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Why are bitter citrus fruit harder to peel?
The bitter ones we humans haven't cultivated into tasty fruits that are easy to eat. The closer to natural you go, the less sweet and harder to peel citrus get.
How do lottery ticket companies make sure their workers don't track down the winning tickets that they print?
A computer prints the numbers on the scratchoff tickets as they roll through the printing presses at a thousand tickets a minute and the machine also coats the tickets with the scratch off coating in the same process. So when they come out of the press all the employee sees is the completed tickets in a giant stack. They have no way of knowing which tickets are winners unless they are upper management of the company who program the software. Those employees are heavily scrutinized at all times to make sure there is no way they can cheat the system.
Why do astronomers look for planets that could possibly support life when it is technically impossible to transfer the population into it? And even traveling would take many, many years.
Many years ago going to the moon seemed Imposible, Negativity ain't gonna bring ya nowhere bruh
Are facial expressions natural or a construct of our society?
[Studies show](_URL_0_) certain facial expressions are universal. A study of blind people has shown that "anger, contempt, disgust, sadness, surprise and multiple types of smiles" were consistent across the seeing and non-seeing.
What it takes for a Third World city to achieve good governance and a high quality of life for its residents ?
There is an entire academic discipline devoted to this question. If anyone had a definitive, ELI5-able answer for it, they'd probably have a Nobel prize coming.
Why does it make a difference in taste, if the water I brew tea with has boiled or not?
It's about temperature and solubility. Coffee is the same way, you're toeing a fine line with certain flavor compounds that come out at certain temps. For instance, if you boil the water, once it's all mixed in with the tea leaves it'll sit at say 204F (95C), this is hot enough to get all of the good flavors out of black tea, but in mate will draw out bitter compounds, if you use water that hasn't boiled and it's steeping at 190F (87C) then it won't be hot enough to draw all of the desired compounds out of black tea, but will be perfect for mate because it won't draw out the bitter compounds.
How is betting different to buying shares?
They are somewhat similar in the fact that there is a chance that you will either lose or gain money in both situations but that's as far as the similarities go. In a bet you either win or lose and, in turn gain or lose a predetermined amount of money. When you buy a share, or "stock" in a company you are actually buying a very small percentage of said company. If the company does well and grows, your percentage in the company will be worth more money. If the company starts to lose money and shrinks, you're percentage will be worth less money. For example, if you buy a .1% share in a company that is worth $200,000 it would cost you $200. Now let's say the company does well and a year later is worth $500,000. Now your .1% share in that company is worth $500 and you could sell the share for that much to turn a $300 profit. Now obviously if the company starts losing money your share would be worth less than what you paid for it.
How were cartoon sound effects produced such as those from Hannah-Barbera and 80's-90's anime?
They had people called "foley artists" who would record unique sounds. Some of these sounds would be kept in a library of sounds that could be reused, other sounds would be recorded specifically for individual purposes. They'd use anything and everything imaginable. People still do it today, and it's not just cartoons. _URL_0_ Some sounds are really obvious, like walking on concrete. Other things you have to improvise more. Like, the sound of walking on snow might not sound enough like walking on snow- sounds contradictory, but sometimes real sounds aren't as exaggerated as we'd want them to be. So maybe for walking on snow they'll instead walk on crackers, or maybe in molasses, or maybe in bread dough. Whatever sounds right.
Why do i sometimes hear voices in my head when trying to sleep?
Very few schizophrenics hear voices the way you describe them despite common misconceptions. So please ignore those fears. Instead you are engaging in a very common phenomena know as a pre-sleep dream or Hypnagogia. During the onset of sleep the brain fires impulses despite relaxation occurring and produces small figments of dreams. I often have vivid lucid dreams personally, but others experience a whole range of effects, from eyesight changes to even sounds and twitches.
Why are white rats mainly used for studies instead of other rodent species?
Lab rats are often of a particular strain, or a family that mice are taken from that are as genetically identical as possible. This is to be able to conduct effective studies on the effect of individual genes, and partly to limit the effect of genetic diversity in influencing the results of trials. Several of these strains, though not all, were derived from albino rats.
Why is the Magna Carter so famous ?
It is the "Magna Carta" and it was a document signed by the Nobles of England and was the first document to start to limit the powers of Monarchy in "modern" European history. It is the touchstone base for what became the British Parliamentary system and was at least in part one of the influential documents for the US constitution.
Why is time considered an Illusion?
Time isn't an illusion, it's a fundamental parameter of the universe. It's not a construct of human imagination it's an inherent property of the universe.
The differences between rocks, minerals, gemstones, and crystals?
**Rock** is a more generic term for any kind of hard, brittle mineral composite. Usually they're mostly silicate with some impurities and their structure varies significantly between types. Rocks have classifications and types, but usually not a specific chemical formula. A **mineral** is more specific, they are naturally occurring materials with a defined chemical makeup. Some regularly form crystals, others do not. **Gemstones** and **crystals** are highly pure minerals that have formed large orderly structures. They may or may not be transparent, depending on the mineral and purity. Usually "gems" are transparent mineral crystals used for jewelry purposes. Take, for example, [Iron Pyrite.](_URL_0_) It's a *mineral* with a defined chemical composition, FeS2. It can form cubic *crystals* under the right conditions, but is also present as a trace mineral in some *rocks*. It's brittle, opaque, and not terribly attractive, so it's not going to be considered a useful *gemstone*.
Why do investors buy collapsing companies debts?
There are quite a few reasons they do this, and a lot depends on what the bankrupt company does and why it is bankrupt. Possible scenarios include but are not limited to: * A company is bankrupt but still has assets that can be of value to the purchaser such as a built-in customer base, a valuable brand name, physical assets like machinery or equipment, etc. * A company purchases a bankrupt competitor so that they cannot be resurrected by someone else and then compete for marketshare in whatever business they both operate. * A cash-rich company purchases a company that has gone bankrupt due to lack of capital, and believes it can revive the company with an influx of cash.
Why is there controversy over the seasonal starbucks cup?
Because there are no snowflakes on it and it is plain and christians think they are denouncing christmas..... Im not joking
Why do movies from the 60s and 70s (Dollars Trilogy, Spartacus, Lawrence of Arabia, Bond films) appear to be both visually sharper/textured, more saturated, yet less deep/dimensional than films from the 80s up to the present?
I don't think I agree with your premise, but there are several things that could be going on. For one thing, movie prints can fade and need restoration. The older movies you speak of are all classics and you've probably seen carefully restored versions of them. Whereas most movies from the 80s may be too new to get that treatment. (Or, if you're talking about DVDs to be specific, too new to have gotten that treatment at the time they were digitized). Also, the movies you mention were all such major productions that they would have had top notch cinematographers; it wouldn't surprise me if the average movie from the 80s had worse production values than the best movies from the 60s. Do you have any examples of 80s movies you mean? And what do you mean by 'deep/dimensional'?
If the Unverse is constantly expanding, what is it expanding into?
Dr Karl had a nobel laureate in physics (Brian Schmidt) on his show a few months ago, and he pointed out that what you need to bear in mind is that you aren't talking about space expanding, but rather spacetime. In a sense, you could look at it as "expanding into" the future, he said.
How are spies from foreign countries tried in courts in the United States?
Most likely they get charged with espionage in accordance with the Espionage Act of 1917. The crime is against the US as a whole so the defendants will be tried in Federal Court. Any lawyer they can afford can defend them and if they can not afford an attorney, an attorney will be provided. Why would the US listen to foreign countries regarding US domestic law?
will they ever go after the actual person(s) who wrote and built the code for Volkswagen to cheat the emissions testing?
When a company does something wrong, you sue the company, not the CEO, or the manager, or the engineer. This is what's called corporate personhood. So no, they won't go after the person who wrote the code.
Does night mode have a practical function, or is it purely cosmetic?
It is easier on your eyes. Bright light is especially bad at night since it can trick your body into disrupting your circadian (day-night) rhythm, leading to insomnia or other sleep issues.
Why does the Thompson SMG have a higher muzzle velocity than M1911?
barrel length. once a round exits the barrel it's no longer being pushed by the pressure of the explosion of powder. If you increase the time (read: length) that the bullet is pushed the more velocity is imparted onto it by that force.
Why do diabetes 2 patients sometimes need amputations??
They are generally also at high risk to develop peripheral artery disease, where plaque deposition in the arteries of the limbs starts restricting blood flow. Eventually flow is too restricted to properly support the tissue, and it can die or become severely infected.
If you were to only drink 3,500 calories, and not eat any calories, will you still experience gain in weight? What's the different between calories you consume eating versus drinking (like soda, a starbuck caramel frapuchino, etc)
calories are calories. but some calories come with vitamins and minerals and fiber whatnot etc that your body needs. if you eat 3500 calories vs drink 3500 calories and get the same vitamins and minerals and fiber whatnot etc it's exactly the same.
Why are my visual memories sometimes in third person?
It's pretty common. After some time, episodic memories become semantic memories. That is, memories you can visualize become facts you can recall. So sometimes when we try to recall those memories visually, it's in third person because you are wanting to see yourself. You may be able to find that with a little effort you can recall a memory in first or third person.
What is it exactly that makes noise when you hear sizzles while standing under a high voltage electric line?
These are [corona discharges](_URL_1_). The electric field becomes sharp enough immediately surrounding the wires that any randomly-generated free electrons in the air will crash into other molecules and produce more free electrons and ions. An AC corona alternates between positive (electrons inward) and negative (electrons outward) modes. This process produces sound at the same fundamental frequency as the line. If a grounded object approached the line it would develop a corona of its own. Coronae are conductive and if they touch an arc will be formed. AC arcs absorb energy in pulses when the voltage difference is highest. So they *also* produce sound at line frequency. These sounds have rougher waveforms than sine waves, so they sound different, more of a "zzzp" than a thrum. _URL_0_
What data does Windows 10 actually send to Microsoft? Is it really anything bad?
It actually sends every keystroke you type. Now Microsoft says this is to help improve it's spelling corrections, but with a warrant the FBI could use it for other things. It's not stored for a long time, by default, but that doesn't mean they couldn't be ordered to keep records for longer. Cortana sends every sound made within earshot of your computer microphone to Microsoft. That's where it is processed and analyzed. It's a hot mic in whatever room your computer is in listening to everything said. Not for a bad reason, according to Microsoft.
If games can render near photo-realistic graphics in real-time, why does 3D animation software (e.g Blender) take hours or even days to render simple animations?
Games use a lot of tricks to fake the photorealism at less cost than doing it for real (compressing textures, popins, etc.). The most important one is the lighting. You may notice that shadows don't always look right in games. You know how when you hold something colored under a light, it starts to glow that color? Games don't do this because they don't simulate the light for real, they change the textures to make shadows and light. Real animation software takes no shortcuts and renders things with full textures and full detail. This software often calculates the path of each ray of light bouncing around the area until it runs out of steam. This calculation is what takes all the time because there are millions and millions of light rays to trace. Fun sidenote: a few weeks back, Nvidia managed to make real-time Ray tracing possible using some new technology they're developing, but so far it still take colossal amounts of power to run.
Why do multi-vitamins contain more than 100% of certain nutrients?
Something people haven't patronized yet on here is bioavailability & bioaccessibility; even if it says 100%, you don't really get a 1:1 ratio of access/usage from it, same as when you eat food. Also, the daily recommended requirements are often really low, more like a "this is good enough so you don't outright have an issue", not "this is optimal".
Why car manufacturers sometimes have different names for the same car model in different markets?
Sometimes it's a marketing reason, and sometimes it's copyright or trademark law. For example, back in the 1960s, Ford wanted to export the Mustang to Germany. However, a German company, Krupp, was already using the name "Mustang" on a line of delivery trucks. Because Krupp already had the rights to use the name "Mustang" on a vehicle in Germany, Ford had to [re-badge its car as the "T5" when sold in Germany](_URL_0_).
Why do some people not remember anything when they get drunk?
To expand on tstorm1986's comment, I believe ethanol specifically inhibits the short-term-to-long-term memory transfer process, thus making those people unable to remember even the smallest action more than 5 minutes afterwards, or as soon as they start thinking of something else. ELI5 version: A tiny amount of the liquid in alcoholic drinks heads up to your brain and tells your brain to stop making memories indefinitely. Eventually, your body gets rid of all the drink, through one end or the other, and the brain starts making memories again, but it is too late to make memories of everything you did the night before. Also, the simplest solution to your "Wake up feeling horrible" problem is to just drink plenty of water before you go to sleep drunk. EDIT: Changed "inhibits the short-term memory process" to "inhibits the short-term-to-long-term memory transfer process", as per [ritosuave's](_URL_0_) comments/research. Go ahead and give him a few upvotes.
Why is it considered grammatically incorrect to use 'ain't'?
I ain't saying that you're wrong, but I ain't saying you're right either. It's not grammatically incorrect to use ain't, it's just informal. In any formal writing, "am not" is much preferred. Funnily enough the word "amn't" which actually makes my spell check say it isn't a word is also defined, and is also therefore grammatically correct, but is again informal. Tl;Dr it's informal, not incorrect
how could depression affect us physically?
It often makes your sleep and appetite wonky, which makes you feel physically bad in other ways-- if you've been asleep all day and haven't really eaten, you'll probably feel like shit.
If Colds are passed on by an infected creature, how did the first creature get it?
We're not really sure how viruses started. A virus is basically a chunk of DNA (or RNA) on it's own that can break into living cells and take over those cells to make it produce more viruses. Nobody's sure if viruses evolved as an offshoot of cellular life or if they're just a random corruption of broken-down cells.
Why don't televisions and other screen resolutions use "rounded" aspect ratios, e.g. 2000 by 1000 instead of 1920 by 1080?
Read up about [aspect ratios](_URL_1_). Turns out that the first widespread standard ratio was 4:3, based upon the size of the physical film commonly in use. That particular ratio means that if you want both dimensions to be integers rather than including fractions thereof, there are only a few plausible ratios that work, i.e., numbers which are multiples of both 4 and 3. 400:300 would work, but that's a pretty small screen. The next "round" ratio is 800:600--which is actually the SVGA standard. After that you get to 1600:1200, the UXGA standard. There's a list [here](_URL_0_), and as you can see, there are only a few ratios on there with "round" numbers. This means that if you're trying to maintain a standard pixel density, you probably need to use "not-round" numbers for a lot of aspect ratios and screen sizes. I mean, you *can* stick to "round" ratios, but the result would not be satisfactory on many screen sizes. Hence the use of intermediate conforming ratios, even if the numbers seem a bit arbitrary.
Why are we using a loud, obnoxious *BEEP* to censor curse words?
I was thinking the beeps are used for a humorous effect. If we can't have curse words out in the open in case there's children watching, we can at least have a laugh at the obnoxious beeping.
Why is my voice so much deeper in the morning?
When you sleep, your vocal cords get looser, (vocal cords are muscles) so the vibrations are more bass-like. It takes a couple of seconds to tighten them up though
Why do electric cars have such a low top speed for their horsepower?
Perhaps they are more concerned with efficient power consumption than going faster than a Lambo?
If just a couple "specks" of fentanyl is enough to kill a person, and one can overdose merely by touching it, how is it that people are able to ingest it without dying?
Prescription drugs are obviously produced in a form factor such that people won't immediately die from being around them. The fentanyl lollipops that are prescribed do, indeed, have only tiny amounts of the drug in them. But they're repeatable and reliable because they're manufactured by real drug companies who can be sued if someone accidentally overdoses because a lollipop is three times the marked strength. That's really what makes illicit use of drugs, especially opiates, so dangerous: the actual amount of active ingredient you get per "dose" varies widely from source to source and even from batch to batch. If people were able to buy pharmaceutical oxycodone from CVS, they would overdose much less frequently, because they would know exactly how much to take given their tolerance.
Why do dogs grab their toys when really excited?
They associate smells with objects too, which can draw them to things like owner's shoes. Showing off toys is less of a natural dog instinct, and more something we condition into them by praising them when they do cute stuff like pick up toys to play with
Why do most animals have tails but humans do not?
We did have a tail at some point in our evolution. But now we only have tails during part of the time we are embryos but it reduces to the tailbone or 'coccyx' before we are born. The functions that tails serve can all be accomplished by us through other means such as hands for manipulating objects, language for communication and the visual system and ear canal for balance.
The location methods used by explorers like Columbus to record their findings and navigate home
[Columbus was the first sailor who kept a detailed log of his voyages. We therefore know how Columbus navigated, and that he was a dead reckoning navigator. On the first voyage westbound, Columbus sticks to his (magnetic) westward course for weeks at a time. Only three times does Columbus depart from this course: once because of contrary winds, and twice to chase false signs of land southwest.](_URL_0_) Columbus made very good time on some days of his voyage, as good as sailing vessels achieve.
what do doctors/forensic specialists mean when they say a bullet "bounces around"?
Because the body isn't a piece of homogenous mass. You've got bones inside you, and bones are pretty damn solid, especially compared to soft lead bullets. And as the bullet travels through you, all that mass begins to slow it down, making it more susceptible to ricochetting off something.
Why are operating systems written in C?
Your OS needs to care about all the low-level details like interfacing with your hardware or managing memory. Languages running in VMs (Java, C#) or interpreters (Python) do not offer such functionality and adding them does not make any sense from a language point of view (because you actually do not _want_ them).
Why is running on a treadmill so much easier and less tiring than running outside?
As far as I understand, the belt turnover of the treadmill contributes greatly to helping you run. The belt is guiding you towards running and as a result, most "serious" runners don't equate their time on a treadmill to be the same as what they would do when running outside. Aside from the ground not being a moving belt to guide your steps, on a treadmill your feet/legs/body is also landing on a softer, more flexible surface rather than crashing into the immovable ground with every step. Tl;dr: You just have to keep from going backwards on a treadmill, but outside, you have to keep moving forward and pushing against the earth.
Why would a company like Mars modify one flavor of a candy like Skittles and then refuse to go back to the old flavor in the face of monumental backlash?
"Monumental backlash" often is nothing more than a vocal minority complaining loudly and often about something they don't like. Those people are also likely to continue buying the product in spite of their vocal distaste. Mars knows that these people will fade away soon, and they probably haven't seen any appreciable drop in sales numbers, so they're not going to change their minds.
Does Earth appear as a bright planet?
A few million light years away? That is an insane distance. Our entire galaxy is only ~100,000 light years in diameter. Even one lightyear away would be too far, not only is our planet not that bright, it is minuscule in comparison to the sun so anyone trying to look for us would just see our big, bright sun. This is a struggle we have in our search for planets outside of our solar system, no telescope is powerful enough to see them, however we are able to detect them by other methods.
Why betting the same amount on two boxers to win will not always give a payout due to differing odds.
Any real-world bookie is going to adjust the odds and payouts so that they get a cut for themselves (the vig). They're not working for charity.
Why does PBS get the rights to BBC content where other networks do not?
Downton Abbey is not a BBC production; it is created by ITV, a commercial television company. So whatever is the reason that PBS gets British shows, it's unlikely to be a specific agreement between them and the BBC.
How do coaxial cables transmit so much data with only one pin?
Coax can carry more bandwidth (as in frequency spectrum). RG-6 coax can carry somewhere 1-3Ghz while Cat 6 Ethernet (8 wires) can only carry about 500 Mhz. The reason is the shielding is so good and the impedance of the RG-6 coax cable is guaranteed over a long distance. HD TV channels only need 6Mhz so a single RG 6 can carry roughly 166 channels simultaneously without switching.
Why TV's/Monitors are rectangle and not square.
We have two eyes, next to each other. So our area of vision is wider than it is tall. Screens reflect that fact.
The difference between Gray and Grey
Same difference between color and colour. Continent-based spelling differences.
Why do accents seem to disappear when singing? i.e. why do Aussies, Brits and Kiwis all seem to have american accents when they're singing?
This old ELI5 had some real answers in it: _URL_0_ What I understand is that accents are largely derived from how long you hold certain sounds when speaking, but when singing regional differences go away because we all try to hold the same sounds the same length to sing "correctly."
Why is it wrong to discriminate against people for their political beliefs but there is public outcry when someone is anti-gay marriage etc.
This post is not asking for a layman-friendly explanation to something complicated or technical, so it doesn't belong here and it's been removed. Entirely subjective questions generally belong in /r/askreddit. Asking "why is this wrong" or "why is this ok" is inherently subjective and so it doesn't belong here.
Why are tobacco companies allowed to continue selling products guaranteed to kill or do serious harm?
Because it is worth a lot of money to the government!
Tipped employees/tipped wages/etc/
Even with a tip credit, it is illegal for you to earn less than minimum wage. Your tips + wage must add up to minimum wage. It's a way to pass part of the cost on to the consumer for employee wages. Not sure what the original reason for it was though.
How do CEOs use their money if its all in stocks?
It varies. 1. A CEO only takes the "$1 salary" with lots of stock if they can afford to do so. So...in many cases, the money is indeed locked up, they just live off the rest of their money. 2. You can sell some shares, assuming your stock is in a company that is reasonably liquid. This could be company buy-back, could be a private sale or could be on a public exchange. 3. You get dividends. If the company pays dividends to shareholders, you get those. 4. you place stock in escrow in exchange for a loan. If you're a pre-IPO mark zuckerberg banks will line up to give you liquidity in exchange for the relatively low risk that a shit-ton of shares will be convertible to cash at some point in the future. 5. You get an investor who does a founder or shareholder buyout as part of the investment strategy (E.G. a PE firm or a late stage venture may buy from a general pool but may also be willing / interested in buying from existing shareholders.
The definition of Liberalism
Lots of people use the term to mean lots of different things. There is no one true definition anymore.
If feminist truly believe in equality then do feminist believe that men should have paternity leave as well in the work place?
Depends which feminist you ask. "Femnism" is not a unified, codeified set of beliefs, there are so many movements and groups and waves within feminism that there's no single answer to your question, and different feminist groups could argue for days over it..
What are the beliefs of the Church of Scientology, and why are they hated?
Their beliefs and practices are not fully known, the system is a hierarchy built on secret knowledge. It is one of the reasons they are hated and seen as a cult instead of a legitimate religion. Most religions will come to you door and tell you everything they know about what they believe for free. Also there have been many exposes on their coercive tactics for those that try to leave the organization. And people have even died suspiciously at their headquarters.
Why do most of us forget our dreams? And some remember every minute of it?
You remember your dreams vividly as soon as you wake up, but you begin forgetting immediately. Keep a journal next to your bed and the second you wake up, start writing down what you just dreamt about. Eventually you will remember your dreams in full detail and even begin to dream lucidly...which is pretty damn awesome.
Why are there only 12 notes in music?
It is all about the chords. Two notes played together sound pleasing when their waveforms line up nicely. Frequency ratios of 2:1 and 3:2 sound better than 13:9 or 23:17. 12, being divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 6, gives a lot of ways to hit these good ratios, in a way that 10 or 13 would not. Also, there are some musical traditions that divide the octave differently, with 18 and 24 being a common alternatives.
What is the difference between a "culture" and a "subculture"
A subculture resides within a dominant culture. The simplest example is probably the African-American subculture existing within the larger North American culture. So you can see both are characterized by larger patterns: both eat at McDonald's, shop at Walmart, and watch the NFL on Sundays. But then there are things that distinguish the African-American subculture, like the droopy jeans and hilarious content on twitter.
Why are sports contracts so outrageously high compared to avg worker wages?
Professional sports make a lot of money. LOTS of money. The players feel that they should get a reasonable part of the money being made because they are the major reasons why people pay money for season tickets, buy jerseys and hats, or watch on TV. If your boss made millions of dollars off of your work, you'd want to be paid fairly for it. And the best athletes know that they can ask for that much money and get it.
is drug resistant bacteria evolution?
Yes, it is. It's a perfect example of it. There's a bacterial population infecting someone, they take the antibiotics till they feel better, but not until they clear the infection. There's a few of the bacteria that aren't immune but slightly better at surviving. Once the person stops the antibiotics because they feel better, the infection come back but this time the population of bacteria is replicated from the few microbes that were stronger and so now the whole population is stronger. They infect someone else and we have to keep upping the anti on antibiotic strength but people keep repeating that process, making the stronger bacteria even better until we run out of something to use against them.
Why are there no heated snow shovels? I feel like this product is a no brainer.
My experience with shoveling has taught me that wet snow sticks to the shovel, making it harder to move or throw the snow. A heated shovel would take normally cold, "dry" snow and turn it into heavy wet slush that sticks to the shovel.
Why can we make synthetic oil but not synthetic gasoline?
we can. it's just not cost effective energy wise or money wise.
Why don't we have the $3, 60-year LED lightbulb yet? Why aren't LED bulbs getting cheaper as promised?
I think mostly with the longevity and power savings combined, they only need to beat the incandescent by so much before the accountant/actuary tells them they can get more money for the product. So, until we get a good old fashion price war.
How come some pictures look better at than others, even though they have lower resolution?
Lighting and visual 'noise' (or grain) are two major factors that affect the visual quality of an image in addition to the pixel resolution. Compression artifacts (when you save images in a lossy format like JPG) also affect the visual quality. Although lighting and noise do not affect the pixel resolution of the image, they do affect your ability to resolve detail in the image, and therefore effectively reduce the resolution in other ways. [This image](_URL_6_) and [this image](_URL_2_) provide visual examples of what visual noise looks like and how it affects the quality of an image. [This image](_URL_5_) and [this image](_URL_1_) and [this image](_URL_4_) provide examples of how different lighting and exposure conditions can affect the visual quality of an image and the ability to resolve detail. In terms of compression artifacts left over from lossy compression image/video encodings, see [this example](_URL_3_) and [this example](_URL_0_).
Why more games aren't made for OS X?
Historically, Windows PCs and Macs had different audiences: business and techie types for Windows, novice users and creatives for Mac (I'm oversimplifying here, but you're five, so don't complain). Incidentally, this disparity is the basis for the [Mac vs PC series of ads](_URL_0_) from a few years ago. But back to the point: until recently, video games have appealed more to techie types, who were much more likely to have PCs than Macs, so game developers (being techies themselves) would just develop for PCs and consoles. Put simply, the gamers didn't have Macs, and the Mac users didn't play games. Also, there weren't that many Macs around 15 years ago so there simply wasn't a business case for porting to Mac. Obviously, things have changed somewhat with Macs and iOS becoming much more popular and more games being written for casual gamers, but the crossover hasn't happened (yet?) for hardcore gamers. That's my take on it, anyway. Besides, can't you just run Windows on your Mac?
what is the point in giving high ranking Nazi's like Eichmann or Himmler trials, when they are going to be found guilty no matter what?
It's more about showing the world all their crimes, as well as giving formal closure to their victims and victims families. Also, no matter how severe your crimes, the right to trial still applies
For disc copies of games, why must we pay full price for a new disc if the original becomes scratched or broken? Why can't we buy a replacement version that's cheaper?
Most game companies do let you do that. Let you send in damaged disks for replacements in some warranty agreement.
What is the point of inflation?
Fundamentally, inflation gives everyone an incentive to spend and invest, because if they don't, their money will be worth less in the future. This spending and investment can benefit the economy. Inflation reduces the real burden of debt, both public and private. If you have a fixed-rate mortgage on your house, your salary is likely to increase over time due to inflation, but your mortgage payment will stay the same. Over time, your mortgage payment will become a smaller percentage of your earnings, which means that you will have more money to spend.
Auction Hunters, are those guys really lucky? or are Americans just that forgetful?
it's a scripted tv show. the producer of the show puts stuff into storage units and the actors get to bid on them
Would I die if I drank the water found on Mars?
Probably. Much of the dust on Mars' surface is composed of chemicals called [perchlorates](_URL_0_) which are highly toxic. If you were to drink water from Mars it would almost certainly have a lot of the stuff in there.
What will happen when Windows XP becomes unsupported? Why will it suddenly become vulnerable?
It won't spontaneously become vulnerable. It was already vulnerable, but every time a vulnerability is discovered, a patch is released to fix the vulnerability. Now the vulnerability will not be fixed.
Is there really any reason we still use the qwerty keyboard?
The hassle to change to a new keyboard layout would be too great for them to justify any new keyboard layout. It works, well for that matter, so there just isn't enough incentive to switch.
Why do we feel so groggy when we first wake up, but after doing some exercise so much better and alert?
Waking up in the morning is a dormant stage. After doing something such as push-ups, this sends more blood flow to the brain, as well as taking in more oxygen to spread throughout the body
Why do zodiac signs and horoscopes exist?
Historically, the stars were very important. Before we had GPS, or maps or clocks or calendars, or even *numbers*, they helped you navigate and told you what time of the year it was. But at the same time, humans had no idea what stars were and why they behaved they way they did. All the knew is when a certain constellation was visible after sunset, it was time to plant. Or if they sailed to a certain star, they'd reach their fishing grounds, and if they sailed away, they would get back home. Being intelligent and creative, it was natural for humans to try to come up with a reason behind the stars. Maybe that planting time constellation represented the fertility goddess. Or maybe that north star represented the god of the sea. Or maybe they weren't superstitious at all, and just made up little stories to help them remember. Either way, it eventually took on a life of its own and became a whole system of believe that had nothing to do with farming or sailing.
Why does ice in a plastic bag end up making the skin wet?
There's water in the air, it's called water vapor. Water vapor can't stay vapor after it cools down. It turns into water through a process called condensation.
If evolution is driven by natural selection, will the future of human race be affected by modern medicine since more people that should have been phased out can now live and reproduce?
Absolutly. The fact, that a lot of women today are not capable of giving natural birth is an outcome of this. In earlier times, if a womens pelvis was too small to give birth, she and her child would (probably) have died. Today, she can get a C-section and she and her kid will live happily ever after. Some smart people, however, have suggested that modern medicine and technology *itself* is a new stage of evolution, because it allows us to adapt to so much more than just our "natural" human nature.
With water shortages increasing, why don't we use sewage water to water and fertilize our crops? Wouldn't the plants benefit?
Our sewage treatment plant is state of the art and produces fertilizer/sludge that local farmers use on their land. One of the big issues with sewage treatment is the increased amount of drugs, mostly prescription, that come through the system. Some, I think are treatable, but not all of them.
Why does the 1st pancake you cook on a pan always turn out bad?
Because I'm terrible at making pancakes. For the record, the rest are no better.
Why is it easy to spin something around your index finger one way and harder to spin it around the opposite way?
It's just muscle memory. I can spin things both directions pretty easily. I just do it a lot.
the sensation of spicy. Do people who like spicy food have fewer or more taste buds that react to spice?
A fraction of the population are [supertasters](_URL_0_) which means they are more sensitive to certain tastes. Supertasters sometimes [avoid spicy foods](_URL_1_) but taste is pretty malleable (acquired taste). I've also noticed that the people who enjoy very spicy foods somehow manage to break down the capsaicin molecule (responsible for the spiciness of chili) in their guts. Therefore, it's not spicy for them when it's coming out the other end (but it burns so much for me).
How hard is it to create a software that zooms in on pictures without loosing to much information?
Imagine you made a painting out of little colored plastic squares (a mosaic). To zoom in on the picture would be just getting closer to it. Would you see more detail? No, the individual squares would just be bigger and easier to distinguish from each other. There is no more information to gain by looking closer.
Why does ice that has melted taste different than regular tap water?
First, when water freezes, some of the gases are released, so the unfrozen water is not as aerated. Second, when water is frozen in many refrigerates, the oders in the fridge are taken into the water. Some folks put an open box of sodium bicarbonate (often Arm & Hammer baking soda) to absorb odors, but this may not be as common as when I was five. (grin) Are you crazy? I'm afraid I'm not qualified to judge that.
Why do some sporting events start at odd times like 7:05 or like the Final Four games at 5:09, 7:54, etc rather than simply 7:00 or 5:00?
It works better for TV. Practically all TV is run on schedules of starting at the top of the hour or the bottom. For a sporting event, they want to have an introduction before the event starts. Sometimes they broadcast the singing of the anthems etc. they surely want to get some advertising in. They wouldn’t have time if the game started right on the hour.
why don't we have a picture of our face on credit card?
I used to have a debit card back in the late 90s that had my picture on it. I don't know why they stopped doing it but they did do it at one time. It could be people didn't want their picture on the card or maybe the banks didn't want the extra expense.
Why does the US Government keep on raising the debt ceiling incrementally and passing stop gap funding bills? Why don't they just make the ceiling higher by a huge number so government shutdowns happen less often?
Because politicians are douche bags. The idea is that if they regularly bring the debt ceiling up, they have a wedge issue to use to fund raise, to bicker over and the use as a bargaining chip for other legislation. They friggin' passed the budget that is causing the debt to increase and then fight over raising the debt ceiling?
Is picking and eating the contents of your nostril genetic? Also, is there a reason "we" do this?
I suspect this behavior is quite common, and that it's similar to when animals lick to groom themselves. Eating boogers could provide information as to whether one is sick, or perhaps help avoid leaving that information for predators.
How can Penn Jillette and Kevin Smith lose more than 1 pound a day if most advice is that only 1-2 lbs a week can be safely lost?
Not a physician here but I think one variable to consider into the equation is the amount of weight to lose until you reach your "healthy" weight. If you're 300 pounds and do even just a small change to your lifestyle you can easily crush that 2 pounds per week (been there done that). Also, this amount of fat lost (presumably its fat) is proportionally much smaller than for a person half that weight.
Why does the last half of a tank of gas never last as long as the first half?
Most car's I've had don't accurately measure the "true" last half. The level sender measures depth only, but the shape of the tank changes. Also I've noticed that if you check the manual for the tank capacity and the amount required for a fill, you can't fit that much. Even when the dash computer in my last two cars indicated 0 miles left to go I always seemed to have 1.5 to 2 gallons left based on the amount it too to fill the tank subtracted from the total capacity.
how do photos of scenery from r/earthporn and photos from r/spaceporn get these amazing photos that look different from what we see with the naked eye.
Very long exposures allow you to have a very small aperture. The smaller the aperture, the more the depth of field. Long depth of field allows objects near and far from the camera to be in focus at the same time. A deep focus field is one of the things that makes some of these landscape photos fantastic.
How do we know we 'discovered a new species' when it might just be a deformed reject?
Deformed rejects are rare. Fossils are rare. The chances of getting both at once are practically zero. Also, dinosaurs didn't have humans to take care of them if they were deformed, so the deformed ones didn't tend to last long.
Why do our face or ear turns red when we are embarrassed?
I'm not sure anybody knows for certain, but I've heard that it's essentially an involuntary reflex to show submission. When your face turns red, it's essentially showing "I'm vulnerable, so please don't hurt me". But I'm not totally sure.
How do submarines go underwater and come back up?
They are designed to be buoyant (lighter than the weight of the water they displace, up to a certain depth), and they pump in seawater to internal ballast tanks to increase their weight until they start to sink. To rise, they pump the ballast water back out again.
Is sound physical or chemical?
Sound is energy converted into vibration through air. Technically the physical stimulation of air hitting your eardrum. Therefore, it's a physical thing. All chemicals are physical, but not all physical things are chemical. But here's my question(s): 1. Why would *sound* of all things be chemical? 2. In what world are chemicals not physical? TL;DR - Sounds are energy.
Combustible vs. Flammable liquids
Combustible will burn, but you must ignite it with an open flame. Flammable (inflammable is actually more correct) can be ignited by a tiny spark.
How does an entire country block individual websites?
Simple. The internet is connected by wires. A country can control all the incoming and outgoing wires from their country. With the networking equipment connected to those wires, they can say "don't allow any data to be sent to or from _URL_0_".
why are we bombing the islamic state with aircrafts and not sending any troops on the ground?
Dead soldiers make for bad PR. Also, locals often will often blame the western devils them for their shitty situation, increasing the risk of a civil insurgency in any regained territory.