snake in a cage makes a great pet. Any snake in the wild is off limits though. I'm firmly convinced that spider's were invented in a nuclear powered nightmare factory.
| 2 |
AskReddit/ca00lmh
|
1egb2e
|
Who is your favourite supporting character in any TV show?
|
Boyd Crowder from Justified. The character is SO good. His start as a skin-head, to what they have developed him into. The character is like crack, and it is played by, in my opinion, the best actor on TV. Walton Goggins.
| 51 |
AskReddit/cziaz63
|
43hqkj
|
What's the dumbest thing that we celebrate?
|
In Australia, we celebrate Australia day, which is stupid for a huge number of reasons. Firstly, we celebrate it on January 26, the day Australia was first settled in 1788 if you ignore the fifty thousand years that people lived here beforehand. Also it was originally a penal colony, meaning that it was literally just a prison for the criminals that wouldn't fit in England and couldn't be sent to America anymore because of the revolution. Secondly, the date has almost nothing to do with Australia. Sure, it was when the first white colony was made, but it was the founding of the colony of New South Wales. Australia became a country on January 1, 1901, and before that the different colonies had almost nothing to do with each other and had huge histories on their own. Thirdly, because it was the day on which white people arrived, it is also known as Invasion Day. There's heaps of controversy around it, and it's a bit of a kick in the nuts to Aboriginal people that it's a national holiday. It basically means that Australia started when white people arrived, so if you're not white you're not as Australian. There are probably about ten different dates throughout the year that would be a better national day for Australia, but in conclusion Australians celebrate a day that a bunch of convicts arrived to found New South Wales and kill basically anybody they found. Also, bonus dumb celebrations on Anzac Day, when Australians celebrate fighting against the Ottoman Empire at Gallipoli during World War I. Basically, the Australian and New Zealand soldiers all went out to invade Turkey and they failed extremely miserably. Now it's one of the biggest public holidays in Australia. Actually, Australians celebrate heaps of weird things. I live in Adelaide, where every year there's a horse race called the Adelaide Cup. Our entire state (South Australia) gets a public holiday on that day for who knows what reason.
| 4 |
AskReddit/ejwi4c6
|
b84w8g
|
What movie has scarred you as a child and why?
|
The movie IT. My sister was watching it while she was watching me for the day. Being dumb and naive child I watched it to. Since then I have been horrified of clowns, refused to go to the circus, would walk on the other side of the road to avoid a clown. Also for about a couple years afterwards I would be horrified of flushing the toilet. I’d still do it but I would have to have the stall open so I could book it out of there.
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/endd8lo
|
bo31ni
|
Why is it when you hang clothes over a rack to dry or use the dryer, they dry soft, but if they're dried in a ball they become stiff?
|
One if the biggest issues is simply movement during drying. The stiff clothes will soften up if you tumble them around a bit. The dryer clothes and clothes in the wind already got this. The other factor will be speed of drying. The stiffness is caused by various chemicals either forming large crystals or long polymer chains during gentle drying. Ruffling the clothes breaks up these crystals and polymers. Drying sloooowly also allows for bigger crystals and longer polymer chains to form, so balled up clothes that can't evaporate effectively will also have an extra level of stiffness.
| 22 |
AskReddit/e5fccuo
|
9d4urb
|
Why is it $number and not number$?
|
In some European countries they put the number at the end. Here in Portugal it varies but they used to use the $ sign for the escudo (currency prior to joining the Euro) and write it in the middle, so if something was three and a half escudo you’d have seen 3$50 (although that would be back in the 1930s or 40s, inflation means the escudo cents were abolished long before the Euro)
| 2 |
AskHistorians/c7ovts0
|
15qbxv
|
Why is the Earth called Earth?
|
Well in Icelandic (and in old Norse) the earth is called Jörðin which is pronounced very similarly to earth (the 'in' is the equivalent of 'the' for feminine words) and a sun is called Sól while THE sun is Sólin so it probably originated from Germanic languages and vikings.
| 2 |
AskReddit/e1fv9pn
|
8ujz05
|
What’s your opinion on opinions?
|
people don't have opinions - opinions have people. opinions are alive and desperate to be turned into something. facts are settled and dead. opinions find hosts in people and they make them do all sorts of crazy things, sometimes even causing their own death, so that the opinion can manifest itself as a fact, e.g. scientists persecuted by the church, political criminals, etc - once it becomes a fact, however, the opinion goes from an alive, active thing, into a tired, passive aspect of reality. that's the mission of the opinion. and many opinions in history have struggled to become facts through their possession of people.
| 2 |
AskReddit/e46j2rn
|
979ms0
|
What monologue from a movie or TV show will you never forget?
|
Came across this monologue from S3E6 of Game of Thrones which inspired the post: Varys: I did what I did for the good of the realm. Littlefinger: The realm? Do you know what the realm is? It's the thousand blades of Aegon's enemies. A story we tell each other over and over till we forget that it's a lie. Varys: But what do we have left once we abandon the lie? Chaos. A gaping pit waiting to swallow us all. Littlefinger: Chaos isn't a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail and never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some are given a chance to climb, but they refuse. They cling to the realm or the gods or love. Illusions. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is.
| 7 |
explainlikeimfive/dxjnt8f
|
8d1yd7
|
How do pilots perform emergency/forced landings?
|
If the aircraft is still controllable, it's landed as a glider (assuming engine failure). Emergency procedures are drilled over and over and over again. Emergency runways can include anything from highways to rivers to dirt roads depending on speed, maneuverability, type of aircraft, and type of emergency. If the aircraft is no longer under pilot control, ejection is the way to go.
| 5 |
AskReddit/ehe6ahm
|
avdj2p
|
What's the most fun you can have during a power outage?
|
A power outage is the reason I read the first Harry Potter book. This was before web browsing on smart phones, so I really had no other choice haha but reading is always a good choice!
| 7 |
AskReddit/d86m4gi
|
550o8p
|
What was your "rock bottom" and how did you turn things around?
|
Started a downward spiral when I lost my best friend and first love. Over the next year, I started getting more and more withdrawn. I stopped talking to my family, stopped seeing friends and just stopped living life for the most part. I really hit rock bottom when I realised that I was starting to need alcohol in order to just fall asleep and that I hadn't seen a friend in over a month. I called the mental health department of my local health clinic the next day.
| 2 |
AskReddit/d4yn21e
|
4r6fl7
|
What was your high school's most controversial drama?
|
I kept vandalizing the Wikipedia page on my school with alot of nasty stuff, and everyone kept talking about it for weeks. I did some things like put the names of high ranking nazis as the administration, put up a picture of Auscwitz as the main picture of the school, referred to it in the article as a "detention facility", you get the idea.
| 5 |
AskReddit/cyafgvx
|
3y49tx
|
What's the most most karma whoring post physically possible on Reddit?
|
Rewording a gender-specific question on the front page to ask the opposite gender. I.e. "Women of Reddit, what's the most awkward thing a man has said to you?" 2 hour later "Men of Reddit, what's the most awkward thing a woman has said to you?" *edit: So it seems I karma-whored my way into this thread with false information. Dare I say I've successfully Reddited?
| 2,076 |
askscience/c21yil5
|
i9f8q
|
Why does one confuse left/right, but never up/down?
|
You can't walk without understanding up-down. You can do everything but read without understanding left and right. Because of infant amnesia, your don't have episodic memories of your first steps. So, back when you didn't understand up-down, you also didn't form new 'memories', in the adult sense of the term.
| 4 |
askscience/c6e3ke9
|
10iw9r
|
Why shouldn't I eat left overs that've been in the fridge for more than 3 days?
|
It is completely dependent upon what kind of leftovers, and also how the leftovers have been handled. If it is leftovers off of a plate you were eating from, you probably seeded those leftovers with bacteria. However I routinely make sour cream dill dip for veggies, which will remain good in the fridge for 2 weeks or more (providing you spoon some out and don't eat directly out of the original batch, thus seeding the original batch with bacteria). Most likely, whatever bacteria you do seed leftovers with would most likely not be the kind to cause food poisoning anyways, as it would most likely be normal flora from your own mouth/skin. But it certainly can affect the taste/texture of the food. Edit - thought about this a bit longer - Meats and fresh dairy leftovers that have been "seeded" are the biggest worries for spoiling the quickest. However, dairy that is already a culture (yogurt, sour cream, cheese) can keep quite a while. Also as an example of seeding, go buy 2 half gallons of milk (with the same expiration date). Drink one cup out of one bottle, straight from the bottle. Now open and pour one cup and drink that from the other bottle. I guarantee you the one you drank straight from the bottle will go "sour" more quickly as compared to the bottle that did not drink straight from. Not that the sour milk is dangerous, it is just unappetizing.
| 3 |
explainlikeimfive/dgtl2rj
|
67vmyz
|
Why is it so hard for large amounts of Tylenol to pass through the liver?
|
Tylenol is paracetamol/acetaminophen. Medications within the body are broken down and produce metabolites. In the case of Paracetamol (acetaminophen) it is metabolised within the liver (via 3 pathways - the 3rd pathway produces the problem metabolite). Specifically, NAPQI is the metabolite responsible for the liver damage (or hepatotoxicity). Glutathione exists within the liver and NAPQI reduces its levels (both these products conjugate with one another) At normal doses The glutathione would normally detoxify the NAPQI, but at over dose levels it is overwhelmed. Higher doses of paracetamol induce higher levels of damage. But you can see some levels of liver damage from regular paracetamol use, excessive fasting/ anorexia and some other types of drugs. Treatment involves activated charcoal - if the presentation is early enough or through N-acetylcysteine as per paracetamol blood levels.
| 3 |
AskReddit/em2vxg3
|
bisrao
|
What's one profession robots can't replace?
|
I believe robots can replace everyone. We aren't magic or special, we can be replicated. Actors? CGI Musicians? LSTM networks (look up Emily howell) Vocalists? AI can already mimic voices. Just use the vocals from your favourite vocalist to make new music. Construction? Giant 3D printers can already create structures. Dont get me wrong, we have a long way to go, but computers have been around for less than 100 years, and AI for (arguably less than 20). Imagine what life will be like in 100 years?
| 3 |
explainlikeimfive/cl2gwh7
|
2igi2o
|
What happens when our muscles get tense and knotted?
|
I can explain knotted muscles: Our muscles tense and know up following muscle spasms, or a lot of quick muscle contractions. Muscle spasms usually follow an injury. There are four general contributors to muscle knots and cramps: acute trauma, predisposing activities, myofascial pain syndrome, and fibromyalgia. Acute trauma is a sudden and temporary source of pain, like a bad fall. Predisposing activities are anything that may cause you to develop a muscle cramp/knot like holding a phone between your ear and you shoulder. Myofascial pain and fibromyalgia are both chronic muscle pain that can be treated with two different treatment methods.
| 2 |
AskReddit/dui9j6q
|
7ypri5
|
What do you think is an under rated spinoff game or game series?
|
The Elder Scrolls: Redguard It was a great-for-its-time third person action adventure game with a named protagonist (rather than the player created ones from the main series). It takes place ~400 years before Arena, and is a worthwhile game to play for fans of the main series (Although the version available on Good Old Games hasn't held up well with massive framerate issues).
| 2 |
AskReddit/c0th1md
|
clr9r
|
How long are humans estimated to survive on Earth?
|
It's kind of not really something you can put a definitive answer on. You can think about hypothetical situations of humans going extinct (eg. the sun dies) and try to estimate when that is likely to happen. But you are going to have a whole array of possible events that could cause human extinction, each with varying estimates, none of which would be particularly accurate and some you might be able to do no better than guess about. So the real answer is, no accurate estimate exists, unless there is some kind of time travel machine I'm yet to hear about, but I personally feel you can't really travel forward in time, I feel particles are in one place and move about, but there is no copy of that anywhere. (although I am not a physicist).
| 3 |
AskHistorians/cgnoteo
|
22jl3f
|
How did the Second Boer War change British attitudes towards Empire and Imperialism?
|
I can't say much for the attitude of the everyday man in the street, though I have just completed a dissertation on Lord Lansdowne's foreign policy so can say something for the change in foreign policy attitudes. Prior to Lansdowne and the Boer War, Britain had relied on keeping her Empire and global interests in tact through the preponderance of British naval strength. Britain occupied a position of 'Splendid Isolation' in the world. This isolation became dangerous once the Second Boer War came about. Given the huge expenditure, it became more of a challenge for Britain to provide for the defence of India, the protection of her interests in China, Egypt, Persia etc. During his tenure as Foreign Secretary (1900-1905), I argue in my dissertation that Lansdowne followed a policy of 'imperial consolidation', whereby he sought to curb British commitments around the world through making limited agreements with other powers in order to maintain the status quo. Britain wished to maintain the Empire, it was just too expensive to do so on her own. The Hay-Pauncefote Treaty with the US, signed in 1901, reversed the terms of the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty (~1850s) that prevented any power from constructing an isthmian (Panama) canal. This had the effect of Britain essentially handing over supremacy of Western hemisphere waters to the US. Additionally, the Anglo-Japanese alliance of 1902, allowed Britain to maintain the Two Power Standard (having a bigger navy than a combination of the next biggest powers) against France and Russia in the Far East and protect her interests in the Yangtze region of China against the encroachments of Russia. Indeed, Lansdowne also attempted to come to an agreement with Russia in 1903-4 prior to the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese war. The terms he sought were not too dissimilar to those secured by Sir Edward Grey in the Anglo-Russian convention of 1907; that is, the division of Persia into spheres of influence (Russia, North; Britain, South). Also, the Anglo-French entente cordiale 1904 was an imperial agreement on African spheres of influence. Essentially what was agreed was British supremacy in East Africa, in Egypt and on the Nile, whereas the French were given compensation in West Africa (Anglo-French relations regarding Egypt had been a sore point since British occupation in 1882). Basically, economic considerations of maintaining the Empire was a huge factor. The Boer War cost Britain £160 million a year, more than the total cost of the Crimean War and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, was a powerful force in the British cabinet, arguing for expenditure reforms in the navy and, in turn, a change in foreign policy attitudes. No longer could the Empire be upheld by strength; the status quo had to be maintained by striking deals and alliances with other powers.
| 5 |
AskReddit/deuwllh
|
5z1e4x
|
What TV shows do you watch when you want to laugh?
|
Old timer here. There are a few old comedy shows I love re watching from time to time for a good laugh. My favorite comedies are All in the Family, Cheers, Frasier, and Family Ties. I watched them all when they were originally on and none of them fail to make me laugh decades later (especially all in the family). And just because it brings me serious nostalgia as it was one of my favorite shows as a kid: Leave it to Beaver. Not as funny as the other ones but still just a great feel good show that brings me more than a few chuckles.
| 5 |
AskReddit/eoc8kcc
|
brc5va
|
What was the worst birthday you ever had, and why?
|
My 16th. I was dating an abusive guy (19) I was only allowed to invite people he approved of and then later in the night he raped me. Worst birthday ever. PS an investigation is ongoing as I didnt report for 14 years (wasnt his first time doing it to me but was the last)
| 72 |
askscience/c2yp0nv
|
m7d7l
|
Can we reverse the cathode and anode of a battery ?
|
There is no reason a battery couldn't be designed with a flat cathode and protruding anode. The typical design allows enclosures to be designed that prevent batteries from being inserted backwards (or ensure they don't make contact if they are).
| 5 |
AskReddit/cbio4rg
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1jvd27
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What are three things every parent should know?
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If you're the parent of a teenage boy, knock before entering. don't do the whole "knock and open the door without waiting for a reply" thing, wait for him to say "come in" Don't feed them dog food make sure they read a lot of books.
| 2 |
AskHistorians/c8jx84c
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190nxe
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When and why did the stocks/pillory stop being a punishment?
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In London, it began to decline in popularity as a form of punishment because the spectacle often caused riots or other public disorder and sometimes resulted in the unintended injury or death of the convict due to thrown projectiles. Historian Emma Griffin writes: "Historians have drawn attention to a cluster of beliefs—humanitarianism, changes in the relationship between the state and the individual, a new faith in the power of prisons to reform the criminal—that underpinned a growing unease about punishment upon the body. Equally, the power of the crowd to subvert the court's sentence, by either cheering offenders or seriously harming, on occasion even killing, them conflicted with the emergence of a well documented desire for more uniform punishment at the end of the eighteenth century." She argues that the rejection of the pillory in London had more to do with maintaining order than it did with emergent humanitarian concerns. "The decline of the pillory," she writes, "marked the end of punishment in the market-place, not the end of public punishments or of punishment on the body, and was part of the process of creating an orderly and civilized space at the heart of the town where ladies and gentlemen need not be troubled by the messier and baser aspects of life." Emma Griffin, "The 'urban renaissance' and the mob: rethinking civic involvement over the long eighteenth century," in Structures and Transformations in Modern British History, David Feldman and Jon Lawrence, eds. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011), 66-68.
| 3 |
AskReddit/c4lg86u
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tclpa
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Do American Presidents really age super fast while in office, or is it just that they've been there 4 or 8 years and have aged naturally?
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The stress level certainly takes it's toll, but sometimes people also forget just how much a normal person can age in 8 years (assuming it's a 2 term president).
| 3 |
explainlikeimfive/ee9lqek
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agwoio
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Why does having a strong menthol taste in your mouth make cold drinks feel even colder?
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Menthol sensitizes thermal receptors. nornallly a very cold temp would activate them, but menthol makes them activate at near body temp. Its analagous to how hot sauce (capsaicin) adds heat to food without changing the temperature.
| 269 |
AskReddit/dxl7cpu
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8d8euv
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What's your favorite "obscure" movie that you must show all your friends?
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Not sure if it's "obscure" or not, but I've convinced a few of my friends to watch Lars & The Real Girl and I will never stop trying. It's an oddly sweet movie with just a.confusing concept when you hear the basic synopsis.
| 2 |
AskReddit/djl54fo
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6kctcc
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What is a scientific fact that many people don't want to acknowledge?
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In terms of the people obsessed with healthfulness -- That no matter how many fruits and veggies you eat, no matter how much you exercise, no matter how many doctors you see, you will eventually die. We all know it, but they just don't actually acknowledge it's delaying the inevitable.
| 2 |
askscience/dmn9v8k
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6ygbd7
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Do all solids have a triple point?
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No. Some things will decompose before they reach their triple point. For example copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate will first decompose to copper(II) sulfate, and then at higher temperatures decompose to copper oxide. Others will undergo some other kind of phase transformation. For example a diamond would turn into graphite before it reaches the triple point of carbon. > Is it merely a question of getting the temp low enough and pulling a large enough vacuum? Generally if something is solid at RT then you're going to have to heat it to reach its triple point. Frequently if you setup your process correctly pressure will sort itself out. > I'm trying to determine if I can use sublimation for crystal formation. Sure you can. Among other things this is the process that results in ice buildup in freezers, or frost on the windshield of your car in the winter. But it's sorta independent of your two other questions, you can sublimate below vaporization temperatures just like you can evaporate below boiling temperatures. If you have two samples of a material in a small space, and you hold them to different temperatures then the warmer one will tend to sublimate more, and eventually there will be enough of it in the vapor phase that some will condense out onto the colder sample. That said, sublimation is not a very good crystal growing technique. The rate of deposition is highly dependent on the amount of material you can vaporize, which means the temperatures you're going to be working at will be fairly high. That results in a lot of extra energy in the system so when something goes to deposit the energy difference between the 'correct' configuration and a 'wrong, but similar' configuration becomes small. This tends to result in flaws in the crystal, or even the formation of many small crystals.
| 10 |
AskHistorians/c8k6rvk
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192gz0
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How accurate does the movie Platoon depict the Vietnam War?
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Platoon is a caricature of Vietnam. Drug and alcohol use wasn't nearly as prominent as the film makes out--that was mostly done, if at all, in rear units and not by the actual troops in the field with their lives on the line. In a book that was written by someone who served with my uncle in the war (in 1969) it mentions two guys using drugs once. These guys had been falling asleep when it was their turn to watch for the night (and therefore were endangering the lives of everyone else). Instead of some huge dramatic confrontation, they were simply taken aside and spoken to privately and it never happened again. In many ways the Americans who served in Vietnam weren't a whole lot different from the guys who were in WWII, Korea, Iraq, or Afghanistan. They fought for the man next to them and were just trying to survive the whole experience.
| 5 |
askscience/cpzi3e6
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31732g
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Do we know why dinosaurs (and other animals/insects) were so large back in prehistoric times and why everything is so relatively small today?
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Another post addressed a similar question earlier this week, and I'll echo its sentiments; animals in general aren't really relatively smaller today than they were during the Mesozoic. Remember that the modern blue whale is larger than any dinosaur ever was, and the average dinosaur was not incredibly large. I know this isn't really a satisfactory answer, but we need to rather consider why reptiles, or terrestrial carnivores, or some other specific group was larger at some point. I don't think it applies generally.
| 4 |
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