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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9o871q
|
Why don’t they make paper straws the same way they make paper cups? Would seem to solve the issue of them getting soggy.
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e7s7ntw",
"e7s6up8"
] |
[
"Unlike the cups which the liquid only touches the coated waxy surface, the straws would have to be coated on the inside, outside, tip, and the seam. I imagine this would be harder to do and make them rather expensive."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
5td4z7
|
How are 2/3 of you ancestors female?
|
I saw this post: URL_0 which claimed 2/3 of your ancestors are female, not 1/2 but how does that make sense?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ddlxrhj",
"ddlxiim"
] |
[
"Let's take an extreme example. Let's say your mother's father and your father's father are the same person (i.e. your parents are half-siblings). Ignore how gross that is for a second, and look at the male/female ratio of your grandparents. Your grandparents are 2/3 female. Examples this extreme are thankfully not very common, but if you go far enough back in your family tree, branches are going to start joining back together, and there's no way around it. That means that the same person will occupy multiple positions deep in your family tree. The paper that thread links to says that men are more likely to occupy multiple positions, which will make things sort of like the grandparent example."
] |
[
12
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
716ulr
|
Why do so many people use "Jesus Christ" and other God-based words as curse words and not names of evil people like Hitler in the same way?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dn8kx2p",
"dn8ooib",
"dn8j76w",
"dn8k90v"
] |
[
"Profanity comes from the assumption that something upheld is being debased. Curse words can come from a few places, but using words with deep seated cultural connotations force you to see it as vulgar when used in certain situations. This is because it crosses a boundary, it's taboo, it shows disrespect and people find disrespect insulting. Hitler wouldn't have the same effect because we are not \"bringing it down\" when using it as an exclamation."
] |
[
18
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
6xzsiq
|
How are humans able to hear tiny sounds they make inside their body?
|
For example when I'm gently tapping my teeth against eachother in my mouth (while closed) or playing around with my saliva I'm able to hear the sounds they make, whether they're sounds from my mouth or throat how come I'm able to hear them, shouldn't the soundwaves be isolated?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dmjr307",
"dmjmsku",
"dmk2x80",
"dmjrtyo",
"dmk4ggh",
"dmjmqda",
"dmjqart",
"dmkaoy7",
"dmjs89p",
"dmk43fj",
"dmkk17k",
"dmjxifk",
"dmk3qpa",
"dmk2nmc",
"dmkjei5",
"dmkd2rz"
] |
[
"It's actually quite the opposite. Your body is making a hell of a lot of noise (rest your head on someone's stomach some time), which your brain filters out. A disorder of the inner ear called superior canal dehiscence syndrome causes people to hear these sounds - including the sound of their eyeballs moving. Noises that aren't made internally (like tapping your teeth) pass through the solid matter in your head and manually stimulate the ossicles - which your brain can't filter out."
] |
[
6081
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patulous_Eustachian_tube"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
mt8gcr
|
What happens when electricity is provided to a poor conductor or an insulator?
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"guynu6s"
] |
[
"current = voltage / resistance. If you have a poor conductor, then it has high resistance, so the electricity doesn't flow as fast. If it has an infinite resistance (ie, a perfect insulator) then it doesn't flow at all. You can basically just think of the insulator as blocking the flow of electrons. They can't get through the material, so no electricity can flow."
] |
[
4
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
am277k
|
how the part of the human brain that controls concentration and problem solving works on concert with the part that looks for instance gratification and procrastination.
|
I had read an article a long time ago about how there is a part of our brain that seeks instance gratification is a type of self-defence mechanism. Now, I may not be remembering it correctly and the article may have been a theory, but I wanted to learn more about where these opposite ideas come from in the brain and why we have these (and other?) contrasting connections going on. & #x200B; Thank you, in advance!
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"efj5n14"
] |
[
"I think you might want to find the article, since the language you're using isn't very precise. There's no part of your brain that controls \"concentration and problem solving,\" and there's no part of your brain that \"looks for instant gratification and procrastination.\" These are high level, abstract concepts, and there's not a specific part of your brain responsible for any of that stuff. If you find the article, or have any more specific questions, I can address them, but I think there are problems with the premise of your question."
] |
[
4
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
b878mv
|
Why is the abbreviation of Thursday "R"?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ejw83kt"
] |
[
"Personal preference. I’ve seen Tuesday abbreviated with Tu and Thursday with Th on the same calendar."
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
74y8ag
|
Why when there are 2 people shooting a machine gun, does one person have to hold up the belt that the machine gun feeds from?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"do1ysjl"
] |
[
"Helps to prevent a jam. The belt can catch on things near by. A straight feed in smooths it out for a more reliable feed. Also if you drag a length of belt against the ground it's picking up dirt and you have to overcome the force the belt resists pulling with while feeding. Technically, you don't have to now a days unless you have a loose belt. Modern crew serve weapons ammunition is usually in a special canister that clips onto the weapon that you feed out of fine. Still, you can get jams with the belt if it gets stuck on something l."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
ixqjmm
|
Why do some injuries leave permanent scars while others heal without a mark?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"g68lsgw"
] |
[
"It depends on the injury and genetics. Your skin is made up of different layers, the top layers get replaced regularly to heal damage and prevent skin cancer. The lower skin layers do the replacing of skin cells and house nerves and hair roots. If an injury only damages the top skin layers, the lower skin layers can replace the lost cells. If the lower skin layers are damaged, they can't replace themselves and expose your insides to potential harm, so they get patched up with scar tissue. But the body does work on replacing or at least softening up scar tissue you whole life. Scars do fade. Tl;dr shallow injuries only damage skin cells that are meant to be replaced anyways. Deeper cuts actually hurt the permanent skin cells and leave scars."
] |
[
4
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
6s4y80
|
What does bleach do to your body when intaken and why does it kill you?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dla4gcm"
] |
[
"My old chemistry professor said it very succinctly, \"bleach denautures proteins, and you are made of proteins\" It chemically interacts with the various complex organic molecules that perform all the life processes, and breaks them at least to the point where that cant function properly."
] |
[
13
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
abbe8j
|
What was the Y2K problem, what was the potential outcome, and how was it averted? Will we ever encounter something similar?
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ecz2345",
"ecyz8wo",
"ecz02hq",
"ecz1j5h",
"ecz5301"
] |
[
"A real world example: I worked as a programmer for a payroll services company in the late 90's. Part of my job was changing the software that ran the payrolls to use 4 digit years instead of 2. Now lets say your vacation accrual rate, retirement fund deposits, etc. were based on your length of employment. So if you were hired in 1995 and it's 1999, it would calculate your length of employment as 9 9 - 95 = 4 years (way oversimplified of course) and then it would calculate those other things based on 4 years of employment. Without changing to 4 digits years, when 2000 hit, the calculation would be 00 - 95, which would either result in a length of employment calculated as -95 years, or more likely, the payroll software would have just crashed. That would be bad. People's paychecks or direct deposits would not go out, or be delayed significantly while someone tried to either figure it out by hand or rush a software fix - either way it could be several days. This could have legal ramifications for the employers and the payroll service company. Not to mention the chances of you being late with your rent/mortgage, groceries, etc. Not the end of the world, but definitely a major inconvenience. & #x200B;"
] |
[
42
] |
[
[],
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2038_problem"
],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
kkfvz7
|
How are PCs better for gaming than specifically designed gaming consoles?
|
I don't really play games all that much but a couple of friends have said things to me recently about games being much better on PC than on PS5 or Xbox one. Seems sort of counterintuitive to me that the device specifically designed for playing games on is worse for playing games than a computer that has gaming as one of many functions.
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"gh27jnu",
"gh2c246",
"gh27k68",
"gh2i6vl",
"gh27msx",
"gh29519"
] |
[
"Simply put, computers are just considerably more powerful. Gaming computers tend to cost more than a console so they can use more expensive parts. Something like the PlayStation 5 will continue to use the same parts pretty much until the PlayStation 6 comes out. So while the PlayStation 5 is behind computers now based on price, in a few years the hardware will also be quite out dated allowing computers to pull further ahead. Computers also have the ability to upgrade as you go without having to completely replace."
] |
[
21
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
74bge7
|
What is the psychology behind drivers who tailgate?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dnwz0q7"
] |
[
"If I get too close to you, then you are more likely to move away from me, ie, speed up. It's the grown up version of \"I'm not touching you!\""
] |
[
4
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
9a2emc
|
How do antipsychotics work to treat bipolar and schizophrenia?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e4szdi4",
"e4shrq2"
] |
[
"u/TaliaSung has no idea what they’re talking about. Sorry, just not true. You DO use antipsychotics to treat bipolar disorder. I’ve replied to their comment with some specific examples which I wont repeat here. I can’t speak for schizophrenia, because I don’t know enough about it, but I understand bipolar 1 quite well because I am. In short, as this is ELI5: A great portion of treating bipolar disorder involves actively counteracting symptoms directly. That is, treating the specific symptoms in order to reduce strain on the patient such that they can return to equilibrium. Stress is a HUGE factor in severity of bipolar phases for most patients. There’s a lot of complexities there, and no one general answer because in bipolar patients, antipyschotics do a lot of different things, and it’s different depending on which one, and even on the patient, because everyone tends to react differently to any given thing when we’re talking about altering brain chemistry. Worse, we don’t, in many cases, even know WHY they work - that is, the exact mechanism. Often times, ‘discoveries’ of new psychology meds are made simply by accident, usually by someone using something to treat a completely different disease. A good example would be Ritalin, which *originally* was a blood pressure medication. But doctors noticed it helped people with other conditions, like ADHD, and uses spread. Among the things antipsychotics are good for when it comes to bipolar disorder: * Controlling Symptoms Directly, such as hallucinations and delusions, which can occur during both severe mania and depression * Useful as an off-brand sedative to reduce problems related to insomnia, anxiety, and/or agitation, in order to reduce patient stress. * Good for treatment of actual psychotic symptoms (duh), which can be present during severe mania, and to a lesser degree occasionally hypomania. Statistics claim that 2/3rds of bipolar patients will develop psychotic symptoms at least once during the course of their lives. For some, its a common occurrence. * Longer-term studies show that some antipsychotics also function as what is called a ‘mood stabilizer’, which suppresses extreme shifts in emotion. These ‘atypical antipsychotics’ are sometimes used for long-term maintenance, not just for correcting symptoms. * Modern ones often act very quickly, much more so than earlier drugs, which means ‘curing’ the problem within weeks or even days if you know ahead of times that cycles are starting to shift. (Which patients can learn to relatively objectively detect, with training, by identifying and reporting common behavior patterns that prelude or occur during a major mood swing.). This is contrasting to older, more traditional treatments that can take up to months to work."
] |
[
5
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
mov7mw
|
When you downsize a pixel based image, how are the pixels that are to be removed determined?
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"gu6974c",
"gu62tpw"
] |
[
"That depends on the downsizing algorithm used. Generally where many pixels will be squashed to a single pixel most methods will in a manner find the \"average\" color of the colors being merged. good downsizing algorithms will have more tricks to determine how much weight to put in to different things to make it look the best."
] |
[
12
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
bed3ht
|
How many times would I have to perform an action to guarantee 1 success?
|
Mathematics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"el4wl9i",
"el4wxky",
"el4wygd"
] |
[
"You can never guarantee success of any action that does not have 100% probability. If it is *possible* to fail something once, it's *possible* to fail again. If you can fail the first time you can still fail the 1,000,000th time. This is also known as the gamblers fallacy if you want to look that up"
] |
[
7
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
hqf3ut
|
how does “if it fits your macros” work??
|
I see “fitness people” on Instagram and YouTube (and also in real life) who are muscular and look great, but will eat huge servings of donuts or ice cream or monster cookies relatively frequently for someone with that physique. I know of the concept of “dirty bulking” but how can these people eat so much sugar and saturated fat and still look like that??
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fxxeyyh",
"fxxdgab",
"fxxmywl"
] |
[
"Your body doesn't really care that much what type of food you get the basic building blocks from, just the amounts of each. In general, if you're trying to watch your diet eating something like ice cream sucks because you can blow through your entire daily allowance of sugar, fats, etc. in one bowl of ice cream, instead of spreading it out over all your meals and getting to eat more food. But if you're disciplined about what you eat the rest of the day and really want ice cream, it's fine. Also those people are probably spending multiple hours a day in the gym working out like crazy, so their caloric needs and tolerance for things like fats are probably much higher than someone who works in an office."
] |
[
10
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
dbsanq
|
How can the NSA activate your microphone while your device is turned off?
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"f23p9lf",
"f23q5x9",
"f23otiz",
"f23mggw",
"f23pc5y",
"f243y75"
] |
[
"The NSA can't, as far as anyone knows, activate some random microphone on some random guys laptop. If they have a terrorist, then they find a way to load a spyware program which gives them background access, remotely, to the operating system on that laptop. Then they probably load some other program which will enable the microphone output to be packetized and streamed to a server at NSA or FBI headquarters. Now, has NSA struck some kind of backroom deal with Microsoft to load that spyware on with every new copy of Windows? Who knows? But my guess would be, probably not. If that came to light it would cause a shitstorm of epic proportions. Not just for the government but for Microsoft also. So no one is going to sign off on potentially bugging everyone in the entire United States. Any installation of spyware is going to require a wiretap order signed by a judge. I know everyone thinks we are under NSA surveillance all the time but it's not true."
] |
[
51
] |
[
[],
[
"https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/1f/87/fc/cf9a7e370b7c00/US8401521.pdf"
],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thing_(listening_device)"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
cx7is1
|
What parts of the brain are responsible for the auditory hallucinations and illogical beliefs when it come to schizophrenia symptoms?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"eyje8vh"
] |
[
"Although by no means an expert on the subject, I did some personal research and hope my answer helps. Illogical beliefs mainly stem from the schizophrenia victim's prefrontal cortex not functioning properly. The prefrontal cortex helps makes logical decisions and organize thoughts, and its inability to function with schizophrenia victims' brains leads to them being unable to think logically or make rash decisions, creating delusions and false realities, and having unusual thought patterns. As for auditory hallucinations, (despite being unable to tell you the exact area causing them since I am not well versed in neurology, I can provide some information) they appear to be caused by issues in the auditory cortex, which helps process sounds from pressure waves into usable information, and it appears scientists have pinpointed the area to somewhere around the left lateral sulcus and left superior temporal sulcus (image links below). On a cheerful note, scientists, using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (not really ELIF but this is a bonus anyway), have achieved better-than-placebo results in lessening the number of auditory hallucinations that patients suffer (check the link below; pretty cool). Left Lateral Sulcus Image: [ URL_2 :]( URL_3 :) Left Superior Temporal Sulcus Image: [ URL_5 ]( URL_4 ) Illogical Beliefs Source (Video): [ URL_0 ]( URL_0 ) Auditory Hallucinations Source (Page): [ URL_1 ]( URL_1 )"
] |
[
9
] |
[
[
"https://study.com/academy/lesson/neurobiological-model-of-schizophrenia-brain-systems-and-neurotransmitters.html",
"https://neurosciencenews.com/vocal-hallucination-brain-schizophrenia-7452/",
"https://www.google.com/search?q=left+lateral+sulcus&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjRo7WYi6nkAhVQxYUKHRbjChEQ\\_AUIESgB&biw=1251&bih=698#imgrc=UtdERoo4yOFVSM",
"https://www.google.com/search?q=left+lateral+sulcus&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjRo7WYi6nkAhVQxYUKHRbjChEQ_AUIESgB&biw=1251&bih=698#imgrc=UtdERoo4yOFVSM",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_temporal_sulcus#/media/File:250px-Gray726-STS.png",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior\\_temporal\\_sulcus#/media/File:250px-Gray726-STS.png"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
684anj
|
if a politician running for office (or after office) writes a book and someone, a person or a company, buys a gazillion of book to give away to employees/friends; isn't that a way to get around campaign donation / bribing Laws?
|
It seems that everyone in high office writes a book before or after office, and I feel that would be a good way to funnel money to them before in lieu of campaign donations, or after office as a Thank You for serving us.
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dgvkfwk",
"dgvygm2",
"dgvm9kq",
"dgvk04p",
"dgw2g1q"
] |
[
"You know what's another fun way? I'm going to give you 10 grand a month forever because I like you and you're a cool guy. Maybe I'll buy lemonade from your kid's lemonade stand for 50 grand. By the way, would you mind taking a look at this new bill?"
] |
[
34
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-03-31/mccain-linked-nonprofit-received-1-million-from-saudi-arabia"
],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
ahctnm
|
Why when I’m working on an assignment, work, project, etc. I easily get distracted by mundane tasks I’d otherwise not do? For example, instead of homework, I find myself dusting my house - which I’d ignore otherwise.
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"eedcngl",
"eee8za4",
"eee9btq",
"eee959g",
"eeebnz1",
"eeea9uz",
"eeebzc2",
"eeed3mw",
"eee8drc"
] |
[
"It lets you justify your procrastination by being productive when you otherwise may not be. If you wasted time doing something less productive, your ego takes a bigger hit. It is subconscious protection of your self-criticism"
] |
[
1006
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
c80ryh
|
How do Captchas know if I'm a robot or not?
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"esisd2d"
] |
[
"IIRC a captcha collects data such as mouse movements and speed of input and such. I may be wrong though"
] |
[
4
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
czg9t7
|
Why does popcorn that's popped from the bag taste stale a few hours later, while pre-popped popcorn will taste good for weeks or months at a time?
|
Chemistry
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"eyz27uo"
] |
[
"It's a combinations of factors. Firstly 'preservatives' such as Citric Acid which helps keep the oil from turning bad, it's the same thing that's in oranges which keeps those from going bad. Secondly the fat that's used in pre-popped popcorn is often trans-fat which doesn't spoil as easily but is unhealthier. And lastly the inside of the inside of the popcorn bag is coated in chemicals that keep moisture from escaping the bag, keeping it from going stale."
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
avmhit
|
How do pharmaceuticals decide which of their medications will be available as a generic? What percentage do they make off them?
|
Economics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ehg8s61",
"ehg93zf",
"ehg93p1",
"ehg96km",
"ehg9502",
"ehggg87"
] |
[
"A drug patent lasts about 20 years. After that anyone can snag the ingredient list and make a generic. The only money the original patent holder makes after that is if doctors still prescribe the brand name and pharmacists actually fill it instead of the generic."
] |
[
11
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
97r8zj
|
Why do some medicines have to be taken before food and some after?
|
Chemistry
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e4aavp9"
] |
[
"It's mostly to do with pH of your tummy. Adsorption rates of different drugs in membranes like your tum tum depend on the acid levels which is influenced by food being in their or not. Mr tumkins exudes acid to eat your nom noms and in doing so can inhibit or exacerbate the uptake of medicine into your bloodstream."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
fo081p
|
why does cooked food have more nutritional value than raw food
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"flchdcj",
"fldlwjw",
"flcnrf2"
] |
[
"Certain foods, when raw, are not digestible or less digestible by the human digestion system. Raw rice for example. Cooking breaks down the food into a form more easily digested. The nutrition value is not only what the food contains but the nutrition that the body can absorb."
] |
[
13
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
8n5ktp
|
why is it ok to pray to statues and pictures of Jesus if there’s a commandment against graven images?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dzszh6n"
] |
[
"The commandment is to have no other God's not no pictures, in Catholicism. Islam forbids images because they worry about exactly what has happened in the Catholic Church before where the symbols and pictures became more....up front important for lack of a better way of putting it. Can't say it's a bad idea, just think it's a bit of a harsh punishment."
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
9waqpb
|
When we cut our fingers or any other type of damage, our fingerprints grow back the same. But burning them causes the fingerprint to be erased, why’s that?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e9j9vci",
"e9jbbxd"
] |
[
"They grow back after theyve been burned too. Unless theres massive scarring, the fingerprints always grow back. If theres that much scarring, then there will probably be nerve damage as well."
] |
[
8
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
8tb8sx
|
How can contortionists bend their bodies without damaging their internal organs?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e164ku0"
] |
[
"Most internal organs are rather squishy. And most of the sensitive ones are protected inside cages of bone. The intestines are not, but they are folded up so there's a *lot* of room to stretch without harm. This pretty much leaves the kidneys and uterus, which are not stressed too much by typical contortion moves."
] |
[
24
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
5os4r9
|
If I had $10 trillion and wanted to pay off the U.S.'s national debt, whom do i pay?
|
Economics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dclmj0v",
"dclo3y9",
"dclmu1e",
"dclnmb1",
"dclo10q",
"dclobpd",
"dclmzky",
"dcm1799",
"dcm4ptf",
"dcmcddx",
"dcmjfn0",
"dclvrj2",
"dcmelcr",
"dcme97x",
"dcm2pfk",
"dcmkop9"
] |
[
"Bondholders, which means you technically can't pay the debt off early. When the US borrows money, they hold an auction, in which people give them 10,000 (usually in large multiples of $10,000) for the right to receive a few interest payments per year and $10,000 when the bond matures. These bondholders can be almost anyone (it's likely tough for Cubans to collect) and the bonds can be resold on the secondary markets. The US collectively owes whomever owns the bonds at any given moment (which includes almost everyone via mutual funds that own at least a few bonds). The US pays its debts because it wishes to maintain it's stellar credit rating (the US has never defaulted on a debt in it's entire history). That means when the US wants to borrow money, nearly everyone in the world is interested in lending money to the US."
] |
[
2878
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/23779454/"
],
[
"https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/23779454",
"Pay.gov"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/10/news/economy/us-debt-ownership/"
],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
7w541k
|
Why does a loose banana turn brown quicker than when it’s attached to other bananas?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dtxk0n4",
"dtxrz4u"
] |
[
"\"loose banana\" Anyways I'm pretty sure that it is because exposed banana is created when a banana is loosened, and this make bacterial infection much easier."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
g0ylci
|
Why is it bad to workout when you're sick? What does your body do in reaction to make it so detrimental?
|
My aunt is sick and wants to workout. Please tell me why this is so bad, so I can simply explain why she should stay in bed haha (I'm here to learn, thank everyone for any answers ♡)
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fncj4c5"
] |
[
"When you are sick your body is in an inflammatory state and is working hard to heal your body. Exercise also creates inflammation which is a good thing, that's how your body adapts to make you faster, stronger and fitter but it can also add to the already inflammatory state you are in. Also a hard work-out can redirect energy and nutrients away from healing to help recover from the exercise. Some gentle exercise is ok if you are sick but I would say go easy on the harder workouts"
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
if9pol
|
Why can we upscale video to 4k and even beyond (Nvidia Shield) but cant upscale audio from low bitrate files?
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"g2mbmi5",
"g2man8p",
"g2mn88b",
"g2nkv9z"
] |
[
"You definitely can. The issue is the same as with upscaled video - you're generally not actually accurately representing the missing data, just making a somewhat good approximation of what the computer thinks should be there. Few people really have 4K TVs large enough and watch their TVs from a visual distance where it is extremely obvious whether you're looking at 4k or not. Therefore, crappy \"4k\" video still looks decent. Doing an okay job of approximating the tone of an instrument or voice based off of a low quality sample is going to be easier to notice."
] |
[
184
] |
[
[],
[
"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upsampling"
],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
5tjva8
|
Okay, so most of our bodies are covered in fine hairs. But why have the tops of our heads, armpits, and genital regions evolved to have more hair?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ddn2cky",
"ddn9z1w"
] |
[
"Armpits and groin hair catch pheromones. We have an unconscious attraction to the scent of the opposite sex. Top of the head is probably just for display. Just like some birds have flashy feathers, we have hair. Considering how much attention a persons hair can get...a good question would be which set of hair is more effective at attracting mates."
] |
[
7
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
cyz0yx
|
What is a watershed?
|
I know/think it’s a geographical feature but I can’t quite wrap my head around it.
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"eyv3hds"
] |
[
"A watershed is a piece of land where all the water that doesn't evaporate eventually reaches the same body of water. Try to visualize it like this. Say you have two ranges of hills that run parallel to each other. Between these hills you're usually going to have a river. That's because water flows from gradients of higher altitude to lower altitude. Any water anywhere between these hills can't defy gravity, so it will eventually collect along the lowest altitude. That would make the space between the hills a watershed. We know the water has nowhere else to go but this river, so we can reasonably say that all water in this area will go to the same place and map it out. Obviously it's a LOT more complicated with real geographic locations since the topography usually won't be as neat as two hills running parralel, but it's good for visualization. It's also a bit complicated by the fact we can sort of choose the scale we're looking at. We can look at all the water that feeds into a single small river, or we could look at the entire river system including all its tributaries."
] |
[
12
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
jtxbit
|
what's money laundering? How does it work? Why do people do it?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"gc8dubm",
"gc8dsdw",
"gc8fqho"
] |
[
"You steal a chocolate chip cookie from your brother. If he sees you with it he will recognize it and know that you stole from him. Instead you trade the stolen cookie to a friend at school for a snickerdoodle cookie. Now you still have a cookie, but your brother doesn't know you stole from him. You \"launder\" the stolen cookie by trading it for another cookie that no one is looking for."
] |
[
37
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
a01ft7
|
How are gift cards validated and activated at checkout? Are their serial numbers stored in a database and then marked as activated? How are they activated when their numbers haven’t been scratched off?
|
Referring to the cashier activation of gift cards like Steam or League of Legends cards at checkout to prevent theft
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"eadv7xq",
"eadt5ts"
] |
[
"Point of sale system (POS) scans a barcode on the gift card. This barcode is specific to the gift card, and allows the card to be identified without the card number or pin. The retailer accepts cash, the POS records a transaction on the retailers ledger. Then, the POS sends the transaction information to the gift card company, this activates the card. Source: worked in retail."
] |
[
30
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
n379sg
|
I have 4 young plants in a vase. One starts losing strength, space is running out. I take it out of the vase. The other plants now battle for their space and grow stronger than the first plant killed. After a while, one remains. Do plants eat each other's roots? How do they take the space?
|
I can't find anything about this anywhere in any language that I know.
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"gwnyhcx",
"gwnxkmm"
] |
[
"Each plant's roots need a certain amount of space to ensure adequate nutrient and water absorbtion from the soil. If it's cramped in there, all of them are getting less than they need. This is also why you have to keep transplanting your plants into larger and larger pots as they continue to grow, because they've \"outgrown\" the one they're in."
] |
[
8
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
nw17gl
|
Why is Amplitude more susceptible to noise interference than frequency?
|
Engineering
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"h16eig5"
] |
[
"Because interference tends to \"look like\" changes in amplitude. I.e., it's hard to tell the difference between the signal amplitude and the interference amplitude. On the other hand, interference rarely takes the form of changes in frequency (where the most likely form of FM interference is [multipath]( URL_0 ), where the signal interferes with itself)."
] |
[
7
] |
[
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multipath_propagation"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
bsx8b6
|
Why has there been an increase in reported vision problems in the last 100 or so years? Myopia, Hyperopia, Presbyopia, and Astigmatism in particular.
|
EDIT: The title is not very accurate, a better question would be: Why has there been an increase in reported vision problems recently? source: [ URL_0 ]( URL_1 )
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"eormsuy",
"eorfu83",
"eorv1qc"
] |
[
"Dont forget that it is a lot easier to have eye checkups nowadays and therefore theres a lot more diagnosis of these problems. Myopia and presbyopia are mostly caused by the shape of the eyes, so that the lenses in your eyes cant project the image correctly on your retina = blurred vision. So blue lights as mentionned by some are not really the problem"
] |
[
6
] |
[
[],
[],
[
"https://gettingstronger.org/2010/07/improve-eyesight-and-throw-away-your-glasses/"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
6ch9iy
|
How did nodding ones head/shaking ones head come to signify yes/no?
|
I know there are exceptions, but generally speaking
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dhumivk"
] |
[
"Unsure about 'nodding' .. but the shaking came from when you are a baby and your parent are trying to feed you.. if you watch closely, when a baby does not want to eat the certain food being fed... they move their head from side to side.. That is in most countries though.. but like everything else, there are some countries where 'shaking' of the head means something else.."
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
jiiu2y
|
How do geologists determine the last time a volcano erupted?
|
How is it possible that it is known that, for example, Mount Aso (Japan) erupted 4 times, the first known being 266,000 years ago, and the most recent one 90,000 years ago? What tests/analysis do geologists carry out to determine that?
|
Earth Science
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ga7dsqq",
"ga6p97x",
"ga7enks"
] |
[
"The most important piece of geology is the fact that if you have a stack of rock layers, the oldest layer is on the bottom. It seems obvious, but that was a wild idea in the early 1800s. Now with that fact in mind, you can start to look at the earth as a big puzzle 1. Layer A is on top of Layer B 2. If you drive down the road Layer A actually on top of different rocks called Layer C. 3. If A is on top of both B and C, then they are both older than A. 4. Oh, but Layer D is below all of them, so B and C are both in the same age range. For a long time geology was just a bunch of \"older-than\" or \"younger-than\" comparisons, but with a lot of study and a lot of other detective work from other clues they had a pretty good start. Now, say Layer A has a little bit of ash from a volcano. In the 1900s they started to understand that some of the atoms in volcanic ash change into other kinds of atoms at a certain rate that is the same no matter what (this is called radioactive decay). So, if you assume all the atoms are 'fresh' when the volcano erupted, and you know how fast the 'fresh' atoms decay into the other kind, then you can measure how many of each are in the ash and figure out when the eruption happened."
] |
[
16
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
ihon8r
|
How/Why do calluses form?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"g31qjsn"
] |
[
"Your body has evolved, on a microscopic level, to adapt to repeated damage by repairing itself to be stronger than it was before. In the case of callouses, your skin responds things like pressure, friction, tiny abrasions and breakages by building tougher surfaces using keratin (the same protein that your hair and nails are made of). This sort of action apples to many kinds of cells, including muscle tissue. For example, bodybuilders grow so large by inflicting controlled amounts of damage to their muscle tissues on a precise schedule. Then, they feed their bodies important proteins and amino acids which encourage regrowth. This causes their muscle fibers to heal and grow in order to adapt to this new stress. As far as your cells are concerned, this must be what is necessary to catch and eat food. So we have to adapt to this new normal. If that stress is removed, the muscle tissue reverts back to its previous state. Most of the time, this is good, but sometimes repeated stress and damage can cause scar tissue to develop in places you might not want it which can cause long term pain and in some cases increase risks of cancer later in life. Callouses are a pretty mild form of this, some people think they're rough and unsightly, but if you play guitar or work with your hands, those thick callous pads can protect your sensitive nerve endings and soft tissues from damage as you keep on doing the things you love."
] |
[
77
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
8a5d58
|
Do you get electrocuted if you touch overhead electrical wires? Why?
|
Is this a myth or is it true? Wouldn't the wires be coated in rubber or something similar?
|
Engineering
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dwvywrd",
"dwvz8rv",
"dwvyz16",
"dwvzcd5",
"dwwglja"
] |
[
"> Wouldn't the wires be coated in rubber or something similar? They are not coated. To do so would be prohibitively expensive and would make them much heavier, requiring more structure to support them. Touching power lines absolutely can electrocute you, which I was under the impression was ubiquitously known."
] |
[
22
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
lijtbk
|
How do we know what part of the DNA chain does something?
|
We can't remove the DNA part, can't we?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"gn3kt20",
"gn47uj1"
] |
[
"DNA is read in 3 letter chunks called \"Codons\" most of these represent specific amino acids that will be used to build proteins. However, There are a couple special \"Start Codons\" that tell your cells \"Hey, this is the start of a gene, start reading here.\" Correspondingly, there are also \"Stop Codons\" that tell your cells where the end of a gene is. So, scientists can scan through DNA looking for start and stop codons and assume that anything in between those must be part of a gene. Now, it turns out that a large majority of DNA isn't a part of any gene, but that's not to say that it doesn't do *anything*. It can contain regions that make certain genes more or less likely to be read, it can be structural, helping the DNA coil correctly to fit into the cell, or it can help stabilize other cellular machinery. Furthermore, having a certain amount of \"extra\" DNA around is good for evolution, because a mutation in an important gene might kill you, whereas a mutation in a section of DNA that's not being used will probably have no effect. But, if some of that unused DNA gradually turns into something useful, you can create new genes without breaking old ones."
] |
[
8
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
70qlsu
|
Why do we get a tingly feeling in our private areas when we drop from a high distance in a rollercoaster?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dn58m6u"
] |
[
"Probably because your internals and externals aren't moving together. Your body is going down but your insides are going up."
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
doynmm
|
This USA culture joke by sheldon cooper on the big bang theory show
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"f5rfnuq"
] |
[
"I assume it has something to do with [blackface]( URL_0 )?"
] |
[
3
] |
[
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
6fyhfp
|
How can a 9V battery power a 40,000V stun gun?
|
As seen in this YouTube video: URL_0 Is he over exaggerating or is 40k the real number?
|
Engineering
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dim646b",
"dim255i"
] |
[
"Power = volts × amps. A transformer can keep roughly the same power while changing the ratio of volts to amps. E.g 9V×0.5A = 40,000V×0.000113A A transformer works with two coils of wire around iron. The ratio of turns around each coil is the ratio of transformation. I made something like this as a kid. I got very fine wire from a car and wound thousands of loops round a nail using the reel from a fishing rod."
] |
[
7
] |
[
[],
[
"http://www.electroboom.com/?p=484"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
6x6z1m
|
Why are trailer tractors so boxy and non-aerodynamic?
|
So, first of all, there's a shape difference between tractors in Europe and the ones in the US. EU ones are pretty much a flat surface slamming against the wind at 100+km/h. US tractors have a front mounted engine, which gives them a seemingly more aerodynamic shape. However, when brought together together in the same plane, the engine and the windshield have roughly about the same surface area, with both surfaces being mostly flat. I don't know if the US trucks are more aerodynamic or not, so some input on this would be nice, as well. The overall question, however, remains: how come aerodynamics doesn't play a role in truck development? Considering the fuel costs, the large front surface area and the speed they cruise at, you'd think aerodynamics would be something truck manufacturers should be all over.
|
Engineering
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dmdk9qu",
"dmdvyp4",
"dmdlij3",
"dmdmxf2"
] |
[
"EU tractors generally have their passenger cabins mounted on top of the engine instead of having the engine be in front of the cab. This makes the tractor look much boxier than American styles but it also makes them shorter. Being shorter is much more important in Europe because many cities have small roads with tight corners that aren't as common as in America."
] |
[
33
] |
[
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_FH_Phantom"
],
[
"http://www.bladehobbies.co.uk/ekmps/shops/33fb39/images/e-flite-umx-cessna-182-bnf-as3x-brushless-rc-plane-steerable-nose-wheel-eflu5650-"
],
[
"http://car--reviews.com/images/volvo-fh16/volvo-fh16-12.jpg",
"http://www.volvotrucks.co.uk/content/dam/volvo/volvo-trucks/masters/euro-6/volvo-fh-series/specifications-landing/1000x1000-specifications-landing-volvo-fh-data-sheets.jpg/jcr:content/renditions/[email protected]"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
nah065
|
why do people's voices sound different at different times of the day? like deeper and more gravely in the morning, normal mid-day, and softer and more high pitched at night?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"gxtkhhv"
] |
[
"It’s deeper in the morning because your muscles are more relaxed. I’d guess the opposite is true in the evening. Your voice muscles are getting tired so it impacts your voice."
] |
[
11
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
jac6ya
|
How does Euler’s identity work?
|
Mathematics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"g8oq9qu"
] |
[
"Euler's identity is a specific case of [Euler's formula]( URL_1 ): e^ix = cosx + isinx, when x=pi. If put other values in x you'll get other results. Complex numbers are usually written in the form a+bi, where a is the real part and bi is the imaginary part (i being the square root of -1). This means that every complex number a+bi can be placed as a point (a,b) on a two dimensional plane, just like real numbers can be placed along a one dimensional axis. Now, when we look at a point (a,b) on a two dimensional plane, there's another way of representing that point, using the [polar coordinate system]( URL_3 ). In this system, we can represent the point with the distance of that point from the origin point (0,0) (denoted r in [this diagram]( URL_0 )) and the angle between the x axis and the line connecting the point and the origin point (denoted φ in the same diagram). The point can then be represented as (r,φ). As you can see in the diagram above, if you represent (a,b) as (r,φ), you get a = rcosφ and b = rsinφ. If (a,b) represents a complex number, then a+bi = r(cosφ + isinφ). Looks familiar? So, e^ix = cosx + isinx means that e^ix is the point on the complex place whose polar coordinates are (1,x). These are all the points on the [unit circle]( URL_2 ). For example if x=0 then the point is (1,0), which is simply 1. If x = pi/2 then the point is (0,1) which is simply i. Other values of x will give you other points."
] |
[
3
] |
[
[
"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Polar_to_cartesian.svg",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler%27s_formula",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_circle",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_coordinate_system"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
gzf9nq
|
assuming they are primarily steel structures, how are 5g masts susceptible to arson?
|
I keep seeing news stories where these structures are intentionally burned, but it seems they should be sufficiently resistant to fire, at least near the ground.
|
Engineering
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ftfxqfa"
] |
[
"Only the antenna is made of just metal. The base of the tower contains wiring, computer hardware, cooling systems, hardwired connections to servers, and a lot of other things that are *very* susceptible to fire. And, just so it’s said, the fears over 5G are pointless and based on people having a bad understanding of science. While the frequencies used in 5G *are* more energetic than previous generations, it is still far less than even the light from a red LED. You get more exposure standing near a running microwave than from being near a tower. And even if you didn’t, it’s harmless, as it is non-ionizing radiation."
] |
[
17
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
edjcch
|
Do they actually put chalk around dead bodies? If so, why? If not, what do they use?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fbi6ymp",
"fbimifx",
"fbi78mm",
"fbi6v2c"
] |
[
"They actually did use to, that way when pictures and things were taken after the body was removed it would help people understand the scene. However, modern investigators essentially never use chalk outlines to avoid contaminating the crime scene, something that wasn't as critical before the advent of things like DNA testing."
] |
[
21
] |
[
[],
[],
[
"https://ak2.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/28149772/thumb/1.jpg"
],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
6iwuir
|
How did ancient people know when the summer and winter solstices were, and why was it important to them?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dj9q0ls",
"dj9q9mz"
] |
[
"Even in the stone age people knew winter would end, spring would come, then summer and fall. They generally knew the length of the year. They knew how to tell the solstice which kept their year straight for them. When people started farming it became very important to know when spring had arrived. But even before then the migration routes of reindeer, bison, and other migratory animals was very important. It is easy to determine the shortest and longest days by aligning things to see where the noon sun's shadow was, or was not. Two sets of vertical stones set up properly would show when the sun had achieved the solstices."
] |
[
8
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
gse2fh
|
In the USA, where do non-governmental “independent agencies” like the FCC get their power over things, like in the FCC’s case: what’s allowed on television?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fs4lupe",
"fs4lse3"
] |
[
"These are all laws that are passed by Congress and the Senate. The law or piece of legislation that founded the FCC for example, and outlines what rules the FCC is allowed to enact and what it can't, is the Communications Act of 1934. In that act, and subsequent other legislation enacted afterwards, is language like \"if you want to broadcast over a radio frequency, you have to have a license, and the license will be issued by the FCC and subject to renewal every two years\" and stuff like that. Various amendments and changes are made when needed such as for things like \"how do we regulate the internet? _Can_ we regulate the internet?\", but fundamentally the FCC's rules about what it is responsible for and what it can, and can't do, is covered by laws. And the underlying thing that allows Congress the ability to make the laws/rules for the FCC is the Constitution, which says that Congress is allowed to make rules that cover interstate commerce. And wireless transmission is definitely one of the ways you conduct interstate commerce. Ergo the FCC is within the law to demand that your radio station has a license."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
kxn10q
|
why, when visiting very old grave sites, are the graves sunk into the ground a few inches? Isn't it usually the same amount of dirt that is dug up and replaced, with the addition of the body plus its container?
|
Title.
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"gjb8fin"
] |
[
"The body and casket compress the dirt below it and sink a bit, so the dirt on top of the casket does as well."
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
8wvx9y
|
What happens to things that go in our eyes? Like where do all of the eyelashes go that we blink into oblivion?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e1ytqxt",
"e1yu20p"
] |
[
"They fall out. Your eyes produce more tears to make the process of getting foreign particles out of your eyes easier. They just eventually fall out."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
8ycmae
|
When microwaving food, why does it seem to get more soggy rather than crunchy?
|
Chemistry
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e29t6hq"
] |
[
"Microwaves specialize in heating up moisture specifically. The heated up moisture just tends to steam and diffuse making crunchy things less crunchy and more damp(soggy). Feel free to fact check."
] |
[
15
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
6npa3y
|
Why were serieal killer more widespread during the 20th century?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dkbap93",
"dkbfds7"
] |
[
"We don't really know if that is true. It could be there have always been serial killers in the past, its just that various murders were not linked together the way they can be today and even if they were then the public was not made as aware of it as we are now. Jack the Ripper was an exception mainly because his crimes were very similar in nature and confined to one area. He also received publicity when he appeared to taunt the police with a letter (although that probably wasn't him). But there may have been many other murders taking place that were never identified as being by a single person."
] |
[
10
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
9ldp04
|
How do cops instantly work out real time compass directions e.g. when chasing someone?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e75ugck",
"e75ulh9",
"e75uirm",
"e75ufvg",
"e75uirr",
"e75ujv4"
] |
[
"You really just get used to it. I'm not a cop but even in every day life I know j live north of work and what roads run north-south or east-west. Mostly just use those roads as landmarks. Headed towards the freeway is north, heading away is south."
] |
[
14
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
bkvnmt
|
What is being done to combat antibiotic resistance caused by antibiotic use in the farming industry?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"emjy93r",
"emkd8jz",
"emkvzbb",
"emkwvqs"
] |
[
"There has been great strides made by the sector but still a huge way to go. Efforts have focused on three aspects: 1. Reduction in usage of antibiotics - such EU countries as Denmark and the Netherlands have mandated large reductions in Ab usage for livestock production - this predominantly saved from a lack of usage prophylactically 2. Development of novel anti-infective products - use of other non classic antibiotics for use in animal health 3. Restrictions of use of antibiotics that are restricted/last line in human health There are multiple efforts by biotechs and large pharma to develop non antibiotics and to improve diagnostics to ensure the correct therapeutic is used. Coupled with improvements in animal husbandry there has been a large reduction across many sectors, and with further regulatory changes afoot will continue this downward trend."
] |
[
50
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3734499/",
"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-011-9370-y",
"https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/fdas-strategy-antimicrobial-resistance-questions-and-answers",
"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4050507/"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
ewc48o
|
Why were Blackberries considered more secure then phones of other operating systems? Are blackberries still more secure then what we currently have ?
|
Edit; Blackberry as in the phone company/ OS. Not the fruit.
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fg11lb0",
"fg17ezm",
"fg1nqhw"
] |
[
"Before the complete proliferation of smartphones, they used to be a thing that only high powered business/government people could afford and seen mostly as a productivity tool rather than a life partner. Many people didn't even buy them outright and got them through their work. Blackberry was the most popular smartphone in this era, so it invested a lot in being business/government friendly. Businesses and especially governments often have strict security standards for all their electronic devices, and the makers of Blackberry (RIM) invested a lot in meeting those standards. Those investments continued to be relevant to some businesses and governments even after they lost most of their market share. If you somehow bought a Blackberry today, it probably wouldn't be much more secure than any other phone, but you would have a better ability to install security software/features on it if you worked in IT for the federal government or similar."
] |
[
8
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
d41si8
|
Most electronic wires are small and flexible, so why are electrical wires so thick and rigid?
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"f06qmkl"
] |
[
"Because they need to pass a large amount of power. Small wires, like headphone wires, are passing small amounts of current. Power cables, like the cord for your fridge, move LARGE amounts. The amount of heat generated in the cord is a function of resistance and the square of the current (often called \"I squared R losses\", with \"I\" being current and \"R\" being resistance). So since you've moving a lot of current, and the heat goes up by the square of that, a lot more current means way, WAY more heat. So to reduce the heat, you reduce the \"R\"; one way to do that is to use a much thicker cable."
] |
[
12
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
aq7xxh
|
What are the differences between RealD 3D, Imax 3D, and Dolby Cinema 3D?
|
From memory (like 8 years ago memory) I don't like RealD 3D, I never tried Imax 3D, and from recent memory I really like Dolby Cinema 3D. Honestly I only really care about the difference between dolby 3D and Imax 3D
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ege7js3",
"ege6aqz"
] |
[
"ah, brushing up before watching *Alita: Battle Angel*?"
] |
[
4
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
5o2g3x
|
besides religious reasons, why is there so much violence and turmoil in the Middle East?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dcg50pa"
] |
[
"Very limited natural resources and massively overpopulated. There are few opportunities there. Massive poverty. No infrastructure. Dictators. and Mammon. It's always about money. Always. The religious hatred simply exacerbates these and other problems like tribalism and perceptions of race."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
cb93pq
|
Why/how are humans able to „feel“ that something is off or about to happen? How do these instincts work?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"etdz01b"
] |
[
"It's called thin slicing! Your brain is constantly subconsciously taking in data from all around you. It takes that data and compares it to past experiences in order to decide what to do. When you get that feeling that something's off, it's because there's some cue your brain is picking up on that you might not be fully aware of yet, but your brain's noticed it and is letting you know to be alert. The downside of this is that because our brains develop associations based on different experiences, we can start to associate something harmless with danger, or something dangerous with a feeling of safety. Just because you have a \"gut feeling\" doesn't mean it's accurate. We have to be aware of our prejudices and past experiences so we can figure out why we're feeling the way we are and not just accept it at face value."
] |
[
9
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
9juann
|
Why does our ability to resist urges fade and we lose control when we just arrive at the bathroom
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e6usnoi"
] |
[
"It's a psychological thing. The primitive parts of your brain are primed to seek places of shelter to do things like going to the bathroom, and these parts of your brain are the ones that control your autonomic nervous system, which, among other things, helps you to hold back from urination and defecation when you're not in an appropriate location. But these primitive parts of your brain aren't under conscious control, so they can make your body react to stimuli before you're consciously aware of it. So when you're almost home, or almost at a bathroom, just the *sight* of these locations can trigger your autonomic nervous system into 'letting go', so to speak. And then suddenly you find yourself having to consciously try to hold back until you're properly settled. Here's a good article on it if you want more detail: URL_0"
] |
[
7
] |
[
[
"https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/11/gotta-go/544544/"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
5yqbnj
|
why do we smell rain coming/ what makes up the smell that is "rain"?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"des3upk",
"des8fqs",
"desa7ph"
] |
[
"The smell is mostly geosmin, which is released from soil bacteria when rain hits them. They produce the chemical as part of their metabolism, and once they get damaged it's kicked up into the air and people smell it. It has such a strong, nice smell because it's a sign of fresh water in an area so people and many other things need to be able to find it quickly."
] |
[
22
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
6zjs8c
|
Why does running my microwave slow down the internet speed on my laptop?
|
I've noticed that every time I'm using the internet and the microwave at the same time that the internet slows down considerably or actually disconnects. I assume something about the microwave is interfering with the wifi in my house but I have no idea how any of that works.
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dmvs4fi"
] |
[
"Many microwaves run at 2.4ghz, that means they blast out a lot of energy at 2.4ghz. Guess what also runs at 2.4ghz? Well, many home networks do (they also can run at 5ghz). So the microwave is screaming really loud at at the same sound as your home network makes, which means it can drown out the signal your computer needs to get wireless.... in other words, your microwave is jamming the signal by talking louder than your computer and router talk, so its hard for them to hear each other."
] |
[
20
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
5xbv8k
|
Does everyone on earth actually have a different fingerprint?
|
I have heard some mixed consensus on this. Does identifying someone's fingerprints at a crime scene really rule out every other human on earth? Is it as accurate as DNA matching? If my phone has a fingerprint reader, will it really lock out every other person and only let me in?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"degubsh"
] |
[
"> Does identifying someone's fingerprints at a crime scene really rule out every other human on earth? No, mainly because we can't tell them apart, not because there are no tiny differences. But that doesn't matter because most cases aren't hinging on if every person on the planet is ruled out. The issue of if the guy with blood in his trunk and matching fingerprints on the murder weapon isn't really damaged that much if some person in Mongolia also has indistinguishable prints."
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
8o8y3a
|
Why isn't the general concept of the car patented by a single company?
|
Economics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e01jcwp",
"e01jg5e",
"e01jkwy"
] |
[
"It was. URL_0 > George Baldwin Selden (September 14, 1846 in Clarkson, New York – January 17, 1922 in Rochester, New York) was a patent lawyer and inventor who was granted a U.S. patent for an automobile in 1895. Patents however expire after several decades."
] |
[
8
] |
[
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_B._Selden"
],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
82qbx6
|
Why are wall outlets only limited to 2 plugs?
|
Engineering
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dvc09xu",
"dvbzoit",
"dvc8g9a"
] |
[
"The building codes, in the US, require an outlet every 12 feet, to reduce the use of extension cords. Making them all 4 outlet would double the cost and still leave most of them unused. When a location is planned for lots of electronics, like a media space, it's common to see lots. The cost/work to add more is also quite low, as electrical changes go."
] |
[
23
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
kufggw
|
in most areas of the United States if you commit a crime and someone dies during the committing of said crime you can be charged with murder. Why aren’t they arresting everyone they can from the attack on the capitol for murder?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"girkrhb",
"girlc2h"
] |
[
"Considering that there are videos of police letting people in and the history of police abuse in this country: the justice system is largely on the same side as the people that stormed the capitol."
] |
[
15
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
6jidgx
|
Does my voice actually sound like that? Why does it sound so weird?
|
Whenever I listen to myself in recordings I physically cringe (so do a lot of people when they listen to themselves). Does my voice actually sound that bad? I feel like if it did I wouldn't have that many friends so it must not... why does it sound so weird in recordings?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"djegwdg",
"djemhh5",
"djekrxp"
] |
[
"Imagine the voice coming out of your mouth as a speaker and your ears are two microphones. If you are being recorded or someone is listening to your voice, the microphones are placed in air some distance away from your speaker. However, what you hear as your voice is as if the microphones are attached to the speakers because your ears are housed in the same head as your vocal cords. What you hear is then not what other people hear since there is coupling between your speaker and microphones."
] |
[
18
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
5qpi90
|
Why do the hand rails on escalators not go at the same speed of the escalator itself?
|
When I have used any escalator and I put my hand on the rail as I go up or down, it always seems to be a bit slower. Like, I am going up slightly faster than the rail is moving and my hand is slowly moving behind me. Why aren't they the same speed?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dd13hwf",
"dd12u56",
"dd18fps"
] |
[
"Wait really? I've never been on an escalator that does this, it always goes at the same speed. Some field service installers are messing up the escalators you are on."
] |
[
19
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
d94a75
|
how a gamma ray burst could kill us all at any moment
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"f1eikjq"
] |
[
"Gamma ray bursts occur when very dense stars die and go supernova - basically, they explode. If such a star were to explode close enough to our Solar System, dangerous gamma rays would bathe the Earth, killing us off - think a dangerous nuclear leak, but on a cosmic scale. The odds of a gamma ray burst affecting us are astronomically small, however, so don't let that fact keep you up at night."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
dh3meg
|
Can causality be measured with probability?
|
Suppose that for reasons unknown a five year old child wants you to teach him/her everything you know about probability. Perhaps this child is considering to become a statistician when they get older or something similar. Of course they have to start with the fundamentals before anything. Now suppose that amidst their learning they randomly ask if what you’re teaching them is applicable to causality. In order words is there a way they can measure what is possible vs what is probable using variables? If so how can they forecast low chance events? If not how would you explain that answer to them?
|
Mathematics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"f3i95of"
] |
[
"Kind of. If you're looking for something free of assumptions that allows you to deduce causality directly from observation, this is very much impossible. However, if you're ready to accept models of potential causality, there are various methods (generally called [causal inference]( URL_0 )) that can help you tease out causality from correlation. If this is actually for a five year old, these are probably much too mathematically involved, and you should instead explore the intuition of how to separate causality from correlation. Come up with scenarios where a causal link apparently exists, and figure out a way for a scientist to intervene to expose that link as false, and potentially find the real one. This is inherently going to take intuition, because that's really the only way to do science. The questions you ask are separate. You don't have to have causal models to forecast events, you just need statistical data and assumptions about the applicability of that data. If I see the butterflies flying south I know winter is coming with high probability, even though the causal link is completely backwards. If someone is wearing a dress I can predict they have a higher chance of breast cancer even though there is no causal link at all - both are related to them being a woman."
] |
[
4
] |
[
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causal_inference"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
5qpwer
|
Why is circumcision still a common practice in America?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dd145jx",
"dd2hv7a",
"dd611ae"
] |
[
"Inertia mainly. There's plenty of men who because they had it done to them, just do it to their sons because they've never really thought about it. They've been told that it makes it easier to clean, so they just smile and nod and let their sons get circumcised."
] |
[
18
] |
[
[],
[],
[
"http://www.cirp.org/library/history/gollaher/",
"http://books.google.com/books/about/A_Surgical_Temptation.html?id=sD6CALS2NtQC",
"http://books.google.com/books/about/Circumcision.html?id=usEzSffvPBMC",
"http://books.google.com/books/about/Marked_in_Your_Flesh_Circumcision_from_A.html?id=SF6fbjNe0yYC"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
d6d3jx
|
How does a company get a very specific, specialized tool or machine made? Particularly if they are the only entity in the world that needs one?
|
Engineering
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"f0ry36r",
"f0rxnvd"
] |
[
"Where I work, we do this on the monthly. We require a tool, equipment or fixture to do a specific job, we write a specification with rough dimensions, material(s) and purpose and then 3D design something which will work in that application. Then machine it. I'll use our most recent as an example. We needed a large spanner for a fixture we designed, but the overall diameter of the spanner end couldn't be more than 10mm larger than the actual bolt (38mm) as it wouldn't fit within the gap. We drafted a basic spanner but with a thin walled head and sent it to our machinist who produced the part for us. 2 hours later we had a tool suitable for the application."
] |
[
9
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
8hvw70
|
What language is our conventional punctuation from (?,!,.,etc.), and how did almost all languages in the world come to incorporate them?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dymw7dg"
] |
[
"European languages first acquired punctuation when monks began mass-producing copies of the Bible. The Bible was meant to be read aloud, so the punctuation was intended to help the reader know where things would start and stop. It was pretty disorganized for about 1000 years. Then when the printing press was invented, printed books really took off. After the printing press made books available to everyone, it became more important to standardize punctuation. As for the other question, that has to do with colonialism. Europeans exported European culture and with it their writing conventions. (They also exported a whole lot of disease and war, but that’s another topic.)"
] |
[
6
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
745k6b
|
Why do personal care products come with both English and French translations as opposed to English and Spanish like so many other products?
|
Things like soaps, shampoos, and other hygiene products.
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dnvohwq",
"dnvp80e"
] |
[
"A lot of them have the same products being made for both the American and Canadian market, and Canada legally requires product packaging to be both in English and French."
] |
[
19
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
fddkc7
|
Why exactly does walking after falling or experiencing some other similar injury help reduce the pain?
|
I was wondering about the "walk it off" phrase, why does walking help with pain?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fjhp99v"
] |
[
"Neuroscientist here! It really depends on the type of injury, but generally it comes down to the nature of pain. Pain is basically just a series of electrochemical signals generated by nerve cells that then travel to your brain and are then interpreted as being bad. They are your bodies way of telling you that something is wrong. However, there's only so much \"information\" that can travel between your nerves and your brain at any given time. By walking around after a minor injury, you're forcing your body to start sending a lot of sensory feedback up to the brain and back. You have to constantly monitor your balance, make sure you put your feet where they need to go, look forward to make sure you don't walk into a wall, etc. All of this involves signals traveling between your body and your brain and the original pain signal has a way of getting a bit lost in the background. This has the effect of you feeling like the injury doesn't hurt as much. Think of it like your internet connection. You only have so much bandwidth that you can use. If you are only watching YouTube, you'll get a crisp and clean HD video. But then someone else in the house turns on netflix, then you decide start downloading some music, and your laptop starts to sync its photos with the cloud! Suddenly the YouTube video is 240p and constantly buffering. Your pain is like the video, the more stuff that is going on the less you'll be able to notice it."
] |
[
14
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
6qi69j
|
what is the scientific reason why two first cousins shouldn't get married?
|
I am not asking about the taboo associated with incest. Nor am I condoning marriage between cousins. I am merely curious as to how marriage between cousins impacts our genes and body. Also, I am not asking about generations of incest because that obviously means the same few genes are being circulated which can cause genetic defects; I am asking if two first cousins decide to get married for the first time in their families, what would be the implications? Thanks!
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dkxgbnh",
"dkxh14h",
"dkxfyhd",
"dkxh4fo"
] |
[
"The argument as I understand it is a result of most of the genes in our body occurring in pairs - one coming from the mother and of coming from the father. There is therefore a built-in redundancy, if you have a faulty gene from your mother, the likelihood of that you will have a good copy from your father. We probably ask have a bunch of faulty genes - say it's 40. There are many genes that can cause serious problems if they are faulty. Say there are 4000. If you have children with someone who is related to you, you are *much* more likely to share some of the same bad genes. First-cousins share about 12.5% (one eighth) of their genes. So, you could have five of the same bad genes in common, where most unrelated couples would have none in common. You probably have good copies of those genes too, so problems are not guaranteed. They are just much more likely. EDIT: Note that there are benefits to pairing with someone with a similar genetic background, as your gene families have evolved together and are likely to be very effective when joined. So there is a optimum level of relatedness for the best genetic fitness. I do have the idea that someone has claimed this to be at the first-cousin level, but I would have to locate the source of that)"
] |
[
17
] |
[
[],
[
"http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/news/101201_panthers"
],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
jivs9g
|
Why do we suddenly have the urge to urinate or defecate when temp gets cold?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ga8zd6l"
] |
[
"When we get cold, our blood vessels constrict. This constriction lowers blood flow to our extremities—it's a self-preservation mechanism of sorts. One byproduct of constrained blood vessels is that our blood pressure increases. With a higher blood pressure, more blood passes through the kidneys, which means they filter more impurities out of the blood, and thus more urine is formed."
] |
[
9
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
7ygec2
|
How do deep sea diving mammals such as seals and whales survive the changes in pressure?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dugk4za"
] |
[
"In general, there's no great depressurization sequence that has to be followed for deep-diving air-breathing mammals because they don't do \"pressure dives\". Humans could make deep dives, too, if they could hold their breath as long as seals and whales, and not have to depressurize. (In fact, some do. There are some Japanese and Pacific Islanders who spend most of their lives at sea and train themselves to hold their breath for many minutes at a time. This enables them to stay underwater long enough to where they could, if they wanted to, dive very deeply and still rise before they need another breath.) The decompression that some humans have to undergo is because when hard-hat divers work underwater they breathe pressurized air. That is, the air supplied has to be pumped down to them at greater and greater pressures in order to have any volume of air to breathe. What that means is that a volume of air that would fill their lungs at sea level would be compressed so much that at great depths it takes \"a roomful\" of sea-level air to compress to a breathable lung-full of air. As the diver's depth increases the corresponding sea-level volume of air also has to increase. The diver has to ascend slowly so that the pressurized air can work its way out of his system gradually - as he breathes and as the oxygen in his blood is exchanged over time through his lungs. In other words, it's not his respiration that has to change, but his circulation. Otherwise, \"the bends\" result from the over-pressurized oxygen in his blood expanding into actual bubbles that can cripple or kill him - painfully - if the pressure isn't acclimated to gradually. Conversely, this is why submariners (and high-altitude fliers in airplanes) do not normally have to de-pressurize themselves, since the atmospheres in the submarine and the airplane are kept within \"normal\" limits. That is, submarines are not highly pressurized cylinders, and airplanes are (because there's no air pressure to speak of outside an airplane at 35,000 feet altitude), and the plane itself has to be de-pressurized as it descends for landing."
] |
[
13
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
bq5334
|
Glasses
|
I was wondering how the messurment of glasses works. I don't mean how glasses work but what exactly does it mean to have e.g. -2.2 diopter?
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"eo1c1ds",
"eo1m2rj"
] |
[
"It's basically a measure of how much the lens bends light and in which direction. -2.2 is a correction for nearsightedness. In that lens, the center will be thinner than the edge."
] |
[
5
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
il0n4s
|
Is it possible to lay in the ground really still for a long time and start decomposing while still alive?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"g3orfuo",
"g3optyc"
] |
[
"Speaking from the biological definition of decomposition, in general, no. Decomposers including different species of fungi and bacteria break down dead tissue, and if an organism is still alive and healthy, the immune system will fight these microorganisms off. There's always exceptions in biology though. In cases of gangrene, for example, tissues within parts of the body can die and start to decay even though the organism stays alive."
] |
[
13
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
bnjqvf
|
How does noise cancelling work?
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"en6b32m",
"en6mxbc",
"en6odq3",
"en74smf",
"en773gp"
] |
[
"Active noise cancelling works by the headphones having a microphone on the outside that detects environmental noise, and then speakers on the inside that play the opposite soundwave to cancel it out. Sound travels in waves with peaks and valleys, so if it hits another wave with directly opposite peaks and valleys they cancel eachother out."
] |
[
528
] |
[
[],
[
"https://dt7v1i9vyp3mf.cloudfront.net/styles/news_large/s3/imagelibrary/s/synth.fig1-0500-i6kScY8bPcryDFHbnki587.7LsS5PV62.gif"
],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
akvhxy
|
Why does the fashion industry require models to be so tall?
|
I've been watching America's Next Top Model over the last few days and they've mentioned a few times how hard it is to get a job as a model if you're under 5' 9". What reasons are there for that restriction?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ef88qhh",
"ef8eoo9"
] |
[
"Fashion people agreed that tall is better because it’s more visible on the runway. The same few dresses or outfits go to fashion shows all over the world so they need to fit different models at different places. Longer answer [here]( URL_0 )"
] |
[
15
] |
[
[
"https://www.quora.com/Why-are-most-models-tall"
],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
kmjp9i
|
With drone technology and automation available, why are commercial planes still flown by pilots?
|
Not to say that we don't need pilots anymore, but that pretty much all the mechanics to fly a plane can be automated now, no? Also, with drone technology you can technically fly a plane remotely and it's two lives saved in the event of a rare disaster and it would enable the FAA to better investigate if it was caused by human error vs. technical difficulties.
|
Engineering
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"gheykb8",
"ghezry3"
] |
[
"In case of problems, having someone inside the plane able to look around in all directions quickly, not rely on a network connection that might drop, and being able to move physical switches/levers is absolutely vital. Computers are good, but they're not very good when getting inconsistent reading if a sensor breaks. Even if an airplane is fly-by-wire (the \"steering wheel\" doesn't directly move anything, it's just input to the computer) there are some physical overrides. Usually making the landing gear (wheels) drop in case they won't come down on their own involves operating some crank. So you want someone to do that. As for investigations, modern airplanes are already streaming information in realtime about their operation. With trained humans on board we also have recordings of what they say in the event of an... incident... which can help immensely, and we can feel a bit better that they're watching over things when that signal goes down because they plane is half way across the Atlantic ocean."
] |
[
10
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
bi2fra
|
Does increased brain usage (i.e., studying/working) lead to increased caloric usage?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"elxinh9"
] |
[
"The brain uses a huge amount of energy, per unit volume, all the time. While studying or taking an exam might seem like it's making your brain work harder, the percentage change is usually pretty small. Really sensitive functional MRI machines can measure it, but it's not a diet scheme."
] |
[
5
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
9mthhs
|
How is that Earth has an atmosphere? What is fighting with the vacuum? Why is some gas able to create pressure out of nothing?
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e7h7hew",
"e7h7mmm",
"e7h7jkh"
] |
[
"In a word, Gravity The Earth's gravity pulls on the atmosphere the same way that it keeps the oceans glued to the earth. At some point during the Earth's formation much of the Earth was liquid due to it's high temperature so the lighter gaseous elements like Hydrogen, Helium, Carbon Dioxide, and Nitrogen bubbled to the surface. Much of this gas was lost to space but what remained formed our atmosphere. Gravity is also what makes the atmosphere denser as you get closer to Earth's surface."
] |
[
43
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
8jk32b
|
I've just found out that some American bars and clubs ban "solid colour t-shirts" in their dress code. I'm English, and this seems beyond absurd to me. Does it really mean you can't wear an ordinary, plain, unbranded t-shirt to their bar? Why on earth not? What kind of crazed ruling is this?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dz08nox",
"dz08iw5",
"dz09oxv",
"dz0b37t",
"dz0b28k",
"dz08kq6",
"dz0941h",
"dz09iyy",
"dz0bik9",
"dz08ny7",
"dz0bs6z"
] |
[
"I've come across two types of this \"dress code\" 1st would be in areas of gang activity (or close enough that it would matter). Gangs normally have a color associated with them, banning solid color tees in a place where alcohol is in abundance is a hopeful step in limiting stupid gang related violence due to 'turf' issues. 2nd would be in bars/clubs that are trying to promote more 'upscale' clientele so I've seen dress codes requiring collared shirts on guys or back during the trend (maybe it still exists, not really sure) bans on all 'tall-tees'"
] |
[
732
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
b1plvx
|
why do things become darker in color when they absorb water? (like T-shirts for example)
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"einbufs",
"eincnk0"
] |
[
"Your clothes reflect more light to your eye than water does and when cloth absorb water it lowers the amount of total light that reaches your eyes making the cloth appear darker"
] |
[
8
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
74g6ay
|
why do we like 4/4 beats so much
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dny0piq",
"dnxz8hk",
"dnyfbfu"
] |
[
"If you want to explore different tempos check out Dave Brubeck's 1959 album [Time Out.]( URL_0 ) The best known song is Paul Desmond's [Take Five]( URL_1 ) is written in 5/4. To hold it together Dave Brubeck plays a repeating vamp though out entire song. URL_2"
] |
[
3
] |
[
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Out_\\(album\\)",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_Five",
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmDDOFXSgAs"
],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
6z9v82
|
How would an adult human's body from the Stone Age be affected if they ate a Big Mac that somehow travelled back in time?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dmtlg1m",
"dmtlcfl"
] |
[
"They'd probably be lactose intolerant- most people stop producing lactase when they stop drinking milk, and drinking cow or sheep's milk probably would not have been part of a stone age diet. So the cheese on the Big Mac would probably give them some indigestion. Other than that, they'd be able to eat it just fine."
] |
[
13
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
hcci2u
|
What causes those painful leg cramps when you're in bed and can anything be done to stop them?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fve9nxd",
"fvesk7b"
] |
[
"Poor circulation and dehydration are the major causes of cramp in the calf muscles - URL_0"
] |
[
3
] |
[
[
"https://youtu.be/aieh2yn4Auw"
],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
g1nbbt
|
How does heat equal electricity?
|
I see things online like “two seconds of the Sun’s heat output could power the world for a century”, even if that’s not accurate, how does heat get converted into a measure of electricity?
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fnglrac"
] |
[
"You can convert both into power since both are energy. Both heat and electricity is a power that can be measured in W (watts). The sun also provides energy as light this is converted into electricity using solar panels. This might also be what they mean."
] |
[
4
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
hiefzo
|
How do we run when we decide to run?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fwfr6in"
] |
[
"The idea for running is generated in the brain first. This happens in the motor cortex of the brain. It send nerve signals down into the spinal cord which then radiates to the muscles of the arms and legs. The spinal cord already has a nerve signal centre that allow for running. Individual muscles are stimulated but in a coordinated manner because of this spinal cord centre. So you don't have to consciously move each muscle to start running. I hope that explains a little of what you didn't know."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
7ioo56
|
How is it possible that when talking on the phone, person A can suddenly lose signal and not hear person B, but Person B can hear person A perfectly well?
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dr09cx9",
"dr09j2m",
"dr0dglo"
] |
[
"Modern communication systems use digital streams of data to connect calls. In most systems the signalling (setting up a call, putting it on hold, ending a call) is sent using SIP while the voice itself is sent in RTP (real time protocol) streams. The RTP streams are one way. So you have a dream from you to your destination and they have one back. It is possible that one of these streams gets disrupted, leading to one side hearing the call but the other not. Edit: I'm staying dreaming!"
] |
[
100
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
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