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explainlikeimfive/ceu3hxw
|
1vnptg
|
How did the Navajo communicate and why couldn't enemies decipher the language in World War II?
|
It's a bit more complicated than just being a language not spoken outside of the Americas. It's also because it's from a language family that's not spoken outside of a small group in the Americas. This is important because it makes it about 50 thousand (citation needed) times harder to translate it. Take for example the English language. English comes from the Indo-European family of languages. That means that it has at least some similarities to other languages in this family, including all of the Romance languages and all of the Germanic languages, etc. So even with no understanding of English, if you know one of the many languages in that language family, you at least have a baseline. Then compare Navajo. Navajo comes from a family called Na-Dene which, until very recently, was believed to exist only in the Americas. Even still it only existed in small parts of the Yukon and the North. As an aside, we now know that there are tribes in Siberia who speak a similar language but that wasn't known at the time. So, this being a language not widely spoken, from a language tree that isn't spread outside of our region, with no baseline for other countries to use in their codebreaking, made it a very convenient and efficient language to use.
| 11 |
AskHistorians/cgb4y37
|
21a869
|
How close were the Allies (specifically US) to losing WWII in Europe in terms of resources?
|
The allies suffered major supply problems after the invasion of Normandy and after breaking through into France and the low countries. This wasn't necessarily a problem with production so much as getting it to the necessary places. The rapid breakout that was operation Cobra stretched allied supply lines to the breaking point and motivated them to capture an intact port from which they could more easily resupply. They finally succeeded in capturing Antwerp (one of Europe's best ports) in late 1944 and after a campaign by the Canadians in the winter of 1944 which cleared out the last resistance in the area around the Antwerp, the port could begin taking in large amounts of supply. To give an idea of the supply needs of the allied armies in 1944. Take into account the allies need 700 tons of supplies a day for all their forces, the Germans needed only 200 tons a day. The major setback would probably be the battle of the bulge, due to the allies being overstretched and Omar Bradley not appreciating the seriousness of the attack, the attack made significant progress, It ultimately failed but that's the closest the allies really came to a large sclae setback. There was also Market Graden, which was a mass airborne assault intended to secure access into Germany over the Lower Rhine. This assault was also a massive failure. Sources you may want to read. John Keegan's the Second World War Third Reich Series Richard Evans A World At Arms Gerhard Weinberg
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/dmg3qso
|
6xhuui
|
How do Discord's and other similar naming systems work?
|
Okay, I don't actually know what Discord (or similar) services do. You'd need somebody who worked on the service to answer to know what it is they do. That being said, I can offer some options for what's happening. My best guess is that A) your account is truly unique by some other information (probably either your email or a generated ID number), and B) the four numbers they tack on after are randomly generated an not guaranteed to be unique. Since even greater than, say, 100 people picking the same name is so low, they could just add random numbers at the end to help distinguish, but still not guarantee uniqueness. The only way this system breaks down is on the off chance two of the same numbers are generated for the same name, or enough people use the same name that the chance of a collision becomes likely, but even in that case it just slightly inconveniences the few users who are friends of those 2 people. Of course, they could be completely unique, in which case I have no idea how the system would cope with >10k people with the same name (though again, my best guess in this case would be that it would deny the name change since it can't generate a unique value). Hopefully someone with more than just a general knowledge of programming can answer you more definitively though!
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/cw2tiso
|
3p3hny
|
Why can't you smile in your passport photo?
|
Go to a mirror and smile normally. Now smile showing teeth. Now smile absurdly wide. Now smirk. Facial expressions can seriously change the general shape and outline of your features. The goal of a passport photo is to be as easily identified as possible. so removing all variables of expression gives you a clear baseline of what the person's face looks like.
| 584 |
AskReddit/ckqwfct
|
2haiik
|
Why are Skeptics always trying to prove things wrong?
|
Skepticism is about challenging - not debunking. Things leave evidence. If something is true then the necessary links need to be exposed before anyone can say honestly that they know something is true. Sure, things are real no matter how much you can prove them as such, but what do you realy know for sure if you can't observe the phenomena in the slightest? Intuition doesn't prove anything - intuition is guessing. You need something observable before you can honestly say that you know something.
| 2 |
AskReddit/dlml60b
|
6tpz0d
|
If you had a second pair of arms, where would you have them attached to your body and why?
|
One would be on top of my head and the other would be like a tail. Then I would wear an Abe Lincoln hat and the outfit with the coat tails too so nobody knew. As I walked around, people would yell, "Hey! Abe!" And I would tip my hat and curtsy with the two extra arms while grabbing my face in horror with my normal arms as if I was terrified of the arms and they surprised me. If anybody asked about it, I would pretend I didn't know what they were talking about. Try explaining that to your friends, feeble mortals.
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/dxeiahi
|
8cfjgn
|
Why can't we throw all our trash into volcanoes?
|
99% of the time volcanoes are just chilling there doing nothing. Volcanoes that are active would burn your trash, but since lava is molten rock and extremely dense, nothing much is going to sink into them. We can burn trash much more safely right at the landfill if we really wanted to, but usually this generates toxic gas and needs elaborate gas scrubber systems.
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/cmw8wsi
|
2pfn8i
|
Why do black people get pulled over?
|
First, the cop does not need to be behind you when they decide to pull you over. They will often go behind you so there is no confusion of who they are pulling over. Second, you absolutely can tell the race of someone in front of you, unless they have small windows/low seats/tinted windows. Not saying black people do or do not get pulled over unfairly, but if a cop was specifically trying to pull over black people (or any race of people) all day he could certainly do that. Not legally obviously.
| 3 |
explainlikeimfive/csjec9n
|
3b6z76
|
How do we know dinosaurs existed?
|
Imagine you are out and you find a fossilized bone. Your first guess might be that it came from a cow or something else big. You check the bone against all the living things we know about and you decide that it's a new thing. Now you have two other guesses: That it's just some animal you haven't found yet but still lives today. Someone is trying to trick you and made a fake. Later you go back to the place where you found the first bone and dig. You find that almost all of these weird bones are deep under ground. Geologists who know about layers of rock say that the bones are found in rock made 10s of millions of years ago but in in rock found 1 million years ago. It doesn't make sense to say that they are from some hidden animal. It's still possible that someone is tricking you. But then your friend on the other side of the world found strange bones that are also very old. All over the world there are thousands and thousands of these old bones of related animals found that are millions and millions of years old. You can actually put together family trees for a lot of them reaching back hundreds of millions of years ago. It would have to be the largest and most dedicated hoax of all time. Who would bother hiding thousands of bones in thousands of sights around the world, deep embedded in rocks, just to trick you? The easiest idea that explains the bones is that there were a family of animals we call dinosaurs that lived a long time ago. What else could explain the fossilized bones?
| 15 |
AskHistorians/c8kr55j
|
194fsv
|
If we compare the group of people Joseph McCarthy suspected as being communists with what we now know about soviet cold war spying activities, how effective were his efforts?
|
Senator Joseph McCarthy, was arguably, one of the most successful conspiracy theorist in American history. McCarthy was able to meticulously manipulate the Red Scare hysteria with the help of the media, the encouragement from the Republican Party, and this enabled him to pursue his agenda of combating the supposed red infestation in the State Department. Communist witch-hunts had become synonymous with the rhetoric of the period. McCarthyism, was indeed, an opportunity for Soviet propagandists to exploit. McCarthy gave Europeans, who resented American power, a respectable reason for expressing their hostility. You just have to look at the sheer extent of the anxiety and hysteria that developed in American society. The level of blacklisting, denial of civil liberties, the witch-hunts, persecution of American citizens and the recklessness of McCarthy and his demagoguing. Many began to doubt if the country of McCarthy was a safe guardian of nuclear weapons. From my understanding McCarthy targeted the state department and the army (to his own detriment) and the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) targeted Hollywood and business organizations in an attempt to root out communists. McCarthy's methods were largely counter-productive and very destructive. Anybody that pled the Fifth Amendment were immediately interpreted as an admission of guilt. I think it was similar to that folklore hysteria you hear about – reporting your hated neighbour to the police for communist activities or suspicion, and a swat team storms in and grabs them. And to answer your question, no, as far as the academic world knows, McCarthy did not uncover any real Soviet spies, and he was not successful in his efforts - quite the opposite. He went on an anticommunist crusade, which led to the loss of jobs for countless hundreds, destroying businesses, exacerbated Red Scare fears and left an aftermath of uncertainty and anxiety in American society.
| 7 |
AskReddit/ccahhiz
|
1mm297
|
Why do Churches not pay taxes?
|
Churches are non-profit organizations because they perform charitable works, the same as any other type of 501(c)(3) organization. Churches feed the hungry, clothe the poor, shelter the homeless, and provide child care. If they had to pay taxes on their income, they wouldn't be able to afford to provide so many of these services. If they didn't provide these services, then the government would have to. If the government provided these services, they'd have to use tax dollars to pay for them. So in the long run, it all evens out.
| 9 |
AskReddit/cqsaa6q
|
348kww
|
What was the worst birthday present you've ever received?
|
For my 12th and 13th birthday, I asked for a chicken. It was a little unrealistic considering we lived in a nice suburban community, but I wanted a chicken so bad. I didn't get it for my 12th birthday and waited all year for my 13th birthday to get the chicken. My mom hinted a week before my birthday that I'd be getting "something I've been asking for" and I assumed my dream was going to come true. My parents gave me a little $5 porcelain chicken statue. I was devastated.
| 6 |
AskReddit/c2bq6ny
|
jfsdu
|
How different was college back in the 60's-80's compared to college today?
|
It was probably more white back then, so probably less competitive, and you could make great connections that would pay dividends throughout your career. Also, few had to worry about student loans because it was way cheaper and people who went to college came from richer families (even the middle class were richer back then). Now, it's like "what career?"
| 2 |
AskReddit/c1dykny
|
f7ui2
|
What level of familiarity do you try to achieve with your neighbors?
|
I'm from a very friendly part of the country. I try to be friends with all the neighbors. Sometimes, the neighbors don't want to be friends. Twice, the neighbors became a little overbearing and a little too friendly, and that became a problem for a time. But mostly we have struck a good balance. They would watch my back, and I would watch their's. Everything that I have just written is true for home ownership. Apartment neighbors rarely made it past nodding in the halls.
| 3 |
explainlikeimfive/eesay39
|
aj32eo
|
Why does aspect ratio affect whether a letter is machinable by USPS?
|
If you have a processing machine for flat paper items such as letters you need to have some way to move them around and through the device. Generally this is done with a series of rollers, two wheels placed against each other to grab and push the paper along. However you can't practically put these everywhere. They need to be spaced out a bit and this leaves open the possibility of an item being aligned such that it doesn't touch any roller. A paper path for smaller items might have them more closely spaced but only have a relatively narrow total opening, while a path for larger items may have more widely spaced rollers but a bigger path as a whole. Aspect ratio then comes into play when considering what path it can take. A letter 10 inches long can't go down a path with only an 8 inch maximum width because it could get stuck sideways. But if that same letter is only 4 inches tall then when it goes into the large item paper path the rollers may be too widely spaced to move it if sideways. More generally put the problem is that because the letter can be any orientation going through the machine there needs to be a certain similarity between vertical and horizontal dimensions, also known as an aspect ratio.
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/co37hy7
|
2txfia
|
How did they come up with the shapes of pasta and their appropriate names?
|
The shapes often have an actual purpose. Thin strands like angel hair are better for light sauces like olive oil and garlic. Thick strands like fettuccini are for thick sauces. If you used a pasta like angel hair in Alfredo sauce it would practically disappear in there. Spaghetti is a middle ground between angel hair and fettuccini. Different size tube shapes also have different purposes with the tiny ones being best for soups, middle sizes for different sauces, and bigger ones ideal for stuffing. Ridges on any shape let more sauce cling to the pasta, so if you want less sauce for each mouthful of pasta use a smooth one.
| 3 |
AskReddit/esufe0p
|
c98yam
|
What’s your most irrational fear?
|
I often wake up thinking that there’s some history class I randomly stopped attending, it’s too late to withdraw, the final is today, and not only am I going to fail but I’m going to spend the summer taking courses to make up the credits to graduate with my bachelors. The only issue is that I graduated college over 15 years ago and have gotten more degrees since. Still, I’ll just wake up believing this fear is absolutely real. and it’s always a History course for some reason.
| 2 |
AskReddit/e0v0ycc
|
8rxxty
|
What TV show do you wish you could watch for the first time again?
|
Sherlock. It's undeniably one of the best TV Shows in the past decade, And deservedly so. The idea of filming thought and showing how thinking works is genius, combined with the banter of John Watson and Sherlock. The pinnacle of perfection in my humble opinion.
| 2 |
AskReddit/elg4fwm
|
bft3b0
|
What is the "Vaccines Cause Autism" of your field or profession?
|
Vaccines causes autism. Evolution is a lie. Climate change is a hoax. Yep. I'm an evolutionary biologist working with epidemiology under climate change.
| 3 |
AskReddit/derx5yy
|
5yphrn
|
Where are the best places to travel to in California?
|
What do you want to see? We have beaches and surfing, quirky stores, great nightlife, amazing forests, theme parks, incredible food and gorgeous deserts but they're all in different places.
| 2 |
AskReddit/dk8p9gu
|
6ndiep
|
What has some one said that made you instantly lose respect for them?
|
Hmmmm, I don't know if I lost respect or gained respect. I was talking to my dad about spanking kids, and I am a pretty decent arguer and he finally said he spanked "because it's easier". I lost respect in the since that he hurt the people he loved most because it's an easier method of raising a child, but I gained respect because he was able to be honest despite knowing how it would make him sound.
| 2 |
AskReddit/ewzvhzd
|
cqvdiw
|
What historical event would make a great idea for a movie?
|
How about "the toughest town in the wild west," Palisade, Nevada? Just about everything people believe about the wild west is a myth. In particular, the notion that it was a violent place with nearly nonstop gun battles was purely a creation of the dime novels of the time. Actually, wild west towns tended to be generally peaceful, boring places. The big cities of the east had much higher rates of violence. Most towns forbade the carrying of weapons in town. But in the late 1870s, the town of Palisade decided they wanted to give the eastern dandies passing through on the railroad a little thrill. So they started staging gunfights when the trains stopped in town. It started out with just a single western-style quickdraw pistol duel (which, BTW, was an entirely fictitious creation of the dime novels of the day and never actually happened), but eventually it turned into a veritable wild west Disneyland, with staged bank robberies, Indian raids fought off by US Cavalry, all the WW cliches. And everybody in the area was in on it, the townsfolk, the Army, the Indians, the railroads,. This probably helped cement the idea in the popular imagination that the wild west cliches were real until 40 years or so later when the fledgling movie industry made them stick for good.
| 2 |
AskReddit/eg3l0w4
|
aotzuh
|
What childhood movie did you see more more than a half dozen times?
|
Who Framed Roger Rabbit I miss the childhood ability to watch something 50 times in a row and derive exactly the same amount of enjoyment each time you watch it. Going back to it, boy I didn't get a lot of those jokes. Great film!
| 59 |
AskReddit/ed79c66
|
ace9n3
|
What is the heaviest ballistic body armour in history?
|
So do you mean plate armor or are we purely going for woven armor? Because in reality Kevlar and titanium weave body armor is pretty heavy duty, and the next gen ceramics I've seen look promising. That being said I'll take a two inch thick steel plate shoved under my coat any day of the week.
| 3 |
explainlikeimfive/d1l2dzi
|
4cshb2
|
Why can my phone's GPS pinpoint my location, but calling 911 from a cell phone can't?
|
The reason why this works is because you're dealing with three very different kinds of networks. When you dial a landline number, it's going to ring to one place, and one place only. The call travels the telephone network and ends up at a designated location. It always goes to the same place. So when you call 911 from your house, the dispatchers are able to know that you're calling from the specific location to which that number is registered. However, when you call from a cellphone, there is no specific geographic location associated with that. That's why we call them mobile phones -- they are mobile. A cellphone's signal is picked up by local cell towers. So when you make a call to 911, it's only able to indicate to the dispatcher the general area you're in -- that is, the general area around the cell tower you're connecting through. Lastly, GPS is based on exceedingly precise satellites, and your location is picked up and triangulated by three different satellites simultaneously -- each of the satellites is able to get a read on your location, so your GPS can tell you exactly (more or less) where you're located.
| 12 |
askscience/d65p5qd
|
4wannn
|
Why is it so that the magnetic force experienced by a charged particle moving through a magnetic field proportional to its velocity?
|
The electric and magnetic fields are really part of a larger single object called the electromagnetic field tensor, denotes by F^(ab). The values of a and b can take on the values 0, 1, 2, and 3 (for 3 spatial dimensions and 1 temporal dimension). The tensor has 16 components, but since it is antisymmetric, there are really only 6 independent components. The 3 timelike components are identified as the electric field and the 3 spacelike components are identified as the magnetic field. It turns out that the force can be written in a very symmetric way that makes no reference to either the electric or magnetic field explicitly. If the 4-velocity of the particle is U^(a), then the Lorentz force is > F^(a) = F^(a)bU^(b) The notation really means that the right-hand side is summed over the index b. So it has 4 terms. Even if you don't understand all the details here, the point is that the force can be written as some product of the electromagnetic field tensor and the 4-velocity in a way that makes no reference to either the electric or the magnetic field. Now the spacelike components of the 4-velocity are the components of just the usual 3-velocity u. These spacelike components are multiplied with the spacelike components of the electromagnetic tensor when we compute the force. But the spacelike components of the field tensor are, by definition, the components of the magnetic field. So it's really just a matter of definitions and how we identify the individual components. A good question then might be why the force has the form F^(a)bU^(b). Well. if you look for some Lorentz-invariant field theory whose force law is a so-called pure force, then Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism is the unique such theory. It's just perhaps coincidence that the theory actually corresponds to anything in the real world.
| 3 |
AskHistorians/cb991ew
|
1iyaoz
|
Why did the Syrian tanks perform so poorly in the Yom Kippur War?
|
My answer wont be comprehensive but I can introduce a few of the factors. In the North, the Syrians botched their plans for the crossing of the anti-tank trench that had been built along the divide between Israeli and Syrian forces. The Syrian advance was stalled while they brought their bridging equipment up from the rear (probably not where it should have been). In the mean time the Israeli tank crews on the other side were able to pick off Syrian tanks that were stuck or just in range. Which brings us to the next factor. Israeli tanks proved superior. They were using Magach and Sho't tanks that where basically American M48 and m60 Patton tanks and British Centurion tanks, respectively, with upgraded 105mm guns. The Mahach's also had upgraded engines while the the Sho'ts had upgraded armor and fire control systems. Syrians exploited their one technological advantage, IR vision w/ IR spotlights, during the night to some good effect but overall the Israeli tanks trumped the Syrians, particularly on the accurate range of their main guns which was a huge advantage in the wide open desert terrain. Israeli tank crews were also better trained. Particularly when it came to accurate fire from distance which allowed the Israelis to leverage their gun range advantage over the Syrians. In addition, (fair warning: this is more subjective) the Syrian forces in general lacked the kind of social and political cohesion that helped the Israeli armed forces to be a formidably motivated and disciplined fighting force. The political divisions of Syria and the longstanding questionable legitimacy of the ruling regime are not novel things in the current conflict there. Combat effectiveness is affected by these kinds of things. There is another factor that played a huge role in the Sinai that I'm not sure about in the Golan Heights. When it comes to your chances of surviving a battle in a tank, the balance of air power is a pretty significant factor. For Egypt, their rapid advance through the Sinai eventually saw the front push beyond the scope of their ground-based air defenses. Egypt's fighters were no match for Israel's and their only way to keep the Israeli ground attack aircraft from enjoying a turkey shoot was by having their tanks etc. protected by AAA and SAM batteries. I've not heard much regarding Israeli air power's involvement in Syria's heavy tank losses, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was something worth looking into.
| 28 |
AskReddit/c7typ7i
|
169izj
|
Why don't most mobile phones have fingerprint readers?
|
Some do. There was an android phone out not long ago (a year or so) that had a fingerprint reader built into the back of the device. It was cool, but very buggy - usually it took two swipes to get it right. I want a retina scanner. Fingerprints are cool, but a retina scanner on a front facing camera seems more doable - it could even be used as a patch for current phones, as most of the newer phones feature relatively high resolution front facing cameras. I really have nothing intelligent to add to the conversation, just a mutual desire for cool security on my device. I usually disable my pin to unlock, it gets annoying because I use my phone way too much. Although the retina scanner / fingerprint swipe would probably take the same amount if not more time - an RFID necklace or bracelet would be very cool.
| 2 |
AskReddit/cn9ifwf
|
2qtypn
|
Will the college "bubble" burst?
|
The bubble will burst if people realize that student loans don't help anyone. Scholarships, grants, and bursaries do (especially if they are based off financial need, grades, etc), but giving (or more accurately, lending) everyone $10,000 doesn't help anybody, it just means the Universities can charge $10,000 more and now everyone has to take out a loan just to be on par with the rest of the students competing for a spot in school.
| 40 |
AskReddit/c3xg65l
|
qgn24
|
What's something you eat way too much of?
|
Apple sauce. My fiancé will rarely buy it because i will eat the whole jar in one sitting. Same with Goobers Peanut butter and Jelly. PB&J in one jar?! Can you blame me?!
| 2 |
AskReddit/dsrc9hu
|
7qrm2k
|
What is your worst Applebee's experience?
|
Is Applebee's notorious for being bad? One time i went and the waitress dared me to lick the booth seat for free ice cream. Then i gave the ice cream to someone else. Not really a bad experience. but it's something. Though i guess the booth tasted like the butts of a lot of people.
| 2 |
AskReddit/dzhmf99
|
8lqc1n
|
What sort of major personal world views/perspectives were altered as you grew into an adult?
|
When I was younger I was afraid to share my opinion until I was certain it’s a fact. Growing older and slipping here and there I realized that sharing my thoughts and opinions get checked by mature people who take the time to correct me or argue their perspective. Sometimes even about something I considered as a fact. I think part of growing up, it’s major, is realizing that not everyone is out to get you. Some people do share their honest thoughts with a stranger. The purpose I don’t know, but I’m glad to know not everyone is out for my blood.
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/dbgk05y
|
5jj6e6
|
Why are 2 litre bottles of coke in Australian supermarkets cheaper than 500 ml bottles of coke in Australian supermarkets?
|
They're targeted at different customers. Serving size bottles are sold chilled for customers who want the convenience of a cold drink right now. They pay a large price per volume for that convenience. Meanwhile customers who are OK with buying large bulk bottles, spending time doing any necessary chilling at home themselves and pouring glasses to serve get a better price per unit volume because their needs are logistically easier/cheaper to fill. Shipping larger units is simpler and unrefrigerated goods are easier to store.
| 5 |
AskReddit/d3g2e7z
|
4kmgtb
|
Do you think college should be free, and if so, what are the limits of coverage?
|
College shouldn't be free because it wouldn't really be free. Tax paying people would be paying for it. If people really want affordable college they should go after the colleges for constantly hiking rates due to the government throwing loans at anyone wanting to go to school.
| 2 |
AskHistorians/d32627u
|
4iwuvb
|
What effect/influence did the spate of Japanese military success have on the development of various national identities and liberation movements in Southeast Asia and other colonial regions?
|
The 'invincibility of the white man' is a theme that was often brought up by former colonialists who witnessed the Japanese occupation, and who later became academics in the 1950s-60s. For example, Paul Mus and Harry Benda either fled Japanese troops or were interned by them in the Indes and Indochina. I would argue that Japan's military success was much more a shock to their psyche than it was to their Asian counterparts. The far more important aspect is the simple break in colonial authority, which allowed for revolutionaries to seize power. The French empire presents an interesting case, as France lost control over some colonies and kept it over others. The primary factor allowing for the post-WWII revolutions was the absence of colonials, rather than the strength of the nationalist or communist movements. While you note that 'the Japanese might have been just as hated [as Western colonialists]' this is more Western perception or the influence of post-colonial nationalist histories. At the time, many Southeast Asians looked at Japan with admiration (as they had since ~1904), or at least as a crucial ally that could help them overthrow Western imperialism. Japan was very much seen as a liberator in Indonesia. It was likewise favorably seen in Indochina, initially, but Japan's refusal to similarly grant it independence soured that enthusiasm. The most significant factor was that the Japanese interregnum allowed local organizations to mobilize their populations in ways that would not have been possible under colonial control. Suharto could not have toured the Indes building support for a national Indonesian state. Nor could have the Avant Garde Youth in Vietnam have organized under the Japanese sponsored Empire of Vietnam government, which later formed much of the Viet Minh's strength. Prior to this, the Indochinese Communist Party (ICP) had planned to organize the entire space of Indochina (today's Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia). But the Empire of Vietnam, formed in early 1945, was the first state to use the name Vietnam, to unify the country's three regions, and develop a national identity. This prompted the ICP to adopt a national front broken into three (Viet Minh, Pathet Lao, Khmer Issark), though each were dominated by Vietnamese ICP members. Those mobilizations and propaganda campaigns were crucial in building support for their respective post-colonial states. It wasn't that Japan transformed Southeast Asians, but rather that their victory allowed them to transform themselves. The other main effect is the support that Japanese officers gave to their SE Asian counterparts, lending them important supplies and advice in building their new armies.
| 3 |
AskReddit/d43gp4f
|
4nfn7j
|
Why do we put round pizzas in square boxes and eat them as triangles?
|
Square boxes are easier to fold and transport in masses, circle pizzas cook evenly In an oven, square pizzas generally cook unevenly at the corners, and because the triangle point fits our mouths best.
| 584 |
AskReddit/d3qo39a
|
4lwdan
|
What's a great breakfast wine for under $10?
|
Depends on what you are eating. Moscato would go well with Prociutto e melone for breakfast. This is 11$ in the US . Stella Rosa Moscato D'Asti (cmon. an extra 99c wont kill ya)
| 3 |
AskReddit/cztpt3d
|
44y3gb
|
What are you good at and why is it bad that you are good at it?
|
I'm good at customer service, but it's bad because I feel like that's all I'm good for, all I will be able to do in my career. I'm good at video games, it's bad because I can't attribute that skill to anything else in life.
| 5 |
explainlikeimfive/d9wxvz1
|
5cjbw5
|
Why does newspaper brown/change color with time?
|
Most paper contains trace amounts of acid leftover from the manufacturing process. Over time, that acid will break down some of the other chemicals in the paper -- that's why old books and libraries tend to have a distinctive smell. It's possible to make paper that has less acid, but it costs a lot more. Cheaper paper tends to have more acid, but that's okay for newspapers because those are daily editions that usually aren't meant to last.
| 11 |
explainlikeimfive/cjh8cf2
|
2cnjzl
|
Why were timers in NES games so fast?
|
It's because they weren't seconds, they were ticks. A tick, usually used in video games and not as a unit of time, is about how long it would take to say the word tick. A tick is used to time something, like in a shooter, the rate of fire for a specific gun wouldn't be logged as x bullets per second, but would x.xx tick every bullet. The reason NES games didn't use seconds as a time unit is because the NES couldn't keep time at all, so instead of using seconds as a unit, they used ticks. Nowadays, ticks are still used in situations like the rate of fire in guns for shooters, in Minecraft, the amount of animals spawned per x amount of ticks, how long it takes to perform an action, etc. Source: my friend who used Kickstarter to fund his crappy Steam Greenlight "game" said this is how he had to time certain mechanics. Edit:I forgot how to grammar
| 8 |
AskReddit/cnkjjzb
|
2rypfz
|
What's a theory you have?
|
Steven Hawking has been brain dead most of his life, and is used for scientific propaganda. First they convinced us that he's the smartest guy in the world, then they use him as the mouthpiece for theories from lessor known scientists as an easy sell to the public.
| 294 |
AskReddit/c5pcy83
|
xt788
|
What is the first (or any) movie that made you tear up/cry?
|
I'm generally not one to cry at movies, can't recall if I ever have. But Up had me come close. In fact, I've come closer to crying on most Pixar/Disney movies than typically sappy ones that are trying to get you to ball (say.the Notebook). For some reason, I get very teary when watching The Fountain, in one very specific moment that I don't want to ruin.
| 5 |
AskReddit/ek3dpju
|
b9bcle
|
What do you think is on the other side of a black hole?
|
Astrophysicists call it a singularity. It's a single point in space with infinite density (zero volume), or something very very close to infinite density. The name itself is nearly meaningless. Astrophysicists give names to things all the time. For example, dark matter (makes up 95% of the known universe) isnt actually one single kind of matter. We dont know what it is, except that it exists, and doesnt behave like other things we know. That's what scientists want to know about black holes as well. not just what that thing is, but how it behaves. Black holes deal with such great magnitudes of mass, energy, and gravity, that it would tell us a lot more about the nature of our universe. especially how subatomic particles behave, and how space-time distorts. If you're asking if there is anything on the other side of a black hole. nobody knows. But if you're wondering if there are wormholes to travel back in time, or instantly to other parts of the galaxy like in sci-fi shows, the answer is probably not. It's probably closer to a supernova inside the event horizon of a black hole, than it is to some kind of sci-fi wormhole or time travel mechanism. Ideas about time travel come from the time dilation concept. Time flows at different rates to outside observers, depending on how the strength of the gravitational field around you. We know this to be fact, since we observe it every day and rely on that knowledge to do things like adjust the clocks of GPS satellites in orbit sync'ed with clocks on the ground every single day.
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/etgwivc
|
cbnl2q
|
Why are we more susceptible to laughing in situations we know laughing should be prohibited?
|
I don't know, but I have a theory. In cases where the joke involves someone getting hurt, maybe we laugh to tell ourselves that it's okay, because sub-consciously we symphathize with that person and can feel their pain (Theory of Mind). So by laughing we make light of it and ignore the negative feelings that someone else's pain creates.
| 2 |
Ask_Politics/dngonyv
|
728ur2
|
How is it that Dylann Roof's church shooting gets so much media coverage around the race of the suspect, while the shooter in Tennessee (who was open about his support for BLM) gets no mention at all re: his racial views?
|
I think you have quite a few misconceptions about this shooting. 1) There is no confirmed racial motivation here. We don't know the motivation yet. Dylann Roof's was pretty obvious. He was a known white supremacist and he admitted that he targeted the Charleston Chruch because it was a black church. Nothing like this has been established in this shooter's case. 2) The shooter has no known ties to BLM, at least not from what I have seen. And even if he did have ties to the group, it wouldn't confirm that this church shooting was done out of racial hatred since BLM is not a black nationalist group.
| 10 |
explainlikeimfive/cnnjp1h
|
2sa4hv
|
How do I weigh 5 pounds less in the morning than I did the previous night?
|
That is a little extreme, but can happen. You breathe out moisture and CO2 all night long. You also probably went to the bathroom before weighing yourself this morning. These add up to 5 lbs for you this morning!
| 23 |
AskReddit/c372oe3
|
n8ed6
|
What's the worst job-related experience you've been through?
|
I work for a newspaper these days. I've done everything from fast food in my youth to retail, automotive work, dog grooming, etc., and I figured I had seen humanity at both its finest and worst. Wrong. There are so many horrible details that our editorial staff (either by choice or have to legally) leave out of stories we run. (This is a small town and I've lived here almost my entire life so I know many of these people and their families) One afternoon I went to check the fax machine for any ad changes I needed to take care of. I found a court discovery concerning a local middle aged step-mother who had on and off provided drugs and alcohol to her step-son to ply him and his friends into sexual activities. I knew all five boys and read details about it that I'll never forget. I want my ignorance back.
| 4 |
askscience/c2sq8il
|
lhir2
|
Why can't a fly get through those simple traps (a cup with a banana peel and holes poked in the top)?
|
They can walk in, with their wings pressed in against their body. They have to fly out, and their wingspan is larger than the hole (if you made it right), They can't easily walk out because it involves doing a 360 degree inverted turn over a fairly slippery surface, and their bodies aren't really built for that. This is all beside the point that they're pretty dumb and aren't trying to outsmart the trap.
| 5 |
explainlikeimfive/cygnaj9
|
3yu4ul
|
How does Wikipedia prevent bad edits and vandalism?
|
There are several methods. If a specific page is being heavily targeted, like a topic in the news, it might be locked so that only users with older accounts can edit them. There are also a few bots that use various heuristics to automatically revert obvious vandalism. There is a large group of users who spens most of their time reviewing edits using special programs. The wiki software itself also has the ability to stop edits that match a certain pattern. Wikipedia stores every version of every page, so it only takes a second to undo a vandalism edit. Accounts or IP addresses that make several vandalism edits can be blocked from editing.
| 8 |
AskReddit/dn87okx
|
715elr
|
If you could sell one second of your life for one dollar, how much time would you sell and why?
|
Does everyone have access to this trade? If it's just you who gets to make the deal, you wouldn't need to trade much time to live well for the rest of your life. If everyone gets it. life expectancy plummets as people try to get enough just to get by. Inflation would be a beast. Actually, paging r/writingprompts.
| 2 |
askscience/cbcr9es
|
1ja3ls
|
Is there something different about the human digestive system that makes fecal matter so dangerous to us, while other mammals use their tongues for hygiene?
|
Given that human babies require help with toileting for a long while after birth, and also given that human mothers use their hands for many other parenting tasks, like shoving a nipple in a hungry babies mouth; I have a couple questions to add: To what extent might our aversion to fecal matter be an important evolutionary consideration for an animal whose young are born very early in development? How much more vulnerable to disease from fecal matter are infants vs. adults?
| 19 |
AskReddit/emebpgs
|
bk6s3m
|
What was the hardest decision you've ever made?
|
One time I was really thirsty and I went up to a dual water fountain, but someone was using the higher one so I bent down to drink from the lower one. Right away I was disappointed by the lukewarm water but I was so thirsty I pushed through it. Lo’ and behold, out of the corner of my eye I saw the fountain next to me open up. I was still quite thirsty and didn’t want to stop drinking, but I mustered all my willpower nonetheless and moved over to the other water fountain. The water was much cooler, and I knew right then that that was the best decision I had ever made.
| 79 |
AskReddit/cx57xkx
|
3tdfr8
|
Is it better to have a high paying, stressful job, or to have a fun and stress-free, but low paying job?
|
As someone who has had both, the high-paying job is better. If you have a low-stress, low-paying job, you're gonna have stress outside of work due to a lack of money. If you have a high-stress, high-paying job, then you can compartmentalize and actually enjoy your time off.
| 8 |
AskReddit/dzs9po8
|
8n2jse
|
What do you want to like, but just can't?
|
A wide variety of music. I give it a listen, and if it's not within a small selection of genres, I typically have no interest and can't wait for it to end. I'd love to be one of those "listens to everything" types, but no dice.
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/dd4qsyk
|
5r61vv
|
How do linguists know how words from dead languages are pronounced?
|
One of the ways we know is from rhymes and other wordplay. By examining written poetry, puns, and other forms of wordplay, linguists can piece together what words rhymed or sounded like other words at various times in history and come up with general theories to how pronunciation evolved. It's not perfect, though. We definitely don't know exactly how things were pronounced thousands of years ago, but we have a clue at least.
| 3 |
AskReddit/dnpplke
|
73emx0
|
How did you decide what you wanted to do with your life?
|
It was not like setting up a rocket trajectory and lighting it up, knowing that celestial mechanics will do the rest. I did now know where I would end up when I started. It was more like flying and airplane, aiming in the general direction of things that made me happy and avoiding thunderstorms, hurricanes, things that don't make me happy and toxic people. I did not end up at THE place where I wanted to be, but I did end up in one of many nice places where I can be happy.
| 3 |
explainlikeimfive/chdfjsz
|
253fzg
|
Where did all the common names come from and when did this era occur?
|
No "name change" happened. Many names that are in use today have been around for hundreds or even thousands of years. James can be traced back to Latin through French. Isaac has its roots in Judaism. Napoleon is a French name that came from Corsica. Bob is a relatively old shortened version of Robert. Your assumption seems to be that James and Bob are plain, recently invented names while Isaac and Napoleon are fancy, older names, but this is simply not correct.
| 2 |
AskReddit/cb6m9uj
|
1ioec2
|
What is the dumbest question you have ever been asked?
|
My sister asked me since hair is all dead cells, if she banged her head against a wall enough times would her hair grow longer. I think I laughed for a good 10 minutes.
| 2 |
AskReddit/cm7ji13
|
2mtv8q
|
What are some differences between the US states that non-Americans might not know about?
|
That there is an autonomy that is so ingrained in the fabric of the country that most people, even citizens don't realize how little federal law applies to their every day lives. The state runs your life and it's laws are what define your existence. Federal law becomes important when personal rights are at stake, but the state essentially runs your life. For example, when we vote for president of the United States, individual States get to decide who is on the ballot. Not every state has to have the same candidates. And, unless your case presents a federal question, it will never reach the Supreme Court of the United States. The issue will end with the Supreme Court of that state. And a jury of 12 is only required in federal court, States can choose 6 or 12 as they wish.
| 2 |
AskReddit/c144hyp
|
dzoo1
|
Is there any way to diffuse this situation and give my girlfriend a pleasant Thanksgiving?
|
You are a good dude for taking the initiative to make the Thanksgiving with your girlfriend's family pleasant, however, I think your girlfriend should say something to her family. You are the invited guests, there is no reason why you should be made uncomfortable or asked to "be more considerate of their views". If they do not promise to be civil to you and be more considerate of your views (and this includes the gang at Christmas time) then she should tell them that you and her will be making other plans.
| 8 |
AskReddit/c1nq2wb
|
gi6su
|
What music do you listen to while studying or working?
|
I love listening to trance music when I have to focus on something. I find that if i listen to music with vocals I end up just listening to the song and not paying attention to what I was supposed to be doing.
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/dd3cu1q
|
5qzpoz
|
How can system restore points backup an entire computer without taking up extreme amounts of space?
|
In windows system restore points don't back up your entire computer. They only affect changes made to the system itself not any data files stored on the computer. System restore points can roll back the installation of a new driver or program or update, but they won't affect you word documents or your many educational picture and video files that you store on your computer. Windows creates these restore points automatically any time you make changes to your system such as running windows update. It also is very clever in the way it saves those restore points by only keeping track of the changes and not storing the same unchanged file over and over again.
| 2 |
AskReddit/cci2mb1
|
1nfc73
|
What is a cool science experiment demonstration for a college level speech class?
|
Breathe fire. Like a circus performer, not a dragon. It would be attention-grabbing and unforgettable. You'd be known as the fire-breather for the rest of college. Explain the science of why the fuel burns without burning you. And practice a lot beforehand so you don't mess up during the speech. That would be unforgettable for the wrong reasons.
| 2 |
AskReddit/clausad
|
2je2jj
|
What is your favorite "alternative style" cover of a popular song?
|
BADBADNOTGOOD - "Flashing Lights" (originally Kanye West). Jazz trio that covers some hip hop songs and makes some pretty awesome solo stuff at well
| 4 |
askscience/cy0w5dp
|
3x0lau
|
Can someone debunk this for me?
|
How can you debunk something that has absolutely no evidence in its favour? There's only the extraordinary story that it was found in a lump of coal, which we're supposed to take at face value. I don't know about you but completely overturning our understanding of not just archaeology and ancient history, but geology, geophysics, palaeontology, etc. based on an unverified story on a creationist website rings alarm bells. If coal was formed a few thousand years ago and encased (and perfectly preserved) the detritus of a deluged civilisation, shouldn't we be tripping over artefacts in coal seams? Why is there only this one? Going purely by the picture, the bell looks pretty new. Although brass has been around for a while it wasn't a very common metal used until industrial advances in the 17th–19th centuries, so probably somewhere around then. It doesn't have any stylistic or material characteristics that point to it having great antiquity. For what it's worth Graham Hancock's claims hold no more weight than these guys'. Like this they come down to unsubstantiated assertions, accompanied by spurious and/or irrelevant "evidence" to give them the veneer of science – all underpinned by the ridiculous idea that generations of scientists have, for no apparent reason, deliberately conspired to conceal The Truth. You should read some real archaeology rather than wasting your time on him. Believe me, real history is much more interesting than tall tales.
| 5 |
Ask_Politics/d998ijl
|
59jj0a
|
Why vote if you think it's rigged?
|
As long as I have been into politics, the argument is "If it isn't close, they can't cheat." You should pull an actual quote of what Trump is saying "Rigged" means. Then pull an actual quote from Trump saying why people still need to go vote. I bet your answer is right there, and basically summarized as "A majority can beat a system where the media and establishment has it's thumb on the scale." Also - Are you familiar with the 2000 and 2004 elections, and the fact that the democrats also insist those were stolen elections? Hillary herself has said it many times. Why do those people get a pass from this type of a "isn't saying its rigged like saying don't bother wasting your time voting for me" connection?
| 2 |
AskReddit/ckxs7tq
|
2i0sxj
|
What's the coolest thing you've found on the ground?
|
I found a preloaded October full-access transit pass on the ground the other day. I called the line for returning lost cards, but was told that it was never registered and I was free to use it myself! So yeah, I just saved $100 on next month's bus/train pass!
| 6 |
AskReddit/epxeuvq
|
bwgip4
|
How do you deal with knowing this world is a horrible place for some living beings?
|
It's been a horrible place for me as well. In completely different ways to the way it's been for my loved ones. And in some cases, the same ways too which is heartbreaking because I'd never want them to feel that way. But it's also been amazing and full of wonderful things, so I hope they also have wonderful things in their lives. I hope I can bring some of that, even if it's a smile or a warm memory. I know there's so much I won't be able to understand despite wanting to be empathetic but I try. And if they can have goodness in their lives too in some form it just makes it a little bit better.
| 4 |
AskReddit/c8pzx46
|
19orur
|
What is a comical fact about your home town's history?
|
President McKinley was assassinated at the Pan Am expo in my home town. Wait, that's not funny. OK. During the Stanley Cup finals, a player killed a bat with a hockey stick while the ice was covered in a thick layer of fog. He's the only NHL player to ever kill an animal during an NHL game.
| 7 |
AskReddit/cf3ri2a
|
1wnvyz
|
What words do people say you pronounce strangely?
|
Radiator. I have a few words for things that people think are strange. Remote control = beemer Video game controller = paddle Turn signal = ticker
| 2 |
AskReddit/d0aklfq
|
476b77
|
What is the wisest thing your dad or mom said to you?
|
I don't know if it's the wisest but it's been one of my most commonly referred to bits of advice. My Pa told me this little parable when I was overwhelmed as a child. When Abraham Lincoln was young he was hired along with another young man to chop some wood. Their pay would be dictated by the amount of wood that they had chopped. Now the two men got to work but Abe kept talking breaks. The other man looked down on Abes work ethic and kept going. Until later in the day when the man started to notice Abraham's wood pile was larger than his own. While Abe continued to take breaks the other man continued to chop wood and continued to get frustrated with Abes increasing wood pile. Once man who hired them returned Abes wood pile was substantially larger and Abe was paid more. The man was furious and started complaining about Abrahams breaks and how he never stopped working and he worked twice as hard he went on and on until finally Lincoln interrupted with "I wasn't taking breaks, I was sharpening my axe" Since then when I was getting frustrated with something my Pa would come up to me and tell me to go sharpen my axe. Now I'm an adult and I still take time to sharpen my axe when I'm having a hard time.
| 42 |
AskReddit/cn99dwg
|
2qt4n7
|
If you could add one new feature to Reddit, what would it be?
|
Creating a Reddit store where you can purchase enhancements with karma. I was thinking artistic names, so you could buy a fedora art tile to add to your name or something. Like 'flairs' however they follow your account onto everything in Reddit, like a brand.
| 11 |
AskReddit/dld6uub
|
6sj9bk
|
What's something you just hate explaining to people?
|
I hate that everything that can possibly be polarizing is polarizing. Oftentimes, I see a link that could generate good discussion, and 9/10 times it winds up being a circlejerk on one topic with opposing views getting down voted. There are plenty of people who see both sides of an issue, but you couldn't tell that by looking at most threads.
| 4 |
AskReddit/dgzko9y
|
68misx
|
What's a subtle sign someone has a good life?
|
Small imperfections or problems don't screw up their whole hour/day/month/life. They're simply a problem that needs to (and can be) solved. I guess the subtle sign is that the person has a mindset of "how can I overcome this" rather than "oh woe is me and my horrible life."
| 1,262 |
askscience/d4cz4fp
|
4oisnm
|
Will the asteroids in the asteroid belt eventually clump together and form another planet?
|
Probably not. In fact its generally believed that the asteroid belt is left over from terrestrial formation processes that fromed the inner solar system. The leading theory is know as the Grand Tack Model, which posits that Jupiter formed closer to Earth than it is today. When captured inMean Motion Resonance with the forming Saturn, the two planets 'Tacked' back to their current locations. However since Jupiter was closer when the terrestrial planets were forming, it truncated the growth of Mars and formed the asteroid belt we know today. The Wikipedia page for the Grand Tack is a great source to check this out.
| 17 |
AskReddit/dg2nk0j
|
64jugm
|
Why is 90% of the world so comfortable for being employed when they are actually the 9-5 prisoners of huge companies?
|
The alternative is to work independently/start your own company, which not everyone can do, or possibly starve. So it's an easy choice. However, increasing automation will mean more products put out by far fewer workers, meaning the face of the economy might dramatically change. We'll see if the 9-5 survives.
| 2 |
AskReddit/elvcwl7
|
bhrf8e
|
What is the most hurtful thing personally someone said to you without realizing it?
|
I'm oppressing/degrading women because I'm transgender. And that I'm an embarrassment to men. It didn't hurt so much in the moment, but later it really haunted me. Not so much that I believe it, but that my parents could think things like that of me. I won't have any friends. Which was said in the context that I was an alien to society, with the implement that no one would want to be friends with a weirdo. Also, one of my sisters used to laugh at me and tell me I was cute when I was mad. Almost every time, really. Now, almost 4 years later, I'm finally realizing that it did affect me.
| 2 |
AskReddit/c1oaqii
|
gkxsf
|
What's the difference between chivalry and manners?
|
A guy holding a door open for a lady = chivalry. A lady actually bothering to take half a second to say thank you to the guy holding the door open = manners.
| 4 |
AskReddit/dwqtzig
|
89gimh
|
What was a character that you absolutely hated, but, by the end you had grown to love?
|
It was difficult (I have no idea why, he was amazing) but I hated Bob from Stranger Things at first, I thought there was something suspicious about him. But he was so good to Joyce, and he gave his life for everybody, so I hated myself for hating him!
| 19 |
AskReddit/cgwllof
|
23fx0y
|
Who is the most famous person you have met and how were they?
|
My dad met Kanye at work, he said he tried to say hello and Kanye's entourage kicked him out of the elevator and Kanye said thanks bro and my dad had to wait for the next one. I called bullshit, no way Kanye said thank you.
| 2 |
AskReddit/c2mmlb1
|
krkfg
|
Is it ever okay to not leave a tip?
|
Related question: why is the standard to leave a percentage of the bill as a tip? Whether I order a $50 steak or a $5 hamburger the waitress, presumable, does the same amount of work and I expect the same quality of service. That means it should be a flat rate per person in my opinion.
| 3 |
AskReddit/datx5s3
|
5gowcl
|
What video game mechanic changed everything for you?
|
Mass effect. Having such influence on the story was awesome and a change from games that felt as if you had no choice. I know everyone hates the endings, but it was the relationships I loved. And killing Miranda.
| 2 |
AskReddit/cix6xfn
|
2aojuf
|
What's it like being a freshman in high school these days?
|
Pretty easy actually. there is a small amount of bullying present but mainly people are trying to get through the year because they're still the small fish of high school. Some kids will mix with older kids there and be considered more popular but apart from that, its quite pleasant.
| 3 |
AskReddit/exl4jyt
|
ctj21a
|
What do older people do better than young people?
|
When I was in High School I remember parents talking to me about my classmates and saying things like "He's so hansom!" or "She's so pretty!" and my friends and I would just think "Um. what are you talking?" Now I look back at photos and I think "Wow, how did I not see that at the time?" I think older people are better judges on who is "good looking".
| 756 |
AskHistorians/d6bn1qv
|
4x0zc1
|
Were Sumer, Babylon, Egyptian, and Akkadian kingdoms known before the bible mentioned them?
|
The only thing close to this is the oft-repeated suggestion that Hittites were unknown except through the Bible, but that's based on a couple of remarks back in 1857 by F W Newman and T K Cheyne, both which suggested that the biblical mentions of the Hittites was unhistorical. The bible doesn't mention Sumer (unless you count Erech -> Uruk which is a city), but Sumerian was used (badly) all the way down to the first century BC so I'd be surprised if it wasn't known, even if there's no particular contemporary historian writing on it. Herodotus certainly mentions Egypt, Babylon, and Assyria. Akkad is part of the same group of Mesopotamian civilizations that devolved into Babylon and Assyria, and it was spoken and written until the 1st century AD. >Bonus claim I heard: There are documents of the Hebrew enslavement, the record lies with the Israelites and even Egyptians but Egyptians are known to destroy documents at times. If they're destroyed, how do we know what was on them? Egyptian administrative documentation is poor in a number of places for a variety of reasons, but that's not the same thing.
| 4 |
AskReddit/ckbkum6
|
2fptbt
|
What's the dumbest thing you've ever done to impress someone you had a crush on?
|
I sent this girl flowers once and I am not a flower sender kind of person. I had a secret crush on her. I really didn't know her that well. I'm not really sure she even knew my name. The dumb part? I only signed it "your secret admirer". I never told her it was me. I got over her and moved away about a year later. I'm 100% sure she will go through her entire life wondering where those came from.so at least I have that.
| 5 |
AskReddit/d2q25v8
|
4hjho3
|
Why are you great/bad at your job?
|
I'm great at my job because I manage my workload like a pro and complete every task assigned to me. I'm awful at my job because 50% of the time I'm on reddit shitposting.
| 3 |
AskReddit/cg8rfvj
|
211nsk
|
How do the top gear (U.K.) guys find incredible cars for so cheap?
|
I would assume it's because any car featured on the show is essentially gaining advertising, so car manufacturers either donate cars or set up test drives with TopGear as another means of showing their product off to the public.
| 2 |
AskReddit/cu2g5za
|
3gxrqg
|
Why are you pro-choice or pro-life?
|
I'm mostly Pro-choice, but I find that advocates of Pro-Life have just as much of a valid point. It really does depend on the situation. For instance, if a teenage girl gets raped and becomes pregnant, who are we to say she shouldn't be able to make her own choice? After all, she has her entire life ahead of her. She may want to finish school, go to college, and make something of her life. Having a child at such a young age would certainly hinder her.
| 3 |
AskReddit/cpwqvni
|
30xoap
|
How do you get over a 3 year relationship that meant the world to you?
|
Running helped me with the end of a 5 year relationship. I would either go on long runs to clear my mind, or short fast runs where I let my anger and frustration push me to incredibly fast paces. By the time I was over the relationship, I was in great shape, lost those relationship pounds, and save a ton of money on therapy.
| 2 |
AskReddit/d7n2slo
|
52t6y5
|
What is the highest percentage of your nations population that was wiped out in one conflict?
|
The highest death toll caused by illness was an estimate of 50,000 people from 1918 to 1919 and was due to the Spanish flu. The highest death toll caused by a natural disaster was 4,000 people and was due to the Newfoundland Hurricane of 1775
| 2 |
AskReddit/ccy3k1g
|
1p2jnz
|
If smell is the strongest memory trigger, what is one smell that produces a memory for you?
|
Do you guys know the smell of a room made of fresh concrete? That strange, cool, earthy smell? In 2001-2, my grandmother moved to a new house made of concrete (we don't use plaster in Puerto Rico--hurricanes, and all that). Around the same time, I bought Dragon Warrior I&II for the GameBoy Color. A strong memory is of me sitting in her living room and reading the instruction manual for that game. Every time I smell that humid concrete smell, I remember playing that game.
| 5 |
explainlikeimfive/dwn6o1d
|
88tvca
|
How does the planet recover from radioactive containment?
|
containment or contamination? Radioactivity by default just goes away. it is the result of decomposing unstable particles. They have a half life and basically dwindle into nothing-ness (well given off as energy). So it recovers primarily by waiting, we have remediation tactics and technologies as well that can help clean up very radioactive areas. It is worth noting that the earth is radioactive by default, its the dose that makes the poison.
| 3 |
AskReddit/d95u8ie
|
595szt
|
How to get over a girl you can't stop thinking about?
|
Just wait for it, it will happen. But in the mean time, keep busy. Pursue your hobbies. Hang out with your friends. Binge watch Stranger Things. Look for a new girl to capture your attention. Try to turn the negative into the positive. Whenever you find yourself thinking of her, do some sit ups or lift some weights. That kind of persistent longing can truly be harnessed for good in your life.
| 3 |
explainlikeimfive/ej0uuxq
|
b3nnz8
|
Who is it that slower speed limits increase crash rates?
|
There are whole fields of study on this concept, but your situation is more localized. The fact is that the road previously had a much higher speed limit. which means certain locals will adhear to the new limits closely and other will be in automation mode and go 100. The difference in speed is going to cause issues. Keeping things simple, roads are given speed limits based on design and capability. Your road would have been designed to travel at 100 which means the average speed that most drivers feel safe is higher than the government set speed limits.
| 5 |
AskReddit/e4wsnql
|
9ao1op
|
What is a piece of art that has moved you?
|
I've been more moved by colours than by actual figurative paintings: I had a great shock coming into the Mondrian room in NYMoMA, and Klein's blue monochromes still move me when I have the chance to look at them.
| 3 |
AskReddit/c2ixkkq
|
kbhi8
|
Do trailer parks exist out side of North America?
|
We kinda have them in England.except we call them 'caravan parks'. They are usually by the coast and people either rent the trailers (caravans) during the summer season or buy them as a holiday home. They tend to be far nicer looking than the ones in the USA and are very well kept. There are some parks where you can buy a caravan as a permanent home, but again, they are far more upmarket than anything seen here. The only sites I have seen that are similar looking to some of the run down sites in the USA are the Gypsy sites.sorry, but it's true! You can find these all over Europe
| 3 |
explainlikeimfive/cet1tv8
|
1vk045
|
If a computer is found to have illegal/copy righted content on it , how do they prove who the actual person using it was?
|
Unless you're involved with commercial piracy (ie - selling things for profit), software piracy is treated as a civil matter, not a criminal one. This means that the cops don't arrest you & charge you with a crime, the owner of the software sues you in court. In some recent cases, the lawsuits have been thrown out because you can't prove who is responsible for pirated content on a shared computer or internet connection.
| 2 |
AskReddit/e1x1q61
|
8wo2x1
|
Where would you teleport 1 billion tons of cheese in history if you could and why?
|
I would teleport it to the first country to hit the year 2000 right at midnight. That way the rest of the world would be so freaked out by Y2K and a massive mountain of cheese appearing that they would go insane.
| 2 |
AskReddit/dhmwbvn
|
6bihn0
|
What do you think of the idea that the people at the top are purposefully putting working class citizens in debt so that they cannot financially afford to protest them or speak their mind?
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It's real. Well debt makes them money, they rely more on social engineering, divide and conquer and perception management to prevent unrest and united, useful opposition. Still though, debt can be seen as a kind of control tool. Having to work so hard gives you less time to research, think and less effort to care. You work much more than 40 hours a week? You're not going to have time for much else if you want any down time or social life. There's also the fact that the truth is so depressing, the resulting feelings so helpless that people simply do not want to look all the way down the hole. They'd rather stay ignorant to it, and I really do not blame them.
| 10 |
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