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why when I eat spicy food my poop turns into water.
Turning poop into water was one of Jesus' less popular miracles.
Where does the money dissappear in a financial crisis like the one in 2008?
I believe it was never there. It was money 'shown' on shares of all the worlds companies. As soon as the confidence goes, the share price falls and therefore even with the same amount of shares the value is lost if no one is willing to pay for them.
Why is healthcare in the US so connected to religion?
One of the inherent values of Christianity (and one that is not practiced that well, imo) is taking care of the sick and the infirm. Providing medical care is a natural outgrowth of this belief. It is my understanding that medicine was not always the respected career field it is now. It was once sort of looked down upon because you spent your time around sick people, and were much more likely to get sick yourself. It took real selflessness--the sort that would be found in joining a religious order (please, no jokes about pedophilia), to help sick people. So, many hospitals were started by religious groups.
How does a gentle rocking motion help send people to sleep?
Because it reminds then of being in the woumb. Same reason that white noise lulls people to sleep.
How does Google or _URL_0_ still know my real IP address when I'm using a VPN?
They shouldn't be able to do that. But, as [this page on the whatismyipaddress website](_URL_0_) describes, it may be that the real IP address is being "leaked". The leak is using something called "WebRTC", which can be tricked into finding your real IP address and sending it to the server. The page also describes how to prevent this happening in several major browsers, if it's something you're worried about.
Why does human hair grow for so long that it has to be cut while the hair on chimpanzees or cats for instance just stop at a certain point?
I think that's because they have fur/body hair rather than hair. Poodles, for example, have hair and they need regular haircuts, i believe. I don't really know why the body hair/fur doesn't grow, probably just falls out before it gets too long... whereas the hair on our head doesn't do the same or had a longer life.
Why programs spend so much time shutting down/closing? Especially when I can force quit or even pull the plug without causing problems
Programs that are "Not Responding" aka taking forever to shut down or actually frozen, usually make use of multiple processes and/or threads. Today's software applications are not usually linear (take for example your word processing app or instant messenger) as they require a lot of concurrent tasks to be done in the background (Google docs saves everything as you type in the words, your internet browser has a lot of tabs open each responding to different requests etc.) It is when a thread or a process takes longer than expected to execute their function that such a thing happens. Data also needs to be saved. This is one of the major reasons behind exiting taking so long. Games have this problem along with other applications that use databases.
What actually happens when food or a drink "goes down the wrong pipe"?
I seem to be prone to this for some reason, I've never figured out why. I figured out years ago that when I feel this is about to happen (I can always get the sensation right before I start coughing) I just quickly bend over as if reaching for my toes. I can literally feel the liquid draining back up my throat and the problem is gone. I cannot stress how much this one weird trick has actually made my life better. It would happen so often, and I wouldn't feel right for a good 30 or so minutes after. Now I just bend over and I'm fine. However, I have the new problem of having to explain to people around me what I'm doing.
Why am I no longer hungry after being hungry for a long time?
You eat food and your stomach has stuff in it, then when it starts to be digested your body want to replenish the lost food in your stomach. After there is no more food your body adjusts to have little of no food and you wont get hungry for a little while. (this is a very simply explain answer there is a much more complicated scientific answer if you really want)
How can it be that my singing Hallmark card has more technological power than Apollo 11?
This trope is accurate when discussing processing power, but not technological power. I'm not even sure how one would measure technological power.
How is it that during the day I can see the moon and the sun, but on the opposite side of the earth it's night time and the moon is clearly visible?
If the moon is directly above you, the it will NOT be visible on the other side of the earth. It will be a dark, moonless night for them. If the moon is to your left, it will appear to the right in the sky of someone on the other side of the earth from you. The moon is high above the earth. Therefore visible to a large part of the earth simultaneously.
What's going on with the NBA?
Some NBA owners are terrible businessmen who negotiate contracts they can't afford to pay. The rest of the league can't tell them to fix it themselves, because as soon as they stop operating as a single entity they lose anti-trust protection. As a result, the league has to protect the mismanaged teams. They chose to lock out the players and try for a bigger slice of the pie. The difference between the NBA and the NFL lockouts is that in the case of basketball, its now the second or third most popular sport in the world. This gives the players enormous leverage, as a majority of them can find work overseas. And remember, the players want to play, its the owners that locked the doors. That's why you don't see the players chomping at the bit to compromise. The lockout hurts the owners more than the players, and eventually they're going to need to generate revenue outside of jersey sales.
Why do people become more religious as they get older?
Statistics notwithstanding, you're generalizing. I'm in my 70s, never thought much about religion when I was young (because my folks were thoroughly secular and didn't care about religion), but as I've gotten older I've become more and more aware of the damage religious belief and doctrine does to people -- especially younger people who have been brainwashed. The older I get, the more ANTI-religious I become.
The concept of the trinity and Jesus his sacrifice.
God took a piece of himself, and turned it into a human with superpowers. It was a separate person, but still part of God. He was then sacrificed, and returned to God. Now he's like God's son.
When nuclear bombs are tested over water, what happens under the water's surface?
The water's surface is vaporized immediately due to the extreme heat. Those water vapors travel upward and mingle with all of the radio active particles before going far up into the atmosphere. Those tiny water vapors carry radioactive particles with them until the vapors condense and fall as a rain drops. Then you have radio active rain.
how a suppressor can thread into a barrel, and the bullet still pass through, since there is now less space?
Threaded barrels have the threads on the outside, not the inside. The suppressor will thread onto that, so the internal barrel diameter will not change. [Here's a picture of the threadings on a barrel.](_URL_0_)
Why are movie tickets so expensive?
If that were the case, they would do it. The prices are pretty carefully figured out to maximize profit. If they cut the price they wouldn't get enough people to cover the lower per-ticket price, and if they raised it they wouldn't get enough extra to cover the lost people. Note that this balance point is different for different theaters, that's why ticket prices vary.
When you look in a mirror why is left and right reversed, but not up and down?
It isn't left-right reversed. It is front-back reversed. It *seems* like left and right flip because in order for you to normally turn yourself around, you rotate to one side or the other 180 degrees. If you were a being that normally faced the other direction by rolling yourself forward or backward 180 degrees, mirrors would appear to flip your up and down.
If i cut a human in half using a sword at the speed of light will i kill him instantly?
[Everything within roughly a mile of you and your target would be leveled, and a firestorm would engulf the surrounding area. Where you stood would now be a sizable crater.](_URL_0_)
Why are men better spacial thinkers?
Hunting and warring require spacial thinking more than raising children and collecting berries.
Why do cops always get paid administrative leave after abusing their power instead of being fired?
Paid administrative leave isn't their punishment. It's just a tool to allow an investigation to commence without them potentially interfering in that investigation, or even possibly making things worse for themselves or for the organization by their continued actions. It's basically, "Stay out of the way until we figure out what the actual facts are." *After* the internal investigation, they may be punished (including being fired) depending on what was discovered.
Why does my voice sound different (and awful) when it's recorded and I hear it replayed?
When you normally hear your own voice you are hearing two distinct things. First, you hear the normal sound waves coming through the air, into your ear just like everyone else. Second, you are hearing the bone conduction. This is the vibration that your voice causes in your bones that gets transferred to your inner ear. The combination of these two is what you think of as your own voice. Other people only hear the first part. It sounds so awful to you because it sounds kind of like your voice, but slightly off. The familiar thing that is changed just a little is more disconcerting than a completely different voice.
Why Does Adding CO2 To Water Change Its Taste?
When CO2 dissolves in water, part of it actually undergoes an acid-base reaction with the water. That reaction creates a small amount of carbonic acid (H2CO3). Being an acid, it makes the water taste mildly sour. The taste also can vary depending on the origin of the water as well as the process of carbonation.
when someone finds treasure, do they get to keep it?
It's a big, fat it depends. Typically if you find something, you have an obligation to try to return it to its owner. Only after you do that and wait long enough does the property become legally yours. However, there are laws governing salvage and abandoned property that apply. If I go through the effort to recover something from 200 feet underwater, you can't just swoop in and take it because it was yours. Finally, many gov'ts have asserted that treasures are protected historical artifacts, and will try to claim them on that basis.
How much damage does a beer, or 2, or 3, etc do to your physical health?
In moderation? Unless you have an alcohol triggered medical issue it's gonna do damn near nil to your overall health.
Why isn't there any war on japan. Are they simply peaceful?
Japan is also isolated and has the full backing of the us navy, so no one will mess with them. Attacking Japan would be basically the same as attacking the us. Japan giving up offensive military capacities and having a permanent us navy base is part of the WWII concessions. US basically took over Japan and decided what they could and could not do. Left them with a new gov't and now maintains a permanent presence. _URL_0_
In very remote places (e.g. 50km from your nearest neighbor, 2 hour drive to the nearest small village) in places like Canada, Scandinavia, Alaska, etc, what jobs do people do to sustain themselves?
In Australia they are generally cattle stations, large areas of grazing country breeding cattle for export. In dry areas, there can easily be 50 km between station homesteads.
Why are the tips of our fingernails white?
I'm sure you've heard about [tape over frosted glass](_URL_0_) trick right? Your nail is actually rough on the underside, especially with bits of dead skin still attached. The part of your nail that didn't grow out is firmly "adhered" to the nailbed so it appears translucent because the hydration provided by the nailbed smooths the rough underside like the tape smooths the rough side of frosted glass. If your nails are better hydrated then they dry out slower so sometimes they might still be transparent immediately after growing out (the same way the tip of your hair tend to be drier than the root).
how do blind people know where to find the little Braille signs?
They don't know where to find them, they just check the most obvious locations, you may notice that the signs are at natural level in a natural location and not hidden.
How the "Mass Effect" concept works
It's a made up hand-wavey sci-fi excuse to not think too hard about how your video game spaceship gets from place to place. There is no scientific explanation.
What did Aristotle mean when he said man was a "political animal"?
Aristotle constructs man as a fundamentally political animal as opposed to other philosophers like Hobbes or Locke who construct man as individuals who just happen to enter into a society for individual benefit. Aristotle was a realist, and since the only men who exist purely alone were either "beasts or gods", it makes no sense to construct society as a conglomeration of fundamental individuals. Like bees, we exist *only* as part of a broader social structure. What makes us more political than bees is what Aristotle calls ορισμος, translated as "definition." Humans can understand and, more importantly, describe to each other abstract concepts through the use of definition and language. This allows us to discuss things like ethics and debate the purpose/nature of our societies, something that bees cannot do. They are more akin to robots. There's *a lot* more to this, my thesis on the topic was 100 pages long, but that's a condensed two-paragraph explanation.
Why was Muammar Gaddafi such a bad person?
Mostly the standard dictator spiel - took power in a coup (albiet overthrowing a monarch rather than a democracy), ruled undemocratically, suppressed any opposition. He distinguished himself by his particular attention to cultivating his cult of personality. He was a particular villain in the West because he identified as a socialist, opposed the US, and aligned himself with the USSR during the Cold War. The most prominent incident that brought him scorn was when he ordered the [bombing of an American airliner in 1988](_URL_0_). He was basically a classic dictator who was particularly antagonistic towards the US.
How are traffic light timings decided? Is there a kind of formula for determining timings?
The short answer is yes. For individual signals or small networks, the timing can be figured by hand, but for larger networks, civil/traffic engineers use models and even purpose built computer software to link every light in a massive network together to try to prevent jams and keep traffic flowing. Contrary to what feels right, the longer a "cycle" (green yellow red green) is, the more efficient an intersection tends to be.
Why does plastic get hot when you bend it really fast?
Essentially: Hot means heat. Heat is energy. The energy comes from forcing mechanical energy (bending it) into the plastic itself.
On a given construction site, why are there usually 4 people standing around doing nothing or watching someone work, for every 1 person actually working?
Construction worker here. Sometimes there is nothing that needs doing, especially if you're a laborer. Sometimes the task is a one man task and the other workers are not needed. Sometimes the people standing around are foremen. Sometimes something arrives on site that halts business, like a crane lifting huge panels, so everyone is either helping the crane or watching it. Construction sites are pretty busy places, and skilled workers often skip breaks or go for longer. There usually aren't many lazy construction workers, just lazy sites.
Redditors, what's the difference of Best, Top, and Hot?
"Top" has the most up votes. "Best" takes into account the ratio of up to down votes, how quickly they get the votes, etc. "Hot" are those which are getting votes and responses regardless of if it is highly voted overall. "Hot" would tend to include highly controversial comments which the former options may not.
What would happen immediately if i were to hold something that was incredibly radioactive
You'd end up like this guy: _URL_0_ > Over the next nine days Slotin suffered an "agonizing sequence of radiation-induced traumas" including severe diarrhea, reduced urine output, swollen hands, erythema, "massive blisters on his hands and forearms", intestinal paralysis, gangrene and ultimately "a total disintegration of bodily functions"
Scientific Theory vs. layman's idea of theory.
Scientific concept of a theory: "Based on our testing and observations we believe this is the way things generally work." Layman's concept of a theory: "All that science and you guys only have a *guess*?"
Is there any way to solve a cubic equation in the same way you can solve a quadratic equation using the quadratic formula? Basically, is there any 1 formula that can solve a cubic equation.
There is a [general cubic formula](_URL_0_), it's just difficult to memorize.
What keeps other countries from "bringing the war" to US soil?
Look at a map. You see those two huge blue things in between the US and everyone else? Turns out, they're a pretty great defense against an invasion.
why is it that destroying things makes me feel better when I'm angry?
Many times you are angry because you have no control over the situation, and there is nothing you can do make things better. Breaking stuff means you have control over those things, and over the outcome. You chose to to do something, make sure it's get done, and get gratification from the results.
The differences between cow's milk, soy milk, and almond milk.
Well almond milk is blended almonds in water and soy milk is blended soy beans in water. I'm not too familiar with cow's milk but I assume it is blended cow and water
Why can't you drink rainfall?
Living as I do in the rural western U.S., I was initially astonished at your question. For people going "off-grid" in my region, collecting rainwater in cisterns, for household use and not just gardening, can be a viable choice, and I know plenty of people who do it. So, I'll have to answer your question with two others. "Says who?" and "Where are you?" Those questions being asked, I'd be inclined to say that rainwater *is* safe to drink, as long as 1) you aren't living downwind from horrible sources of atmospheric pollution, and 2) you take reasonable steps to ensure the water isn't being made dirty by whatever you are collecting it with.
Why does turning the batteries (in a remote control for instance) provide a little bit more energy?
The battery contacts get corroded by a thin film of oxide, and moving the battery scrapes the oxide clear or moves to a spot with less oxide.
why are are Americans so precious over their right to bear arms?
Precious? Is that the adjective you meant to use? Your question is pretty loaded by the way. No pun intended. And there are plenty of people in America who are pro-control.
Why isn't Latin spoken anymore?
The Roman empire spread Latin all over Western and Southern Europe. In most parts of the empire, Romans did not make up the majority of the local population. There were Gauls, Celts, German tribes,... who through Roman occupation developped an own kind of Latin, a dialect. Fastforward a few centuries and all these Latin dialects have evolved. Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian are all languages who have evolved from Latin, you can see a lot of similarities between them. That's why we call them Roman languages.
Why does a hovering helicopter rotate with the Earth?
The helicopter was already rotating around the earth when it took off; no force counteractive to this motion acts on the helicopter after it has taken off. As such there is no change in its rotational motion. The air is after all also rotating around the planet at the same speed. This actually raises an important point, which is that we (and everything else on the planet's surface) are not solely in circular motion because of friction, like a coin on a turntable. Instead, we are moving at a constant speed that is constantly being accelerated towards the centre of the earth by gravity, which is more resemblant to a ball spinning on the end of a string. Basically, the thing holding the helicopter in the spin is gravity and that's there regardless of whether its on the ground or up in space.
Why do Television News Programs get locations completely wrong on maps so often?
In the past you had a newspaper once per day. The journalists supplied the stories, editors checked them for editorial issues, content checkers (that's a job, not some feature of your word processor) would fact check them and when the newspaper went to the printer it was checked and double checked. Then some people in the publishing company (news paper or TV or internet) went from "If we get rid of the content checkers who don't generate any contents anyway, we can save ourselves money on that." and the content checking was then done by people who were supposed to do editorial checks. And then the editorial checks got cut down because the stories coming from the journalists were good enough. So, nobody is checking the content before publishing, nobody is checking the facts before publishing. And that is how you end up with embarrassing mistakes like Brussels ending up in over Paris.
how does sound travel on the ISS
The air inside the ISS (the medium through which sound inside travels through) is travelling right along with them and isn't accelerating. It's no different from how you're able to talk normally on a plane despite going ~2/3 the speed of sound. Or why when you toss a ball up in a vehicle it doesn't fly to the back.
How come a lot of styles 50 or so years ago dated very well, yet a lot of styles from only 20 or 30 years ago seem to have aged horribly?
Actually, that seems to be the standard cycle. From my experience. In the 70s retro-style/fashion from the 30s was "in". Today, it's from the 60s. In the 70s and 80s, 60s style/fashion just looked ridiculous. Give it 20 or 30 years, and we'll be reliving the 90s. Get your flannel shirts ready!
The difference between RAM and hard drive memory.
I always call RAM "memory" and hard drives "space" when talking to non-IT. It clears up a lot of confusion.
Why can i vividly remember something from 10 years ago but cant remember what I ate a week ago?
Our brain has two places where memories are stored - one is temporary and another is permanent. So everyday things like the food you eat, dress you wear,etc. are stored in the temporary compartment. Other things that happen during the day - like you getting your first car,etc. too are stored in this unit. When you sleep at night, our brain sifts through the temporary folder and finds out things that are important and need to go to the permanent folder. So the food you eat is trivial, but your first car is important and gets into the permanent compartment.
Why do objects turn bright red when very hot?
All objects emit some radiation, as objects get hotter, the frequency of the radiation gets higher. Objects that are around room temperature emit radiation that has a lower frequency than we can see. As the objects get hotter, the frequency goes up until we can see it as red, then yellow, all the way up to blue. This might lead you to think that eventually really hot objects will emit only ultraviolet radiation that we can't see. However, objects don't emit just one frequency of radiation, they emit an entire range. The strongest frequency might be red, purple, or in the ultraviolet range, but there are always other frequencies emitted, most below the strongest frequency. So even if the strongest frequency is above our visible range, frequencies in our visible range are still emitted, so an object will never "disappear" because it's too hot.
How is it that approaching rain has a smell? What is it that we're smelling an hour before a storm arrives?
My old organic chemistry professor explained the smell of rain coming in class once. It's also on his [website](_URL_0_): > People often think that they can smell rain coming before it actually starts to rain. Strange, as we would be in rough shape if we actually could smell water as it makes up most of our bodies (imagine being able to smell your saliva!). > There is a simple explination [sic] that seems strange at first. Organic compounds are much more soluble in wet air than dry and the world is full of molds that produce organic compounds with aromas. Typically gust of moist air preceed [sic] the onset of a rain storm and this wet air brings with it the smell of the molds. TL;DR Rain-a-comin' = more humidity. Chemicals we can smell are dissolved in the water in the air, such as molds. More humidity, therefore more smelly chemicals. Hence, rain smell!
How does a person that never drinks untreated water not become ill after swimming in a lake or ocean?
You are absolutely right to think that we ought to pick up diseases. The reason we don't is because the authorities go to great lengths to ensure that the water we swim in is kept relatively free of nasty stuff. It's [not recommended](_URL_0_) to swim in water which is not properly managed and monitored.
What is so appealing about Doctor Who?
I hated the first couple random episodes I watched. Totally didn't get it or the people who like it. Yet now I'm a great fan. I got sucked into that universe immediately after watching the 2005 first episode with Rose and the ninth doctor. It may have been a more accessible entry point because the doctor, the companion and I were new together or simply because that doctor was not so campy and over the top. Dr Who can be very weird and hard to get into, but it is also a 'Hotel California' state of mind that you can never really leave. Dr Who fans are Dr Who fans forever. The main thing I love is that the superhero is a doctor who helps people and other creatures feel better and we all win when nobody dies. Yeah. It soothes my inner three year old.
Why does some tap water have so many small air bubbles that it looks like its actually white?
I think OP asks the milky white type of water that takes some time to clear up. That's caused by the pressure in the main pipes. Water needs pressure so it can travel from the reservoir to your home. Increasing pressure makes air more soluble and it mixes in easily. Once it is near your faucet, the water loses pressure and the dissolved air separates, leading to super small bubbles that create a milky white appearance as these bubbles also disperse light (similar to fog effects).
Why does Kim Jung Un wear a western suit?
They don't really see suits as "innately western," they also use architecture designs from the west and even the Android operating system (though heavily modified). Because it works fine. There's also evidence he himself isn't anti-west, seeing as how he went to school in Switzerland, loves US basketball to the point of inviting Dennis Rodman. It's an act put on for his peeps, and the messages largely target the leadership & political ideas of the west anyway, not really their products or stuff.
3D that doesn't require glasses, like the Nintendo 3DS
It works because the LCD screen on a 3DS is not your conventional LCD. It uses a technique that basically splits the images sent to each eye based on the angle the eye is to the display. You know those funky strips that changes the picture when you move it? (also super fun to scratch and make those sounds) It's a similar effect, only your brain interprets the result as 3D even though it isn't in the sense of everyday objects that you can hold.
Why are mobile games so shallow and bad compared to even the much older PC/console games?
How many of those old console and pc games were free? Mobile games generally are simply thinly veiled skinner boxes. Get you hooked on shallow expectation-reward cycle and tease you with micro transactions. There is no incentive to make them GOOD, no incentive to make them a story based game to play for hours on end. There are some fun ones out there but they're being made for a new market with different "play patterns", they are built to suit many short bursts of play time and built to encourage micro transactions to support an otherwise free game.
Why do our tastes change over time?
Very likely our tastes change for the same reason everything else about us changes: We grow, we have new experiences, we learn new things. Most of the cells in our bodies are less than seven years old, and our brains rewire pathways every time you learn something new or have an emotional experience. So there is every reason to think that your tastes will change over time. *Example: You eat chocolate covered marischino cherries because they taste amazing; but one night you eat an entire box of them, get sick, and violently throw up, leaving the taste of marischino and bile in your mouth. After that, cherries (especially marischinos) just don't seem as good as they used to.*
Why is calling Obama a socialist considered an insult? What's so wrong about that type of government anyways?
During the Cold War, the "enemy" of the United States (as well as most of the wealthy world) were all self-proclaimed socialist nations (The USSR and China being the largest). The word "socialism" has come to represent all the things US Americans prefer about their way of life to that of those countries: freedom, democracy and capitalism. So to call someone a socialist is often to associate them with the brutish Communist societies of the Cold War. Objectively, Obama is not a socialist. Socialism is any social system where the means of production (ie, all the things presently owned by employers like machines and tools as well as land) are "socially" rather than privately owned and controlled. Obama is more accurately described as a Social Democrat, someone whose ideal society is quite capitalist but with a government who often intervenes to improve efficiency and fairness.
Why do I get irritable when I'm hungry?
Because the animal inside you activates and you engage in "Predator" mode, doing everything in order to secure food and guarantee the survival of your species.
How death works and why it can"t be undone
ICU doctor here. True death is when the brain is dead. When we test for death, we are looking for brain activity. The ability to cough, gag, breath, etc. When there is a question if somebody is dead, we do a perfusion scan that checks to see if the brain is receiving blood. True death or brain death cannot be reversed. Cardiac "death" occurs all the time and is reversible. When the heart stops, we use medicines, chest compression and artificial breathing to try to protect the other organs. When the heart stops, damage to the other organs quickly occurs because those organs are not receiving blood, oxygen, and glucose. Often we reverse cardiac death through life support mechanisms only to realize that the patient is actually brain death. In contrast to the current case in the news, most families understand this and want their dead loved one disconnected from the artificial support.
How come people might stutter when they talk, but you don't stutter when you sing a song?
Music therapist here. It's the same reason why people with traumatic brain injuries who loose all ability to speak can sometimes still sing. The speech center of the brain is located in a very small part of the left hemisphere. When we are speaking, that part of the brain lights up. But music is associated with many parts of the brain, in the left and right hemisphere. Essentially, more of your brain is working. I'd advise everyone to check out the story of Congresswoman Gabby Gifford who lost her ability to speak after a gunshot to the head. Over the course of many months, and work with a speech pathologist and a music therapist, she regained her ability to speak through singing. Now the opposite side of her brain lights up when she speaks. #musictherapytransplant
Why do Crypto-currencies need to be 'mined'. Why can't they just be created in a certain amount and then bought and sold at a set rate?
The "mining" is really running the brains of the encryption itself. Without miners, their is no computing power to protect the currency or make it work. That really was the novelty of bitcoin. An independent economy where helping the currency run paid you in the currency itself.
How is a single-machine software license recognized when it's being used on that machine? Is it registry-tied or IP-address-tied?
It depends. You can do it to Windows key or a GUID which is a bit more complex. You can tie it to an IP address, but that's generally not a good idea because IP addresses are not necessarily fixed. Its better to tie it to physical attributes. This is called hardware binding. For example, your MAC address can't (usually) be changed. But what if you had to swap out your network card. So use HDD serial # or CPU serial #. Modern hardware binding uses a combination of several physical components of your PC... so long as only a few of them change during an upgrade it won't invalidate your license. Or there could be a physical crypto device like a USB key that is attached. Or there could be a crypto file somewhere hidden on your PC. Lots of ways to do it.
If someone was brought up without being told about sex, would they still know what to do?
Yes indeed....humans, and all other mammals, have a sex drive hard wired into our brains. No instructions necessary.
Why do windshield wipers push the water to the drivers side?
The wiper is vertical when it reaches the driver's side, getting more water off than the passenger side.
Why can't we provide internet by using the same technology that broadcasts television shows?
The TV setup has two BIG perks the internet doesn't. * It's a one-way connection. * The messages are being broadcast to no one in particular with little concern about privacy. Your internet is bi-directional AND intended to be a connection that's potentially private for just you. This results in a **TON** of extra overhead in routing data, encrypting it on a per-user basis, etc. For wireless TV broadcasts, the antenna at the TV station has no ability to listen *at all*, and there's no system in place to distinguish unique users (like there is for cell phones).
how the reddit frontpage is determined
The most amount of upvotes in the shortest amount of time. Or at least that's how I understand it.
Explain how full immersion while living in another country is the fastest way to learn another language?
That's how you learned English and you were fluent in a few years.
Why is it that you sometimes get the sensation of falling when you're about to fall asleep?
That is a phenomenon called the "[Hypnic Jerk,](_URL_0_)" and it's very common. Scientists don't really know the cause but it may be attributed to anxiety, caffeine or stress. (I know I get it more when I am overtired). They also happen after you fall asleep, but you don't notice it. As you grow older, they become less frequent.
Why is Russia's cyberattack against the White House not a bigger story?
The scope of the breach was very limited. To our knowledge, it was limited to essentially the President's schedule and agenda. There was no classified information and the breach did not extend to more secured parts of the system.
How are some physical traits able to skip through a generation?
You have two copies of each gene, one set from your father, one from your mother. Each copy is called an _allele_. Alleles can be recessive or dominant. If you have one dominant allele from one parent and one recessive from the other, the dominant allele will be expressed. Only if you have two recessive alleles will that version of the gene be expressed. So, it's easy for some traits to skip a generation if they're recessive, since there are more ways for a dominant allele to take effect. Let's say you have the a recessive big nose gene. The dominant allele is N and the recessive one is n. Mother - N, father - N = NN, a small nose Mother - N, father - N = Nn, a small nose Mother - n, father - N = nN, a small nose Mother - n, father - n = nn, big nose
Why the LAPD cooperated so much with OJ during his chase?
In a fantasy world, we'd imagine that LAPD would call the local military base, and have a fighter plane or attack helicopter fly out and disable the bronco with a missile, bomb or some gun. Maybe have a sniper ahead on the road, shoot the driver or engine block with a large bullet. Maybe have an officer in an armored car drive into the bronco, somehow disable it and a bunch of officers swarm it in some kind of shoot out. Problem is, OJ was armed, in a car with someone, and the streets and overpasses were filled with lots of bystanders and gawkers. He was being followed in the air by multiple news helicopters, police helicopters, a convoy of police cars, etc. He can't escape, just let the situation calm down, he has to stop eventually. There is no immediate threat, let it go play itself out. Much like the stand off in Oregon, they just let it peacefully fizzle out, and arrested everyone, with only 1 person dead. Compare that to the mess that occurred in Waco, TX with the branch davidians, or the Weavers.
Why do big computers have fans but little ones don't?
A fan in phone would make it too fat. So it uses a heat sink instead. When it reaches maximum temp it then bottlenecks itself til working temps ate resumed..
Why do military and police forces often side with the corrupt governments when the people rise up against oppression?
FYI, they don't always side with the government. _URL_0_
Why do foods that are bad for you taste better than things that are healthy?
We've evolved to feel rewarded for certain chemicals and compounds because they are vital for our survival. However, in modern society, we can get them in abundance. Our bodies haven't evolved a way to say 'hey wait, that's way too much of a good thing.' So we over-consume and the excess has deleterious effects on our health.
How does a company such as hooters get away with hiring only large-breasted waitresses? How is this not an ongoing discrimination lawsuit?
In employment discrimination law in the United States, employers are generally allowed to consider characteristics that would otherwise be discriminatory if they are bona fide occupational qualifications (BFOQ). Female employees are required to sign that they "acknowledge and affirm" the following: My job duties require I wear the designated Hooters Girl uniform. My job duties require that I interact with and entertain the customers. The Hooters concept is based on female sex appeal and the work environment is one in which joking and entertaining conversations are commonplace. I do not find my job duties, uniform requirements, or work environment to be offensive, intimidating, hostile, or unwelcome. [Source] (_URL_0_)
Why is it after all my ex has put me through, one conversation can undo a ton of work I've made in getting over them?
Most animals seek out the best possible mate. Unfortunately, lots of people think that if somebody treats them like shit, it means that person must be highly desirable. They can afford to treat the "little people" (ie you) like shit, because they are getting chased by tons of people like you. And it can be almost addicting when that person gives you even the slightest bit of attention... like if George Clooney talked to me, like it or not, I'd probably turn to mush. Honestly, with age it should get better. You stop caring so much about "the chase" and start looking more deeply at the people around you.
Why does my stereo measure volume starting in the negative decibels?
"Decibel" or dB isn't a unit of _URL_0_'s a way of measuring things with large ranges relative to some arbitrary value. dBFS is the measurement for digital signals, and 0dB is the maximum. dB V is the measurement for analog voltages, dB SPL is the measurement for sound pressure level in air. All are different and mean different things. And you have to consider what it's measuring. Is that the amp gain? The signal going through it? It's all relative. 0dB *SPL* is the threshold for human hearing. 0dB V is moderately low signal. 0dB FS is the highest possible digital signal without distortion.
How does Apple know whether or not a charging cable is "certified"?
There s a chip inside the lightning cable that tells the phone that its a legitimate chip approved by apple, if the phone doesn't see this, then its not legit. Yes it can be hacked, thats how some knockoff cables from China were introduced.
How come it's harder for countries in South America and Africa to modernize as compared North American, European, and Asian countries?
South America wasn't founded on wanting freedom, it was colonized to extract resources and enrich its colonizers. Then there's foreign interventions in South America. Here's a [map](_URL_0_) of US interventions. Then there's home-grown problems like class divisions.
Why are most popular websites created by Americans?
English, plus the largest portion of internet traffic is American, so anyone who can appeal to the American market will find it easier to make a popular website.
How does outside/fast lane of a motorway get congested to the point traffic is at a standstill?
The scene. Nobody wants to drive in the slow lanes because they're full of lorries (UK here)so they're traveling at 60. So the next lane in gets full of cars doing just a bit more than the lorries maybe 65 to 70. So you've only got the fast lane to overtake in. Car doing 70 overtakes long line of cars in the middle doing 65 and every body sticking to the fast lane at 75+ back up behind them. Even worse when you get a lorrie doing 60 overtaking one doing 58, takes forever for them to get past and all the cars doing 65 are now in the fast lane.
When people drink alcohol, cravings for and use of cigarettes is increased greatly. Is there a scientific basis for this, or is it purely habitual?
Alcohol is a depressent, nicotine is a stimulant, the two go very well together. Alcohol also lowers inhibition and impairs judgement, meaning you are more likely to give into a craving, and less likely to care about the implications of doing so (stinky breath, cancer, ugly looks from non smokers). Mixing things that slow you down, with things that speed you up, is seen in a lot of situations. At a certain level, smoking while drinking is a very light version of speedballing heroin with cocaine.
Why do puppies smell funny?
Dogs produce an oil naturally that has a slightly yeasty smell, (the so-called dog smell). This oil is produced to protect the dog's skin and hair. Most often, dogs end up picking up bacteria on their skin when they are outdoors. The combination of the oil and bacteria produce what many call the "wet dog smell". Dogs don't sweat over much of their bodies, however they do sweat on their nose and paws. That, combined with any bacteria they run in to, most likely explains the smell. Source: My girlfriend's mother, a vet tech for 15 years.
Landing on Jupiter? Possible?
There is no conclusive evidence about Jupiter having or not having a solid core. The scientific consensus is that it PROBABLY does a solid core, surrounded a liquid metal layer and then finally a gas layer. Your spacecraft would probably be crushed fairly early on, or attacked by the nasty gaseous atmosphere, or be destroyed by the magnetic field, etc etc. Failing all that, you'd hit the liquid metal layer and you'd be getting to the point that it is too dense to go any further.
How could I successfully argue with co workers when they observe near record low temperatures and declare, "global warming doesn't exist."
The correct term is climate change- it is not about just warming but a shift toward more extreme weather patterns.
Why do large companies sign a 10-20 year building lease when that comes close or exceeds the building value?
Often it's a cash-flow decision. Purchasing the building outright costs a lot of upfront money (which either has to come from assets or from a loan... which is basically like a lease but with more terms and conditions) and adds uncertainty to the end of the 10-20 year time frame if the company wants to move somewhere else. They would either be stuck with a building they didn't want, or have to sell at a price they can't predict. Signing a lease for the building locks in a yearly rate for their office space that they can count on and plan their long-term books around without worrying about risks associated with the property.
What exactly do courtroom artists do, and why are they a part of some trials?
Especially in high profile cases people want to know what's going on. Nowadays if become more common to televise events. But before this was the case Judges often banned media like pictures and video in thier courts. So courtroom artists would sketch parts of the precedings for newspapers to use.
Why Aren't Third Party Candidates Allowed to Debate?
Right now, the debates are only for candidates of a certain party. When the parties have nominated their candidates, third party candidates would be able to debate if they polled high enough.
How do floors get mopped, garbage cans get emptied, plumbing get repaired etc. in top secret areas? Are there janitors with high level security clearance?
Areas like that have "clean desk" policies where everything has to be secured in locked drawers when you are not at your desk. If it is somewhere with constant activities then the people there take their trash to somewhere outside the room where it gets collected.
Why do objects at a distance look so much further away in photos?
You used a relative wide angle lens. It has a wider field of view than your eyes so things appear farther away. You could use a more "normal" focal length (~50mm) to make things appear as you see them, or a longer lens to make things appear closer.
what does it mean to label China as a "currency manipulator"?
There currency exchange rate is set by the government. They set it so you can buy a lot of yuan for your dollar. This makes their exports cheap since when you buy their exports you pay in yuan and if you have dollars you have to exchange dollars for yuan and you'll get a lot of yuan for the exchange and so you can buy a lot of chinese crap that will end up in alandfill.
Separate Facebook Message App - Why the mandatory breakout separation?
It solves the problem of having to deal with a large amount of code. Something the size of the Facebook app requires a large number of programmers to maintain, and programming gets harder the more people you have to add to a project (there's a book called The Mythical Man-Month that goes into this in depth). Having multiple smaller projects allows them to improve both products faster.
What is a Fibonacci Sequence?
A sequence of numbers, starting with 0, 1 where every subsequent number is the sum of the two previous numbers. 0 1 0+1=1 1+1=2 2+1=3 3+2=5 5+3=8 8+5=13 and so on. Hence, the Fibonacci sequence starts 1,1,2,3,5,8,13... Edit: realised 5+8 != 11. I'm an idiot.
How do investors pick franchises and are they preferable to starting a business on your own?
Investors pick franchises based on what they think will be the best fit for where they want to operate their business. Several things come into play, such as the cost of the franchise, the amount of support they get for that money, the appeal of the product in that market, and how much competition there is for that product in that market. And buying a franchise *is* starting your own business. But the difference is that you get a brand name that's (at least somewhat) established, a product line, training and other manuals, and often regional and national advertising.
When in flight why does the propeller of an airplane look like its moving really slowly?
This is called aliasing. Basically your eye cannot sample light fast enough to follow the actual speed of the propeller. Instead it samples at a rate, then pieces together the images to produce movement. If the properller spins 1.1 times between images, your brain makes the assumption the propeller moved 0.1 revolutions, and thus sees the propeller moving at 1/11th it's actual speed. If the propeller moves 0.99 revolutions in the sample time, your brain will assume it is spinning backwards at 1/99th the actual speed.