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7u8pvm
|
What is Rayleigh scattering and how is it related to a blood moon?
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dtih4sm"
] |
[
"Visible light is made up from a spectrum, shorter wavelengths like blue light scatter more and longer ones like red scatter less (in air). The more air light has to travel through, the more blue light gets scattered. This is what causes sunsets to appear red/orange because when the sun is low in the sky it has more air to travel through therefore less blue light. A blood moon occurs when the moon sits behind the earth away from the sun, the only light that hits the moon is the light from earths atmosphere that has passed through a bunch of air, eliminating much of the blue light, leaving redder light to then be projected onto the moon, hence the red colour As for Rayleigh scattering, that pretty much just how different wavelengths scatter in different amounts."
] |
[
5
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
8b674z
|
3 questions about bacteria and physics
|
1. How do bacteria move without muscles ? 2. If bacteria is nearly weightless, how come it sticks on surfaces and doesn't flow with the wind ? 3. Also if i shake something hard, will the bacteria on it fly away ?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dx49ok0",
"dx4ed17"
] |
[
"1. Bacteria move using thermal energy inside any liquid, you know cold water goes down and hot water goes up, that generates enough energy to move the bacteria. Some bacteria have a tail called a flagella which it uses to propel itself around. Some have many oar like structures called cilia that it uses to move around. 2. It depends on the type of bacteria, some bacteria secrete a glue like substance that glues them to surfaces, some have nothing of the sort and can be suspended in air. Some are suspended in air using droplets, like when you sneeze. 3. Not necessarily, some bacteria get stuck on something and you just can’t “shake it off”. Most commonly, bacteria prefer wet stuff than dry stuff, but that does not mean that if shake your phone that you will get rid of most bacteria."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
gq3ryc
|
How do bicycle gear shifters work?
|
Engineering
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"frqj2it",
"frqjk5k"
] |
[
"Answer: As you turn the gear shift thingy it pulls on a metal cord. That metal cord pulls on a “guide” that surrounds the chain. Depending on the way you turn the gear shift thing, the guide moves closer or farther away from the tire/frame of the bike. This pulls the chain in a horizontal manner which cause it to skip off of the current gear and get caught on the next one. Those black plastic tubes that usually run down the frame of the bike house the metal cord. Sorry for the lack of terminology, I know how it works but I’m not a bike mechanic."
] |
[
12
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
d2uv8d
|
What happens when we 'sleep on our neck wrong' and why can the discomfort from it last days?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ezxcjdk",
"ezxkl35",
"ezxm36o",
"ezxn6vx",
"ezxn5fh"
] |
[
"Often, the cause is your muscles relaxing during sleep allowing a nerve ending to squeeze between two vertebrae (spinal bones). When you wake up, your muscles contract and your spine squeezes together damaging, or even trapping, the nerve between the bones. The damaged nerve can take days, months or even years to recover. It's called Cervical Radiculopathy. Another cause is the relaxation of your jaw, and damage or trapping of nerves in that area. This can be related to TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders. I've found that one of the best remedies for this problem is to stand against a wall, point my chin down and push my head and shoulders back against the wall as hard as I can for at least 10 seconds. This pulls the vertebrae apart and can allow a pinched nerve to be released. edit: it has been pointed out to me that a more common cause is simply inflammation due to repetitive muscle strain. This is caused by weak muscles in your neck being strained during your sleep, probably because of a bad choice of pillow or poor sleeping position. You might find certain muscle strengthening exercises will help you with this over time as you strengthen those weaker muscles. Office workers who sit with their heads in one position for long periods of the day may have this problem more often than other people with more active lifestyles, and increasing your daily activity should help (get up and walk, look at the sky and the grass and the trees a few times a day!). Honestly this didn't occur to me at first due to OP suggesting the pain lasting for a few days and then going away. Typically for me this has been a nerve pinch. Repetitive muscle strain is usually something that comes on slowly and doesn't go away quickly either. You may be able to tell if it's a muscle thing or a nerve thing by putting a warm compress on your neck (a warm wet towel), if the warm compress helps then it's probably muscle strain and not nerve damage. NOTE: I am not a doctor. I am a software engineer. I get neck pain working at my computer, and I keep active in order to prevent muscle problems. I know about my own pain, that is all. If you are experiencing pain that isn't going away or comes back often then go see your doctor please!"
] |
[
637
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
o9fajq
|
Why cant we use touch screens in regular gloves?
|
I've read in other eli5 post that touch screens work by you pressing on special dots and creating connection between them, so why do we need gloves w/ special conductive materials.
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"h3aqq1k",
"h3astzt"
] |
[
"Because there needs to be a way to READ the connections. Your screen is flat and rigid, so it isn’t actually based on pressure. There’s a slight conductivity to skin, which is what allows the phone to detect contact. That’s why it also works with pencils wrapped in foil, but not things like rubber"
] |
[
6
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
ig5zmh
|
why charcoal burns so hot even though it’s already been burned
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"g2s055y",
"g2rub5w",
"g2shrfb",
"g2s9mff"
] |
[
"When you make charcoal you aren't burning wood, you're basically cooking it. You're cooking the wood. You have to prevent it from getting any oxygen so it won't burn and you cook it until the moisture leaves it. Im not an expert on it and I'm not familiar with the exact chemical reaction that takes place but I do know you aren't burning it. If the fire reaches the wood and it gets oxygen then it will burn just like normal."
] |
[
40
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
5qbso0
|
Is saturated fat bad or not? (Bacon for example). All the studies I find seem to contradict each other.
|
Is saturated fat in larger quantities unhealthy? Will it lead to circulation/heart issues? Has this been proven or is it still debated?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dcxy01j"
] |
[
"Recent meta-analyses have shown that saturated fat is really no worse than monounsaturated fat. The real thing to avoid is trans-fat, and the real thing to eat more of is omega 3 fatty acids."
] |
[
19
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
7xybb9
|
Can someone please explain what stops glue from sticking inside the tub or tube?
|
Repost
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"duc34nu",
"duc6hny"
] |
[
"Most glues work on that they need oxygen to become sticky/harden. Inside the tube there is no air and thus the glue doesn’t harden. Some other specialized kind of glues mix 2 components with the use of 2 nozzles/tubes (epoxy etc) thus making them react into the sticky glue substance."
] |
[
14
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
c1dn52
|
Freezer Burn
|
What is it? How does it work? Why does it make my food taste weird?
|
Chemistry
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ercien6"
] |
[
"Freezer burn is a condition that occurs when frozen food has been damaged by dehydration and oxidation, due to air reaching the food. It is generally caused by food not being securely wrapped in air-tight packaging. It makes you food taste weird because it damages it, changes the texture, and allow \"contaminants\" into the food"
] |
[
5
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
bgh72l
|
What is an easy way to explain the basic concept of music theory ?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"elkwmsc",
"elkwalg"
] |
[
"When two different pitches are played at the same time, that's called harmony. Harmonies can be consonant or dissonant. When we look at the mathematical frequencies of the two notes, they make a ratio. If the ratio is nice and easy, like 1/2 or 2/3 or even 3/5, they match up and sound nice. We call that consonance. If the ratio is weird like 9/17 or something, they don't match up very well and sound like they are clashing. We call that dissonance. Generally speaking, people like to hear consonance more than dissonance. But sometimes musicians will deliberately use dissonance (as long as it isn't too bad) that resolves to consonance because it makes tension and then release. It's like how in a movie where the evil guy bad is about to kill the hero but then the hero defeats him at the last minute. If the whole movie were just rainbows and lollipops there's no tension, no conflict. It would be boring. In the same way, musicians will tend move from consonance and dissonance and back again and all around, which makes an interesting piece of harmony. Of course consonance and dissonance are not a black and white thing. There are different varieties and flavors of them. In the same way that an artist will mix reds and blues to make a new shade of purple, a musician can combine notes and harmonies in different ways to make an interesting piece of music."
] |
[
18
] |
[
[],
[
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rog8ou-ZepE",
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoDh_gHDvkk"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
cs4xeu
|
please. Math: how do two negative numbers multiply to create a positive number?
|
Mathematics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"exckmj2",
"excmdrj",
"exd4lhg"
] |
[
"> /u/MonaWasTheBoss > Think about it like this: If you film someone running forwards (positive) and then play the film forward (positive) he is still running forward (positive). If you play the film backward (negative) he appears to be running backwards (negative) so the result of multiplying a positive and a negative is negative. Same goes for if you film a guy running backwards (negative) and play it normally (positive) he appears to be still running backwards (negative). Now, if you film a guy running backwards (negative) and play it backwards (negative) he appears to be running forward (positive). Even if you speed up the rewind (-3x or -4x) these results hold true. Backward x backward = forward. Negative times negative = positive. Edit: Thanks for the kind words and super thanks for whoever gave me my first gold. This analogy was just something my 7th grade teacher said one time and it stuck with me. URL_0"
] |
[
45
] |
[
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3r90cw/eli5_why_does_multiplying_two_negatives_give_you"
],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
abvgl1
|
When a company commits a gross violation that affects people (physically/mentally/financially, etc.), why is the company forced to pay the government, instead of the people they hurt?
|
Economics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ed37dsz",
"ed381pr"
] |
[
"Usually they'll have to pay both. Fines levyed by the state is not meant to replace money companies have to pay for the damages they cause a person. Let's say a company causes you to lose a leg because of negligence, they might be fined by the state if they broke the law, but *in addition to that* they have to pay you money for the damages they caused you specifically."
] |
[
10
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
6bv5p9
|
How do astronomers discover planets that are 200+ LIGHT YEARS away?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dhpqw9l",
"dhpqvz2"
] |
[
"generally they discover planets that **were** 200+ light years away. however planets usually dont move anywhere near as fast or far as to significantly be somewhere else now. essentially they study the light that reaches us (or usually the hubble telescope), then analyse the light of the stars sending out that light. there is an effect called red/blue-shifting that causes the frequency of the light emitted by objects moving really fast to change frequency (kinda like the Doppler-effect you might know). then they study this light and look for changes to its intensity or the path that these stars are taking. any changes that are somewhat regular are caused by planets. So essentially, we don't find the planets, we just find proof that there are planets there."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[],
[
"http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/universe/sights/extrasolar_planets"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
5oue1p
|
How do airlines outside of the United States provide such a great experience at a lower cost than those in the U.S.?
|
I flew on three different airlines in Southeast Asia for the first time the other week. They provided an actual meal, the attendants were extremely well dressed and mannered (almost like models - both men & women), and they put away everyones carry-on. The aircraft were new, equipped with comfortable seats plus movies/entertainment for short domestic flights. They charged on average $70 one-way. Meanwhile, in the U.S. I'm lucky if I get pretzels for $150 one-way when flying the same distance - yet they still go bankrupt?
|
Economics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dcm6cpz",
"dcm7gdy",
"dcma80d",
"dcmn4g3",
"dcm7x7q",
"dcm6mh3"
] |
[
"Chinese airlines receive massive subsidies from their government. This allows them to operate on lower revenue."
] |
[
28
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
6dbbrl
|
Why does rabies virus cause photophobia in people but in raccoons it makes them come out during the day?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"di1sazg"
] |
[
"The rabies virus is pretty interesting. The viral particles take hold in nervous tissue and then start a slow ascension from peripheral nerves to central nervous system, the brain and then finally down through some of the nerves that innervate face (namely nerves that innervate salivary glands). The virus isn't perfect - it isn't omniscient and it often doesn't know exactly which way to go depending on what host it's living in. Different species have different incubation periods. That's why some animals (bats, skunks, raccoons) are considered reservoirs for the disease. The virus moves very slowly throughout their nervous system allowing them more time to spread the disease before the clinical progression puts them 6 ft under. Other species (like us) have a much shorter survival time following the onset of symptoms. Photophobia isn't really a desired affect for the virus. More likely, it's just a wrong turn in an aberrant species. But the furious portion of the disease (aka - desire to bite), just like the inability to swallow (thereby reducing the amount of virus-ridden saliva swallowed and wasted) are considered \"features\" of the disease to help it spread. So when those raccoons be a wanderin... they're out to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And the virus won't allow them any bubble gum. Source: I watch a lot of zombie movies."
] |
[
28
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
ag3m0j
|
Bank/money transfers taking “business days” when everything is automatic and computerized?
|
ELI5: Just curious as to why it takes “2-3 business days” for a money service (I.e. - PayPal or Venmo) to transfer funds to a bank account or some other account. Like what are these computers doing on the weekends that we don’t know about? & #x200B;
|
Economics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ee3vo9l",
"ee3tjht",
"ee3wbnx",
"ee3pvlb",
"ee3s523",
"ee3rh7v",
"ee3lqcj",
"ee3d4hn",
"ee3o0vo",
"ee3wqru",
"ee3npux",
"ee3xxb8",
"ee3xkm5",
"ee3ye2a",
"ee3wffp",
"ee3wsh7",
"ee3ugam"
] |
[
"There's a lot of people trying to technically explain why instant back transfers can't happen. In the UK we have instant bank transfers including between different banks. So no matter what explanations people throw at you, yes it absolutely is possible. All it needs is the will to implement. In the UK it happened because there was a bit of a public/newspaper/consumer watchdog outcry over this when it used to take days. I didn't hear of any banks going through significant hardship making the switch and it all happen fairly rapidly. URL_0 Edit: Having found the link above, the technical process to implement the system took about 2 years. The process from initial government proposal and consultation to awarding a contract took 9 years."
] |
[
5373
] |
[
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faster_Payments_Service"
],
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faster_Payments_Service"
],
[],
[
"https://www.wespay.org/wpa/public"
],
[
"https://www.osko.com.au/home"
],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/01/10/576879734/episode-489-the-invisible-plumbing-of-our-economy"
],
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faster_Payments_Service",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faster\\_Payments\\_Service"
],
[],
[
"https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/01/10/576879734/episode-489-the-invisible-plumbing-of-our-economy"
],
[],
[
"https://payid.com.au"
],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
7a99c5
|
Why do places care about my being Hispanic/Latino or not when they request demographic info? What is that particular bit helping to discern?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dp85v28"
] |
[
"Because people from Latin America can fit into any of the racial categories that we recognize in American society, the Census Bureau and all other government agencies that collect demographic data code for race and \"ethnicity\" (which for their purposes only means Hispanic/Latino vs. Non-Hispanic/Latino) as separate categories. Many non-government entities adopt this same classification scheme as well, so that they can use that data in their interactions with the government (e.g. applying for federal grants that help nonprofits that help minorities), or as a standard that allows their data to be compared to other people's data."
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
609qdp
|
honing vs lapping
|
I am getting into woodworking and need to sharpen some tools. Sometimes I hear part of the process called honing. Sometimes lapping. Are they talking about the same thing? Is one just a finer version of the other? What exactly are they doing?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"df4r1fz"
] |
[
"From a technical metalworking standpoint, lapping is a final finishing operation concerned primarily with minor surface finish and flatness corrections. Honing, on the other hand, is used to remove material and/or correct the roundness of cylinders as well as providing a controlled surface finish. Generally lapping uses an intermediate form like a rod or a plate, while honing generally involves abrasive stones directly in contact with the workpiece. For y'all woodchucks, I would bet they're a pretty interchangeable term, as chisel sharpening is concerned with both very fine surface finishing and sometimes significant material removal. It may also differentiate between sharpening done with a paste on a plate and that done on a stone, but that may also change from source to source."
] |
[
4
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
ebjrhw
|
How is it possible to rain the whole day with just short breaks in between, or even without stopping at all? Do the clouds just never run out of water? How does it not just do one very heavy downpour, but is able to 'control' the amount so that the drizzle is constant?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fb5c0pe",
"fb5c45e",
"fb5buza",
"fb65g9y"
] |
[
"It's not one block of clouds, it's a conveyor belt of clouds moving in constantly over an extended period."
] |
[
17
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
dgvks7
|
When bitten by a spider, the recommendation is that you should take the spider with you to the hospital, so they can identify it and use the correct antidote for the bite. Are medical professionals trained in college on how to identify different spiders?
|
Basically what the title says! Maybe they have an arachnologist that will work along the hospital do identify spiders in this cases?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"f3f3l1p",
"f3f4qau",
"f3f92pu"
] |
[
"I'm sure its more \"here's what spiders are common in the area, here are the ones that are deadly. Remember what they look like.\""
] |
[
18
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
76vimi
|
How is the Wizard of Oz an allegory for 1890s America?
|
Economics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"doh2ipm"
] |
[
"It isn't. That was a theory that a guy came up with in 1964, well after the book had been published, with little historical basis and thin reasoning."
] |
[
5
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
5m1z49
|
Why does the military insist on saluting?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dc0ge8e",
"dc05x5e",
"dc05zb8"
] |
[
"Saluting has a long history that is actually not written in stone. However one explanation is that it was originally used as a greeting between two knights to show their face and thus not be seen as an enemy. Additionally it would take away from their master hand to hold their weapon. This has progressed through to when officers would remove their headgear in the presence of a superior, and then became just a grabbing of the hat. This turned into the modern salute which now has enlisted men salute officers and junior officers saluting superior officers. The salute itself is in recognition of the Commander-in-Chief, for the Commonwealth the salute goes to the Queen, as recognised by the crown on the cap badge. Really though it's just a longheld tradition and the military loves tradition."
] |
[
23
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
9spbbu
|
The weird spot in your vision after you look at a really bright spot or the sun
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e8qdcxb"
] |
[
"The eye uses chemical reactions which are sensitive to light in order to recognize when light falls on the cells of the retina. Those cells have a limited supply of those chemicals and very bright light can deplete their stores until they can be replenished. In the meantime they produce the sensation of the spot which you describe."
] |
[
5
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
82o7vk
|
Where do people catch rare diseases from?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dvbi7uu",
"dvbidbb"
] |
[
"Lou Gehrig's disease is a good/bad example for your question. In that we *don't know,* by and large, where it comes from. That being said, what you are referring to is primarily specific to diseases that result from a bacterial or viral source. You don't spontaneously get the flu, you get attacked by flu viruses that came from somewhere else. This isn't necessarily the case for all diseases. There are diseases which are genetic, there are diseases which result from inhaled toxins, from foods, where you didn't necessarily contact some sort of \"lead poisoning\" disease but rather are suffering the effects of contact with lead. Diseases could also arise from a deficiency, like you don't eat enough healthy veggies, or impairment or injury of an organ, or even psychological trauma, in a broad sense. Not all diseases require direct contact with \"the disease in some other location,\" in other words."
] |
[
4
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
8udmx2
|
Why is our vision blurry underwater without goggles, but clear with them?
|
Surely the only difference is that the water is touching our eyes. Why does that small bit of air allow us to see clearly?
|
Repost
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e1eley0"
] |
[
"Humans are land-dwellers, and our eyes evolved to see in Earth's atmosphere. Water bends light differently from how this mix of gases does, so what we see is blurred in water compared to air."
] |
[
12
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
9gutgi
|
Why is water so loud right before it boils in a kettle, but then it's quiet as soon as it starts boiling?
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e670qkr",
"e674wag",
"e681vw9"
] |
[
"Cavitation. The little bubbles that form on the bottom collapse when they hit the colder water above. It happens so quickly that the water slamming back together makes a sound. I also found a video that goes into more detail: URL_0"
] |
[
318
] |
[
[
"https://youtu.be/fszYVWNmJ0Q"
],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
fhyl13
|
I know things have certain frequencies but do humans do as well? And what happens when humans are vibrated at that frequency?
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fke19fo"
] |
[
"Everything has a (one or more) resonance frequency. Usually we refer to the spine and skeletal system, but the human body is very complex and [every organ has its own frequency]( URL_1 ). What happens when you meet that frequency? For the skeletal-spine-muscle system, > At the resonant frequency there is maximum displacement between the organ and the skeletal structure, placing biodynamic strain on the body tissue involved. Note that human beings are complex and not clones of one another, so there are different frequencies (always in the same range, though) depending on mass, height, [posture]( URL_0 ) and, theoretically, bone structure or other characteristics."
] |
[
5
] |
[
[
"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9593207",
"https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/37916"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
lsyikf
|
Why is bread said to be bad for feeding ducks and is the same true for all birds?
|
I’ve been feeding local crows but remember hearing this about ducks. I don’t want to hurt my crow friends.
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"gotxsy4",
"gotyk8i"
] |
[
"There is a lot of altering opinions on whether to feed ducks bread. In short, a little bread is fine in the short term. But, if it becomes a main part of their diet it can cause health issues. The biggest problem is that the ducks (etc) became so heavily reliant on being fed by people that they never learned to forage for themselves. So, when people suddenly stopped feeding them, a lot of the water birds started to starve. Bread isn’t ideal for water-birds, but they have grown to rely on it now. As the uneaten bread starts to rot rot in the water; it effects all the other parts of the ecosystem like the algae etx. Its all a bIt of a catch-22 now. As for normal birds, it seems that *in moderation* it’s fine. There’s an article [here]( URL_0 ) that explains it."
] |
[
12
] |
[
[
"https://birdfeederexpert.com/can-birds-eat-bread/"
],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
608g3k
|
Why can hard cheese age for months while being made, but once they hit the grocery store shelves they only last a few weeks at most?
|
Repost
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"df4bcgv"
] |
[
"Cheese only \"ages\" under the correct conditions, usually a specific temperature and humidity range (often around 55 degrees F). Too warm, and the wrong microbes get involved, too cold and the ones you want die, moisture condenses, etc. Often cheese is carefully maintained, rotated, brushed, brined, that kind of thing, during the aging process. Other cheeses form a thick rind which acts to keep out undesirable microbes and oxygen. Still other cheese are dipped in wax to seal them, and something like Muenster is swabbed with a bacterial solution to ripen it. Some cheeses, especially the soft cheeses like brie or camembert just have a given lifespan, and there is no magic about being sold at a shop. You buy them, and usually hold on to them until they hit their peak. Hard cheeses though can be aged for an *extremely* long time, whole, in the right conditions. Once you cut it up and take it out of those right conditions though, game over... it's like cutting a flower; you can delay the inevitable, but it's just a delay. Then you have something like parmesan, which can last pretty much forever in a store or anywhere else you care to put it. Cheese has many varieties, and some need to be eaten within days of manufacture, others are best after years in a dark, cool place, and everything in between."
] |
[
5
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
l6udyg
|
Why is it colder at the top of a mountain when its closer to the sun?
|
Earth Science
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"gl2q7ss",
"gl2q8rq",
"gl2q851"
] |
[
"So as you get higher, and away from the earth, there is less atmosphere and less particles. Those particle having energy and moving around is what we call heat. With fewer particles around, we feel less heat. Space is the same, even though you could be thousands of miles closer to the sun, because there are very few particles in space it is still very cold. You WILL get a sunburn however, because the UV rays made by the sun can still travel and hit you even if you can't feel the heat you expect with them."
] |
[
11
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
buafu8
|
How can certain camouflaging octopi and squid emulate their surroundings as close as they do?
|
I tried to look around this sub for a similar question and cannot see one, but I’m really curious how it works.
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"epavb6x",
"epav2g5",
"epcfiml",
"epb7uyv"
] |
[
"This is what I want to know. How does a flounder, which doesn’t even have any freakin eyes on one side, know what the surface under its blind side looks like to match it? Does it feel differences in color as heat or wavelengths or something?"
] |
[
11
] |
[
[],
[],
[
"https://thedishonscience.stanford.edu/posts/octopus-vision-is-in-the-skin-of-the-beholder/"
],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
colayj
|
How can vinegar plus baking soda clean? Wouldn't they neutralize each other?
|
Here's instructions for cleaning my washing machine: "To clean the drum, pour 1/3 cup of baking soda into the machine, and put 2 cups of white vinegar in the detergent tray. Run the machine on a cleaning cycle and the two agents will react and clean your machine." If vinegar is an acid and baking soda is alkaline, wouldn't they just can cancel each other out?
|
Chemistry
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ewj26w5"
] |
[
"Their pH will sorta cancel, but there's more to chemistry than pH. The following is taken from [here]( URL_0 ): *Baking soda and vinegar react chemically because one is a base and the other is an acid. Baking soda is a basic compound called sodium bicarbonate. Vinegar is a diluted solution that contains acetic acid. The baking soda and vinegar reaction is actually two separate reactions. The first reaction is the acid-base reaction. When vinegar and baking soda are first mixed together, hydrogen ions in the vinegar react with the sodium and bicarbonate ions in the baking soda. The result of this initial reaction is two new chemicals: carbonic acid and sodium acetate. The second reaction is a decomposition reaction. The carbonic acid formed as a result of the first reaction immediately begins to decompose into water and carbon dioxide gas.*"
] |
[
3
] |
[
[
"https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-happens-when-you-mix-vinegar-and-baking-soda"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
61cy22
|
What is a tesseract, how do we know what they look like, and what exactly do they look like?
|
Mathematics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dfdokot",
"dfdk8a6",
"dfdpv3q"
] |
[
"[Here's]( URL_2 ) Carl Sagan explaining it very well. I remember watching this as a kid and having an extra dimension finally make some kind of sense. I particularly like his use of the word \"shadows.\" We can [draw a cube]( URL_0 ) on a flat (two-dimensional) piece of paper, but what we're really looking at is a *shadow* of a three-dimensional cube. A real cube has 90-degree angles at every corner, a two-dimensional representation of a cube doesn't, we have to modify the angles so it fits on the paper--so it fits in two dimensions. We can build a [three-dimensional model]( URL_1 ) of a tesseract, but you notice that not all the angles are 90 degrees. This three-dimensional model is a *shadow* of a four-dimensional object that has all 90-degree angles. It's a bit of a brain-twister to imagine it, but that's good exercise for your brain. Watch the video. Carl explains it far better than I can."
] |
[
45
] |
[
[
"http://www.mathaware.org/mam/00/master/essays/dimension/JPG/figure21.jpg",
"https://d2t1xqejof9utc.cloudfront.net/screenshots/pics/4c59c72aa7cbf070a241d5b8b79c1215/large.jpg",
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0WjV6MmCyM"
],
[
"http://superliminal.com/cube/cube.htm",
"https://media.giphy.com/media/AK986lrhNHiZq/giphy.gif"
],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
8d771e
|
Why are teachers not reimbursed when they purchase school supplies?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dxks4ya",
"dxks3fr",
"dxks6c9",
"dxkx6zm",
"dxky2fn",
"dxkt69z",
"dxku34c",
"dxkwrf4",
"dxl0h09",
"dxku2cp",
"dxkvlat",
"dxkx7t6",
"dxkzgjz",
"dxkyosm",
"dxkyo9t",
"dxl0jzj",
"dxl01qf",
"dxl05b0",
"dxktxb9"
] |
[
"The schools don't have the funding to do it, or they would get the supplies themselves. Teachers can either spend their own money to get them, or teach without."
] |
[
614
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc458"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
a3p2d3
|
Why is x=y a diagonal line on a graph?
|
Mathematics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"eb7w7si",
"eb7wfbz"
] |
[
"If x = 1, then y also = 1. In a graph, that would be the point (1,1). If x = 2, then y also = 2. In a graph, that would be the point (2,2) If x = 3, then y also = 3. In a graph, that would be the point (3,3) Follow this logic, and draw a line between these points, and you will quickly see that it is a straight, diagonal line."
] |
[
17
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
g3920n
|
How do bongs work?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fnpwtos"
] |
[
"Theres 2 holes. One you put to your mouth, the other for the stem. As you suck in, air gets pulled into the stem, through the water, and up out the other hole. The stem blocks the hole, and the bud blocks even more air from coming in. once you pull the stem out, you have an unrestricted stream of air to purge the bong of all the smoke. The pressure from you sucking in the air feeds the fire from your lighter to burn ur bud. The water acts as a \"purifier\" for the smoke (which idk how true it is). The reason why bongs are popular is bc you can build up a shit ton of smoke before you \"carb\" it. Step 1. Put top hole to mouth. Step 2. Light lighter and place to bud. Step 3. Inhale hard enough to make that bubbling noise, with the fire roasting the bud. Step 4. Stop inhaling, pull out the stem, inhale hard. NOTE: DO NOT EXHALE THROUGH THE BONG. Also, dont be gross and drool into the bong."
] |
[
18
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
hd1i5y
|
Does drinking water also hydrate my skin?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fvihw54"
] |
[
"Yes. Drinking water hydrates you systemically with your body prioritizing the use of said water. First to your vital functions...CSF balance & blood pressure...then more secondary systems for things like GI and urological... and then tertiary systems like the integumentary system are considered(aka skin, hair, nails). But, yes."
] |
[
4
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
9mghmv
|
what causes the vibrant clouds when a rocket is launched at night
|
As seen in this spaceX video. What causes the bright clouds, and why are they multicolored, what do the colors come from? URL_0
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e7eequn"
] |
[
"You're seeing condensation trails from the rocket exhaust. As the rocket fuel burns, it creates water vapor. That water vapor condenses and freezes in the upper atmosphere. It happened to show up very well in this launch because of the time of the launch. It was past sunset & dark on the ground, but the sunlight was still visible at the launch altitudes so you could see the faint reflections of the setting sun off the ice crystals. The colors were from the same reason sunsets give you crazy colors, the sunlight is filtered through much more atmosphere."
] |
[
4
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
9hb7u0
|
How does short selling work? And why fo you have to buy stock for it?
|
Economics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e6ali82"
] |
[
"You borrow 100 shares of a stock that's currently $10/share from Bob. Now you owe Bob 100 shares of stock. You immediately sell those shares. You get $1000. The stock drops to $5/share. You buy 100 shares, which costs you $500. You give those shares back to Bob, since you still owed him. You made a profit on the difference between the stock when you shorted it versus when you repaid it."
] |
[
8
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
l8ezam
|
How does increased sweating affect urine production?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"glcaf7v"
] |
[
"They're generally opposites of each other. You only produce urine to remove salt or water from your body, but since both are lost from sweating you would pee less when you sweat. This is common among athletes who drink a lot of water while exercising but don't usually have to pee because they sweat out the water. Also yes I know gatorade exists but not everybody drinks it when they exercise."
] |
[
7
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
6n4tv0
|
What happens to our eyes when we go from a bright room into a pitch-black room, and our vision slowly gets better?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dk6s652"
] |
[
"Imagine the inside of your eye as a baseball stadium completely packed with players (light sensitive cells) ready to catch colored balls that rain down from the sky (photons of light). Whenever a player catches enough balls, they call the headquarters (brain) with their location and how many balls they received. Based on all of the reports, the headquarters can map out how the balls fell from the sky (the image you see). There are two different types of players on the field. There are large, brawny players that carry large buckets that represent the cone photoreceptor cells. Each of these players are trained to catch to a specific color (red, green, blue) of ball to give headquarters an idea of the colors falling from the sky. This gives you your colored vision. They are quick to recover and also get a priority line to headquarters. The other type of player are rather scrawny but numerous, representing the rod photoreceptor cells. They can only hold a few balls at once and are not color specific (though they prefer balls that are greenish). They are also slower to recover after catching a ball since they need a break to take a breather. In a bright room, there is a huge number of balls falling from the sky. The brawny players have a field day since they are able to fill their buckets. Even though the scrawny players are overwhelmed with trying to call headquarters, the calls from the brawny players have priority and they call often since they recover quickly, allowing you to have rapid, precise colored information to headquarters. But now, you step into a dark room. The balls from the sky greatly decrease. The brawny players don't get enough balls to warrant calling headquarters so the information goes dark! But slowly, with time (5-20 minutes depending on the original room brightness), the scrawny players recover from being overwhelmed in the bright room and are ready to catch the few balls falling from the sky. Since they only require a few balls to phone headquarters, they are the main source of information in darkness. Once all of them recover (~40-50 minutes), you have very high sensitivity to light even in very dark environments. However, since they take time to recover, you cannot see quick changes in time (moving your hands in front of your eyes in a dim environment makes them look blurred). However, blinding yourself with a bright light again will stun all the scrawny players into getting breaks, losing that sensitivity. This is why it is dangerous to lose your night vision since it takes some minutes to recover."
] |
[
8
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
kzlbp0
|
Why does salt make everything taste more like itself?
|
or why does it "bring out the flavor" of everything?
|
Chemistry
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"gjoih5t",
"gjoyoeg",
"gjotutr",
"gjptlgh"
] |
[
"Salt is used as a universal flavor improver because at low concentrations it will reduce bitterness, but increase sweet, sour and umami, which is desirable for sweet recipes. But at higher concentrations it suppresses sweetness and enhances umami, which is good for savoury things. It’s also easily obtained in a pure form without any interfering flavors. URL_0 )"
] |
[
335
] |
[
[
"https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/why-does-salt-enhance-flavour/"
],
[
"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK50958/"
],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
cc0ar2
|
Why isn't all plastic recyclable?
|
Economics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"etjj56e"
] |
[
"It's all about cost. If you have pristine poly-carbonate packaging from a pharma factory that's been handled by skilled workers in a super clean factory - sure, that's easy to recycle for what it will sell for. On the other hand, if you've got a plastic straw from the rubbish bin of a McDonalds with smudge-proof lipstick on one side, molding sugary soft drink on the other side = > that's not so appealing. Plus, if it's mixed in with even-less-recyclable food waste, separating it will cost more than the end product is worth. It could be done, but not for money. Plastic straws are an easy target, because paper straws. Plastic straws have a compostable competitor that's functionally good enough. Plastic drink lids, not so much."
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
7tl78n
|
How do neurotransmitters express our emotions?
|
As in how do neurotransmitters work when we express different emotions (including chemical responses such as when people take anti-depressants or go through mood lifting treatments).
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dtdbzoo"
] |
[
"Neurotransmitters don’t express anything. They only inhibit or stimulate certain part of the brain that are responsible for a specific emotion. For example, the amygdala is a part of your brain that controls fear. When put in a scary situation, some of your neurotransmitters will stimulate the neurons in your amygdala, thus creating the feeling of fear."
] |
[
7
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
b12l8r
|
What laws are actually broken when a parent bribes someone to get their kid into a prestigious school?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"eiis0tk"
] |
[
"The main thing here was that the company that they were paying to help get their kids into better colleges was illegally posing as a charity, so that the parents appeared to be donating to charity and getting tax writeoffs at the same time that they were cheating to get their kids into a prestigious school. That's the major law that got broken."
] |
[
5
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
698f5i
|
Why do kids and some adults jump up and down when excited or happy?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dh4kjbd"
] |
[
"Have you never done this? Never gotten so excited and filled with energy you just have to move? It's an energy release. We're also social animals and this is a way to express our excitement. Plus it's good for ventilation, moves the air around."
] |
[
4
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
i9302e
|
Why do the doors bang when they’re all opened and air travels through the house?
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"g1cc568",
"g1cc4p9"
] |
[
"Air pressure. When air enters the house, it increases the air pressure of the room it's in. This presses against a partially-closed door, forcing it shut (or opening it!). If the \"room\" in question is a hallway with multiple doors, it'll press against all of them."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
i7hd18
|
Why does milk in a small container, say one quart or less, expire in 2 to 3 months, but in the gallon container expires in only 2 weeks or so?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"g11xirj",
"g121wdk",
"g11zuna",
"g11wat5"
] |
[
"UHT pasteurization used in those small wax paper boxes of milk is similar to the canning process. That's why it doesn't need refrigeration until opened. But it tastes like poo. Regular milk needs refrigeration and only lasts a couple weeks. Why I don't know. Another odd fact is that Half & Half, or Whipping Cream, although refrigerated lasts a really long time, like 60 days. I don't understand why it is so much longer than milk, unless the cream acts as some sort of a preservative."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
ikh5st
|
why are humans more afraid of cockroaches than other insects?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"g3kj0ac",
"g3kik3h",
"g3kj2vy",
"g3kote9"
] |
[
"they are filthy and smell awful.. they pop up in crazy places and are not at all fearful of humans.. they carry disease and lay lots of eggs in crazy places... uurrgghh I hate them"
] |
[
12
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
fmw9lr
|
What did Martha Stewart do and why was it bad?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fl6dtiv",
"fl6dwwy",
"fl6d774",
"fl6lppb"
] |
[
"It was something called \"insider trading\", and it is illegal because it is in essence cheating people out of their money. The idea is that someone decides to buy or sell stock based on information which isn't available to the general public. It might seem weird to be unable to make trades based on your own knowledge, but let me give you an example to make it more clear. Suppose you have a company which has some stock owned by the general public and some owned by top level executives. They launch a major new product they spent a lot of money producing, and as the final sales numbers come in for the year... wow, they aren't good. Consumers *hated* it and they lost a huge amount of money on their failed product. Now the executives know this information but they haven't released it to the world or their investors. The executives *know* the stock price is going to go down when people hear about this, so they decide to sell their stock at its current price and let those other suckers take the loss. See how using this \"insider\" knowledge is unfair and basically fraudulent?"
] |
[
53
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
9zuxp1
|
why do some phone chargers charge more quickly than others?
|
I’m sitting in a gas station currently dreading having to charge my phone because a) I don’t have a car charger and b) compared to my friends, this charger seems to take extremely long to give my phone a charge. Why is that? Thanks!
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"eac7rm2"
] |
[
"1.) Some charging sources can put out a higher current than some others. 2.) Some charging sources may support an additional fast charging protocol that your phone also supports, allowing a higher voltage and/or current along the cable. 3.) You might be using a cable with a higher resistance."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
gv3n3d
|
How can one « waste water » if every drop of water we use ends up in the rivers, never breaking the water cycle?
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fsm904k",
"fsm8y2t"
] |
[
"We can waste drinking water. Once it’s in the rivers or just outside the pipe system, it’s not automatically suitable for drinking and has to be treated again. So technically we’re not wasting water. We’re wasting the energy that was used to make it drinkable. But nuance isn’t our strong suit as a species."
] |
[
24
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
k2jj6d
|
why do game developers seem to have issues to get characters to walk up or down stairs properly. Some games that actually try, still only get like 70% of the walking animation to match the amount of steps of a given stairs.
|
It often bothers me even more when they clearly tried. But you can see a character clearly floating on steps every other one in the walking animation.
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"gduguzv",
"gdum8nt",
"gdv8bid"
] |
[
"The underlying geometry of any stair is a ramp. That's a shortcut to make programing climbing stairs easier. Half the time it's just simpler to slap a skin on a ramp to make it look like stairs. Of course stairs are different enough from a ramp that you notice it, but rather than spend time programming something you'll only be doing less than 10% of the game, they'll spend the time on more important things."
] |
[
16
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
if0ro4
|
Why isn't there a (start-up) company that makes older technology printers with cheaper ink?
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"g2kjhfs",
"g2kmgrp"
] |
[
"The ink is costly not because it’s some expensive exotic substance that is the only thing that works on modern printers, it’s actually pretty cheap, but the manufacturer prefer to sell cheap printers at a loss and sell the ink you need to use them at a huge markup. While you could make a printer startup, you cannot compete with the prices of the other brands since they are deliberately losing money on printer sales"
] |
[
11
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
afv8nz
|
Why are diseases such as chickenpox and measles more deadly to adults than they are to children?
|
I can't speak for America, but in the UK children are encouraged to catch chickenpox when they are young as they can recover fairly easily from the disease at that age but would be at much greater risk if they were to contract the disease as adults, but surely our immune systems get stronger with age?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ee1mwbz",
"ee2crqb",
"ee1qgya",
"ee1qglw",
"ee1n8ex",
"ee1tsyv",
"ee1r62g",
"ee1p8ly",
"ee2gh4o",
"ee1rapz",
"ee1u4cc",
"ee1pimk",
"ee1sevu",
"ee21r47",
"ee27c4y",
"ee1n09d",
"ee1tg4d",
"ee1nqy5",
"ee1qc5h",
"ee1ul2s",
"ee24eya",
"ee2lcn3",
"ee24kj4",
"ee1pxoz",
"ee1z2b8",
"ee2vbhh"
] |
[
"That’s actually the problem. If the immune response is too strong, it can wear your body down more. The aches and crummy feeling you get when you’re sick aren’t caused directly by the pathogen, they’re a result of what your immune system is doing."
] |
[
5644
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptive_immune_system",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innate_immune_system"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
7b7d3u
|
Why do companies like Apple avoid paying so much tax, what's the point?
|
Economics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dpfrrtv"
] |
[
"There's a recent video of John Oliver's Last Week Tonight that touches on this. Iirc (if I even understood it at all), the US government hopes these big companies will create jobs, on which they can then put income taxes, I think. They also expect these companies to help the economy grow and probably bring in money from other countries. These big companies also have lots of money they can invest in legal teams, which can find loopholes and optimal locations etc. to avoid taxes. I imagine the cost for these legal teams outweighs the taxes they would have to pay. As this is an educational sub, please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm just a guy on the internet who thinks he knows something, I'm by no means an expert."
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
7quzkb
|
How Snap Freezing works?
|
Repost
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dss2gta"
] |
[
"For water to form ice, it's molecules have to arrange into a crystal lattice form. Being cold can make this possible, but if the water is pure & still, that may not be enough. It also needs a place for the crystals to start forming around. We call this a nucleation site. Water that is cooled below freezing temperature, but hasn't found a nucleation site, is called 'super cooled'. As soon as you give it a nucleation site, by adding something or even just shaking it up, then the ice will form rather quickly."
] |
[
9
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
i190nb
|
Why does the temperature of a food drastically change how it tastes?
|
For example, warm beer tastes very different than ice cold beer. Cookies fresh out of the over taste different from the same batch of cookies that sat at room temperature for an hour.
|
Chemistry
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fzvm2vm",
"fzvnmwb",
"fzx76g7"
] |
[
"Our tongue's taste buds have tiny microscopic channels (called trpm6) which send a signal to our brain when it comes in contact with 'taste molecules' which are then translated to a specific taste sensation. The reaction of the channels are much more intense when the food has a higher temperature so it sends a stronger electrical signal to the brain. Naturally, the opposite is in effect for colder consumables as the channels respond much slower. In conclusion, hotter food is more tasty than colder alternatives. (note that TRPM5 is only used to signal sweet and bitter tastes)"
] |
[
19
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
8tcqkx
|
Why can’t our devices simultaneously connect to 2 WiFi networks to provide an even faster internet connection?
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e16h8om",
"e16lug0",
"e16iv42",
"e16lka3",
"e16kqr8"
] |
[
"Fundamentally there is only the hardware available to talk on one frequency at a time. It can be adjusted to hop between channels but at any given time it needs to be on only one. Conceptually you could use two sets of antennas and associated hardware to communicate over two separate channels at the same time, but you would need to use the same router to coordinate the transmission of information otherwise you would just be duplicating your effort. At this point we are proposing a heavily modified device on both ends of the process and it probably isn't even helpful because it is rarely the limiting factor in connection speed anyway."
] |
[
39
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
a18tti
|
Why haven’t any other animals developed opposable thumbs to the degree that humans have?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"eanof6w"
] |
[
"There were other apes that did but they've gone extinct. Having opposable thumbs means that our grip strength isn't as good as it would be if we didn't have them. But at some point in humanity's past having opposable thumbs became much more of an advantage than being able to climb trees faster."
] |
[
4
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
eszp4a
|
How is it that Netflix can add new content overnight with no user impacting system updates, while any changes to video games (new map, character, bug fixes) require frequent software updates?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ffd758b",
"ffd7b5j",
"ffebncn",
"ffd7krc",
"ffdkzm3",
"ffd7m5y"
] |
[
"Because that content still lives on Netflix's servers, whereas the video game lives on your computer. It's like if your favorite restaurant added new items to the menu; you don't have to do anything, you just have more options when ordering. But if you want to change the food that's already on your table, then you have to make the request and wait while they prepare the change for you."
] |
[
52
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://netflixtechblog.com/tagged/simian-army"
],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
7cfu9o
|
what is the difference between Dow and Nasdaq?
|
Economics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dppmikv",
"dppnrqt"
] |
[
"There are a variety of stock exchanges across the world. In the US, the biggest are the NYSE, AmEx, and NASDAQ. Each exchange has rules for companies that want to list their stock in their exchange, but, assuming the rules have been met, a company can choose whatever exchange they want. (There are some companies whose stocks are listed in multiple exchanges at the same time, but they're uncommon.) The Dow, more formally the Dow Jones Industrial Average, is a collection of 30 stocks from across multiple exchanges intended to show how the stock-based economy is doing in general. The stocks are chosen by the people who run the DJIA and are intended to be market leaders in a variety of different industries. NASDAQ also runs a similar index called the NASDAQ Composite that is comprised of basically every stock listed on that exchange. The NASDAQ exchange is significantly populated by modern technology companies like Apple and Google, so the index is generally noted as how well the computer and related technology industries are doing."
] |
[
8
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
ajwr4y
|
The difference between amortization and depreciation
|
Can’t really wrap my head around this
|
Economics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"eezeml8"
] |
[
"If you're wondering which would be applied to something, depreciation is for things that physically wear out, like machinery, while amortization is for things that don't physically wear out, but eventually expire, like a patent."
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
ixy9tw
|
Do big corporations like Google have thier own in house lawyers or outsource to law firms?
|
Economics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"g69j8ty"
] |
[
"It’s likely both. Most corporations have at least general counsel, they may also have other legal staff. They could also outsource some work to a firm maybe if it had to do with something needing specialists (I.e real estate, taxes, etc)"
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
hc2fva
|
How do transdermal patches work, and why can’t they be used for all medications?
|
For the second question, is it just that some medications need to be absorbed more quickly?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fvcgwwl",
"fvcvbgk"
] |
[
"I'm not the most qualified to answer this, but I believe they use either a particular salt of a drug that can pass through the skin, or dissolve it in a solvent that let's it pass through the skin."
] |
[
4
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
66k66u
|
Why didn't any of the men or women who shot scenes with Traci Lords in the 80s get arrested for Statutory Rape?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dgj3qsj"
] |
[
"In some jurisdictions, mistake of age is an affirmative defense to statutory rape. Affirmative defense means the burden of proof lies with the defendant to prove a mistake occurred, and in the absence of that proof, the jury presumes it did not. The standard of proof in these cases is very, very high, merely saying \"I swear thought she was 18!\" is not sufficient. The degree to which Lords misrepresented herself, and the degree to which the producers represented her age to other performers might be sufficient proof. Also, regardless of what the letter of the law says, the other performers are more victims than criminals. They were not personally trying to exploit her, that came from higher up."
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
gc592c
|
Too much cortisol in the body is bad for you, but exercise, especially strenuous workouts, increase it too. Shouldn’t be exercise be bad for you then?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fp9ctyo",
"fp9g91p",
"fp9j2t4",
"fp9fyit"
] |
[
"Cortisol levels do rise during exercise, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. This helps regulate things like blood sugar in order to maintain energy levels and blood pressure to maintain adequate blood flow. The higher levels of cortisol do return back to normal after exercise, so it's not entirely bad."
] |
[
32
] |
[
[],
[],
[
"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3818149/"
],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
9ud4vy
|
What was the difference between the ideas of Nicola Tesla and Thomas Edison, and why did one succeed over the other?
|
EDIT: I mean, what differed between their plans to produce electricity for the people, who's was better etc.
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e93eefv",
"e93b5wl"
] |
[
"Thomas Edison and Nicola Tesla were never in direct competition with one another, so there isn't really any way in which one could \"succeed over the other.\" They were both very successful men who made important contributions to engineering. The \"great Edison-Tesla war\" only exists in fictional depictions in popular culture. Edison did have a business rivalry with the inventor George Westinghouse. Westinghouse is the one who competed with Edison over the means to distribute electricity. Edison favored \"direct current\" (DC) and Westinghouse favored \"alternating current,\" (AC) and eventually AC was proven to be more practical, and everyone went that way. Tesla also favored AC and worked on it, but never owned an electric company himself. There is a myth that Edison invented DC and Tesla invented AC, but neither is true. In addition, Tesla spent a lot of the later parts of his career trying to develop long distance wireless electricity transmission, but he was never able to make it practical. (To this day, that still does not exist.)"
] |
[
7
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
bh0wvc
|
How can anesthetic cause death?
|
My question mainly comes from this article: URL_0 where a man fell into a coma after undergoing a bone marrow extraction, they opted for local anesthesia and he had the trait for sickle cell anemia and sleep apnea. Doesn't anesthesia put you to sleep? How can anesthesia lead to a coma then death?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"elpcwoz",
"elp3gfo",
"elpsqz8"
] |
[
"Anesthesiologist here. The article doesn't say what his specific cause of death was. It certainly doesn't say that the anesthetic was somehow involved in his death, and this is extremely unlikely. Most adult bone marrow biopsies are done under local anesthetic, with or without sedation, and usually without an anesthesiologist being involved. The bit about sleep apnea means the physician doing the procedure wasn't comfortable sedating the patient, due to his higher risk of respiratory complications. Had he required sedation, it probably would have been given by an anesthesiologist, since the doctor doing the procedure wasn't going to give sedation. For a healthy person, driving in a car entails about 10x the risk of having a non-emergency anesthetic. You are more likely to die on the way to the hospital than during the operation."
] |
[
5
] |
[
[],
[
"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/784894",
"https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/local-anesthetic-toxicity"
],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
b1l3i9
|
Why would a Helicopter have no problem carrying thousands of pounds at a low altitude, but cannot carry the same weight at a significantly higher altitude?
|
Watching Triple Frontier and this is a significant plot point.
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"eimfij1",
"eimmmf7",
"einaw9s"
] |
[
"Air is significantly thinner at high altitude. So a helicopter cannot produce enough lift without anything to resist it."
] |
[
64
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
69svv1
|
What exactly are you insinuating when you call someone a "commie"?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dh94bgd",
"dh933jz"
] |
[
"I'm a Brit, and it was never really a slur here, so I may not be best placed to offer an explanation, but from what I understand: I think it may also tie in with communism presenting the opposite of what was seen as \"The American Dream\", where one person - anyone, can go from any background, and by working hard can rise to the top, make it rich etc. A side-effect in theory of communism is that such individualistic ambitions are suppressed in order for everyone in the working classes staying equal. So \"commie\" may have been used to insinuate that someone was against American values - a traitor, of sorts - against the idea of the American dream. Back in the 50's this tied in with more widespread fears about communism spreading and being a threat to American Democracy."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
flbht2
|
how plants know when autumn is? Or how they know know when to do seasonal things?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fkxlfq8",
"fkxljmt",
"fkxmexw"
] |
[
"The length of the daylight is a primary key for seasonal behavior. The days get shorter, and that signals the plant to do different things."
] |
[
27
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
nftboi
|
How do the little name keychains work. there isn’t a battery i need to change and it always lights up. Flashes my name at me and i’ve always wondered how it works
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"gyneppn",
"gynjzq8"
] |
[
"There's a battery. You just can't access it or see it. The lights take little enough energy to last a long time without changing the battery. Eventually it will die."
] |
[
55
] |
[
[],
[
"https://www.amazon.ca/Dimension-Personalized-Solar-Flashing-Keychain/dp/B00NYCE0CA?th=1"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
65vhjv
|
How come if I go to sleep really hungry, I wake up less hungry?
|
I mean you're already hungry, then you go to sleep and get no food for like 8 hours yet it results in being less hungry or not at all.
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dgdh30v"
] |
[
"When you go without food for a little while, your brain says \"hey, I'm receiving signals that the body needs food. We must be hungry.\" If you don't eat, then your brain says \"Hmm... I keep telling him to eat, but he's not eating. There must not be any food around.\" So your body starts fasting. That involves slowing your metabolism and initiating other efficiency measures that are designed to conserve your body's stored energy. When you do get a chance to eat, your brain says \"Oh great, we found food! Quick, eat as much as possible right now!\" and you break your fast."
] |
[
64
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
b9ru9d
|
why do digital (especially mirrorless) cameras still need shutters?
|
I understand that for film cameras, the exposure is solely dependent on the time duration for which the film is exposed to light. However, why do digital cameras (especially mirrorless cameras) still need them? Can't they just keep capturing the signal from the entire sensor for the shutter speed, and process the signal afterwards? From what I understand, that is how electronic shutters work, right? What is the advantage of having the mechanical shutter? Furthermore, why is there still a click when an electronic shutter is triggered?
|
Engineering
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ek6fytf"
] |
[
"The click from an electronic shutter is completely artificial. It's just for the camera user to let them know they took a picture. It's because we all got used to physical shutters for decades, and people got used to the sound and what that sound means, so they added the sound in, even though the camera doesn't make the sound. You should be able to go into the settings on your digital camera or your phone, and turn on or off the sound of the shutter if you want."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
eeb6z6
|
How can horses grow massive muscles while only eating straw but humans need a balanced diet and protein?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fbsd71p",
"fbsdos2"
] |
[
"They don't eat straw. They are fed alfalfa, plus they graze, etc. They also will eat things like small birds if the opportunity is there and their feeling a little peckish."
] |
[
6
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
gwfrkw
|
Why are Japanese names in English reversed unlike Korean or Chinese?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"fsupoo3",
"fsun1gy"
] |
[
"I believe it comes from Japan's modernising period in the late 19th and early 20th century. Japan deliberately emulated European countries and the US, mostly in economics and organisation but also in some cultural matters (you can see in pictures how Japanese politicians started wearing suits and top hats). One part of this was to adopt a convention that when Japanese names were written in European languages they would follow the European format of given name first. China and Korea didn't go through a similar process."
] |
[
8
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
b2vv5r
|
How do electric organs inside eels and rays generate electricity?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"eiveh4a"
] |
[
"And more importantly how do I get one for myself?"
] |
[
5
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
6ojhql
|
Why do films increasingly have a half-dozen or more production companies logos shown at the start of the movie instead of just one?
|
Economics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dkhv3jm"
] |
[
"Rights get more complicated movies are becoming more frequently based off existing material with rights coming from different places there's more \"parts\" to a movie requiring different companies (like various forms of CGI or sound mixing) A simple explanation is that for every logo you see, at some point some company had the ability to negotiate to get that logo in the movie. Meaning they provided *something* to the movie (even if it was just permission to make it). These days there are more companies involved in making a movie."
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
lc552n
|
- What does it mean when a video game is powered by a certain "engine"?
|
ETA- Thanks guys, that was very helpful!
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"glxw8nk",
"glxwi1q",
"glxwde1",
"glxwqmj"
] |
[
"Developers don’t write most of the code in their games from scratch. Instead, they either develop or purchase a toolkit that already includes most of the code required to run the underlying systems the game relies on. Then the developers use the core “engine” and associated frameworks to assemble assets (artwork, music, models, etc.) and their unique game logic."
] |
[
27
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
8hpxjd
|
How come steak can be rare but ground beef must be fully cooked
|
Chemistry
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dyllhyz",
"dyllpg7",
"dylljut"
] |
[
"Steak is relatively dense, so bacteria tend to be on the surface, which you will be subjecting to a lot of direct heat. If you grind the meat up, then you potentially allow any present bacteria to spread throughout the material."
] |
[
60
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
6kwaby
|
What is aloe vera doing for my sunburn?
|
Chemistry
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"djpgbh1",
"djq2jmt"
] |
[
"Being sun burnt is essentially your skin cells dying. Aloe Vera contains a growth Hormone that promotes the growth of new skin cells. Besides that it helps moisturise the inflamed area."
] |
[
35
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
dhs321
|
How do we know that the library of Babel is not fake?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"f3q0zfy"
] |
[
"I'm not sure i understand what you mean. But there is nothing partially difficult about what the library does. It just uses algorithm and a seed to generate a random string. Honestly not all that different from a Minecraft seed. You know it's not a hoax because the hoax would take just as much if not more work."
] |
[
4
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
n77sgh
|
What does it mean when music is played in a certain "key"
|
I understand musical notes but nobody has been able to explain to me what a "key" is in music. For example, how does "beethovens 3rd symphony in e-minor" differ from "beethovens 3rd symphony in f-minor"?
|
Mathematics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"gxbch3r",
"gxbgpro",
"gxbdqft"
] |
[
"A key has two parts - the selection of notes you use, and the specific note you choose to be the \"tonal center\" or home note of your piece. There are 12 notes in all, and you typically choose 7 of them to make up your scale. If you think of the numbers on a clock, and you mark 7 of them as \"your\" notes according to a pattern\\*, and one as your tonal center, you can get an idea of how that works. The tonal center is the one you typically come back to in order to give a sense of finality to your musical phrase or passage. Anyway, in the examples you use, E and F are the tonal centers, and the \"major\" or \"minor\" indicate the pattern by which you choose your 7 notes. In E minor, you'd center on E, and choose your 7 notes based on a \"minor\" pattern\\*. In F minor, you'd center on F and choose your 7 notes based on the same \"minor\" pattern."
] |
[
18
] |
[
[],
[
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-TzB8WewJA"
],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
c4pwfd
|
How do medicinal patches work and what is the process of how they generate their specific purpose in the human body? (Ex: nicotine patches, birth control patches, etc.)
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"erxqvsk"
] |
[
"The first job of any medication or drug is to get into the bloodstream, in almost all cases. So the job of someone making drugs is to deliver them effectively. You can inject them directly, but that isn't always appropriate - especially because then the body gets the whole dose into the bloodstream at once, rather than having it released slowly over time. So most drugs are delivered from outside the body, to the inside. This is easiest to do through the mucous membranes - the lungs, mouth, and gut - because they're *intended* to let molecules through. It's harder to do through the skin, because skin's entire purpose is to keep things out of the body. Enter the transdermal patch. The limit on these patches is that the drug they deliver has to have small molecules (to pass through the protective barrier of the skin) and has to be suitable for delivery in fairly small doses. They actually work very simply - they press the drug against the skin, and hold it there until it's absorbed. Some patches also contain other chemicals that help to make the skin more permeable - this may be by encouraging blood flow to the area, or opening the pores more widely, or dissolving the drug in something more easily taken up by skin. The dermis (the upper layer of skin) doesn't have a lot of blood in it, but the *epi*dermis (the lower layer of skin, the part anchoring it to the body) is *full* of capillaries and other blood vessels, so once the drug passes through the dermis, it's very easily taken up into the bloodstream, which will carry it around the body until it hits the cells which respond to it."
] |
[
8
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
i2rbtl
|
Can excessive sunlight make metal weaker?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"g06kdcs"
] |
[
"The majority of metals are unaffected at the temperature range that is provided by sunlight. It would take thousands of degrees for the metal to be deformed and weakened. We must not forget that sunlight does not only produce heat, but also UV rays. Other materials absorb UV rays and this would cause them to wear down or break due to chemical reactions However, metals are not affected by UV rays so this process wouldn’t occur. In short, no excessive sunlight or heat will not weaken metals which is why they’re used in engines, bridges, and cars."
] |
[
12
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
7axkse
|
How does speaker phone calls avoid feedback?
|
Whether it's on our cell phones or at work - speaker phones, how do the calls work so well without feedback? I realize that the quality is lower when using the hands-free or speaker phone but I still don't understand how it works at all.
|
Technology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dpenn7z",
"dpdrbvn"
] |
[
"Don't know about cell phones, but they probably do the same thing as a speaker phone. At least, one of them. Speaker phones are generally designed to try to physically isolate the speaker from the microphone. This minimizes how much the output is coupled back to the input through vibrations in the speakerphone itself. (This is obviously harder to do in a cell phone.) But that doesn't stop coupling through the air. The other thing a speaker phone does is to check for correlation between the speaker output and the microphone input. If it finds correlation, it subtracts the speaker output signal from the microphone input. Older/crappier speakerphones simply run in half-duplex mode...they don't allow output and input at the same time. That's not too common these days."
] |
[
5
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
dzteld
|
when "tuning" an engine... What are y'all doing under there?
|
Engineering
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"f8a2cp6",
"f8a7xm7",
"f8aang8"
] |
[
"'Tuning' in the strict sense means fiddling with the amount of fuel that's injected and the timing of the ignition. In pretty much all cars since the mid 1980s both are controlled by a little computer (ECU), so it's a matter of changing the data tables that the computer has stored. In the case of turbocharged engines the ECU also controls the amount of boost pressure, so it's often possible to increase the boost in software. In a broader sense of the word the things you do to increase the power output of an engine are centered around being able to burn more fuel. And in order to do that, you first need to increase the amount of air that the engine is flowing. Of course there are tons of different ways to do that."
] |
[
13
] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
n9kqxa
|
What exactly happens in the moment from being awake to falling asleep?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"gxp2gnz"
] |
[
"The answer to this question lies in the pre frontal cortex. The pre frontal cortex controls a few different things. Controlling breathing & body temp, maintaining a circadian rhythm, and sending out pain singles through our IMS. The maintenance of our circadian rhythm controlled by the pre frontal cortex only happens if our pre frontal cortex recognizes it is time for sleep. When it is time for sleep the body sends neurological S.L.E.E.P (solproxeenep) signals through our IMS and the body slowly turns to auto pilot basically. You begin getting lost in your thoughts and suddenly your so deep into them you can’t move. From that stage you forget what your thinking about as you think it and by this point your in deep sleep and the only thing that can wake you up is a memory of you shooting a basketball and you violently jump sideways in your bed and get so mad that you just fell for it again the 5th night in a row. Goodnight"
] |
[
26
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
9vdlxg
|
How do you qualify for tax credits?
|
Economics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"e9bbhim",
"e9bao5f"
] |
[
"It depends. Let's use the US as an example. There's generally some kind of action you need to take. For example, you can get a tax credit for buying an electric vehicle (like a Tesla). You can get a tax credit for having a child and an income under a particular threshold. Tax credits that a corporation or investor might take advantage of include the Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, which provides 10 or 20% credit on the total spent to renovate certain classes of historical buildings."
] |
[
4
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
bakp3w
|
How Does Sand Turn Into Glass?
|
Chemistry
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ekccfp2"
] |
[
"It's not \"sand\" that turns to glass, it's the primary ingredient in many types of sand that turns to glass. Silica is found in quartz which is one of the most common minerals on Earth. Most glass is made from silica, lime, and sodium carbonate URL_0"
] |
[
6
] |
[
[
"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soda%E2%80%93lime_glass"
]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
7i8564
|
Why in English "T" and "D" sometimes sound like a Japanese/Spanish "R"?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dqwtprq",
"dqwsgvk",
"dqwugjp",
"dqwwext"
] |
[
"Written language often doesn't convey all the subtleties of the spoken language, and the letters are often used to represent different sounds in different languages. (For example, in Polish, \"c\" is used for a \"ts\" sound.) The sound you're talking about is called an [\"alveolar flap\"]( URL_0 ): the tip of your tongue quickly taps the ridge behind your upper teeth. In North American English \"T\" is usually pronounced as a flap when it occurs in the middle of a word. At the beginning or end of a word, or in British English, it's more of a full stop to the airflow than a brief flap. This same flapping motion is used for Spanish \"r\" (but not for Spanish \"rr\", which is a longer vibration called a trill). One of the most common ways Americans mispronounce Spanish is by using the English \"rhotic\" R. The Spanish word \"pero\" is pronounced closer to \"peh-doh\" than \"pay-roh\". Japanese also uses flaps, though I'm less familiar with the subtleties of pronounciation. To wrap up: languages often share sounds, but the alphabet can't describe all the subtleties, and it's used inconsistently between different languages."
] |
[
29
] |
[
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flapping"
],
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenition",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flapping",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental,_alveolar_and_postalveolar_flaps#Alveolar_nasal_flap"
],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
5ppj0k
|
why can't Jewish people eat pork?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dcsxrkj",
"dcssa9u",
"dct96fo",
"dctdi9m",
"dcss8vj",
"dct2jk5",
"dcss92p",
"dctnlzo"
] |
[
"There's a theory that Jewish dietary laws were a way for people to avoid unsafe food. Before modern food safety, pork often carried diseases. Like all religions, there's a spectrum of how devout people are. Many modern Jews don't care about these dietary rules and eat pork anyway."
] |
[
47
] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
6gkhs9
|
Why is chocolate considered healthy for humans while it is unhealthy for most domestic animals?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"diqzaxg",
"diqzmvt"
] |
[
"Chocolate actually has the same effect on humans, we're just much, much better at metabolizing theobromine than most domestic animals. We would have to consume a substantial amount of chocolate very quickly to reach the level of toxicity a dog would achieve by having just a few pieces. They just can't clear the chemical from their system quickly enough to avoid the negative effects it causes."
] |
[
7
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
akpymz
|
Why does hot water make our skin dry?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ef74by7"
] |
[
"Hot water causes the pores (small holes) in your skin to open, allowing the oils which keep it hydrated to escape. Also, the heat from the water liquifies the oils (like melting butter) so they flow more easily. This is why taking lukewarm baths/showers is supposed to be better for your skin"
] |
[
3
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
ap3302
|
Why is the letter 'Y' only 'sometimes' considered a vowel?
|
Culture
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"eg5ezsz"
] |
[
"\"Y\" is considered a vowel when it can be used to replace \"a, e, I, o, or u\". As in \"shy\" or \"Mykonos\". \"Y\" is considered a consonant when used in words like \"yellow\" or \"yak\"."
] |
[
7
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
a1urxd
|
Why are you not supposed to eat grapefruit while taking medication
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"easuoe3"
] |
[
"It affects the breakdown and absorbtion How Does Grapefruit Interact With Drugs? Drugs or toxins are usually broken down (metabolized) so that they can be eliminated from the body. Grapefruit or grapefruit juice can alter enzymes in the body and affect how drugs are changed in the body before they are eliminated. Grapefruit juice decreases the activity of the cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) enzymes that are responsible for breaking down many drugs and toxins. Grapefruit contains compounds known as furanocoumarins that block the CYP3A4 enzymes. When grapefruit juice is consumed, the enzyme’s ability to break down the drug for elimination is decreased. Blood levels of the drug may rise, resulting in the risk for new or worsened side effects."
] |
[
4
] |
[
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
i6unh0
|
What is actually happening to our brain when we “think harder”?
|
When I can’t remember something or struggle to answer a question, normally the other person then says “think harder” and sometimes it works. Is there an neurological explanation?
|
Biology
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"g0y412a",
"g0zjey8"
] |
[
"In my brain? The voice just starts chanting “think harder. Think harder. No shut up, stop thinking “think harder” just think harder. Wait what were we thinking harder about again?..”"
] |
[
8
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
d0y8c3
|
Why is it that only propeller planes are used to fly into extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes?
|
Physics
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"ezf8f3n",
"ezfii2l"
] |
[
"Because the propellers(mostly turboprops WP-3 & C130 models ) cut hail and other debris in the clouds where as jet engines will ingest , which could damage the turbines and cause the engines to flameout"
] |
[
11
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
|
5ntah7
|
Why is it a bad thing if America and Russia become friends?
|
Other
|
explainlikeimfive
|
[
"dce59xd",
"dce5696"
] |
[
"First off, Putin has acted in ways more akin to the Soviets during the Cold war than any leader since the fall of the USSR, such as invading Ukraine, having opposition politicians and journalists killed. Secondly, the evidence suggest it's not about being best friends or equal super powers with them, but Russia gaining benefits through control of Trump at the expense of the U.S. or the rest of the world."
] |
[
11
] |
[
[],
[]
] |
[
"url"
] |
[
"url"
] |
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