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r7kw3
|
Steven Hawking's, in In To The Universe, just claimed that 10 minutes after the big bang the cosmos was already thousands of light-years in diameter; how can this be possible?
|
Obviously this is so far faster than the the traditional speed limit of 1 light-year in 1 year, I can't thing of an explination other than the show misquoted Hawking.
[Oh and here's the clip for anyone thinking it might have been me who heard it wrong.](_URL_0_)
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/r7kw3/steven_hawkings_in_in_to_the_universe_just/
|
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"Expansion isn't measured in speed. The distances between two galaxies may increase due to expansion at such a rate that from Galaxy A's perspective, Galaxy B recedes at a \"velocity\" greater than the speed of light, but the key here is that it's not a real velocity. Nothing is actually moving. It's just the distance between them increasing, and therefore there is no limitation on the rate of expansion.\n\nAs for the video, it's probably talking about only the observable universe (the portion of the overall universe that we can directly observe) when it mentions \"the cosmos.\" A good portion of the scientific community believes the universe is likely spatially infinite, and so it would have no finite diameter (and never would have). "
]
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[] |
[
"http://youtu.be/gs-yWMuBNr4?t=5m4s"
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[]
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1jhf8f
|
why are ahmadiyya muslims, who appear in the news when they are either helping a community or being murdered, hated by the muslim community?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1jhf8f/eli5_why_are_ahmadiyya_muslims_who_appear_in_the/
|
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"Because Ahmadiyya represents a threat to the status quo and to the powers of the mullahs and politicians who use their false interpretations of islam for personal gain. Ahmadis are utterly peaceful and are only shown violence and oppression by the rest of the muslim world. Right away any rational person can see who would be following the true and real islam since islam is always said to be about peace. We have ahmadi's being murdered, and exiled and not lifting a finger in return, while on the other hand we have the rest of the muslim world raging and becoming very violent. Ahmadi's believe that the messiah of all religions has come, while other muslims still believe he will float down from the sky and perform magic. One is more rational than the others. It's scary for Ahmadi's that is why they are fleeing the regions of instability and going to places that respect the freedom of religion, while the oppressive countries are literally breaking apart from their own corruption and violence. It is like a sign that they don't see.",
"Ahmadi live by the motto \"Love for all, Hatred for None\". We don't just say these words, we live by them. Religion has no place in politics and so our community stays our of politics and is only concerned with Religion.\n\nAhmadi's have never retaliated for the persecution they receive, some of which is heart breaking, ex: _URL_1_ [NSFW] [NSFL] [GORE], you have been warned. \n\nSince we are not a political power and have no interest in politics (Islam teaching the separation of religion and state) our rights are easily taken away and persecution is legalized. \n\nNow as far as your question about why we are hated by the Muslim body? \n\nWell, the simple answer is that our translation of Islam differs from mainstream, but unlike the rest of the Muslims we do not fight (physically) for our rights, so we are a easy target. You would be surprised at all the sects accepted by mainstream Islam as being Muslims, despite all their non-Islamic behaviors, fatwas, etc. Majority of them are ignorant and instead of having intellectual debates on our differences, they use primitive means such as violence to try and suppress Ahmadiyyat. But what they fail to realize is that despite all their doings, Ahmadiyyat is spreading, from a small village in India to Mosques and prayer centers in almost all nations. It's quite a progress for a community which is just a little over a 100 years old. \n\nAnother big hint of Ahmadiyyat bring divinely guided is the prophecy of Muslims being split in 73 sects, and it is said, out of the 73, only one will be the right path and the rest are hell bound.\n\n > Abdullah bin Amar (RA) relates that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said \"Surely things will happen to my people as happened earlier to Israelites, they will resemble each other like one shoe in a pair resembles the other to the extent that if anyone among the Israelites has openly committed adultery to his mother there will be some who will do this in my Ummah as well, verily the Israelites were divided into 72 sections but my people will be divided into 73 sections, all of them will be in the fire except one.\" The companions asked, 'Who are they O Messenger of Allah,' Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said, \"They are those who will be like me and my companions.\"\n\nCurrently there at 72 sects (_URL_0_) in the fold of Islam, which are accepted by all Muslims as being Muslims. They might not agree with each other, but they all accept each others as misguided Muslims. However, the only sect to be unanimouslly banned by all Muslims from the 72 sects is Ahmadiyyat. Making it 72 on one side and Ahmadiyyat on one side. \n\nThe media reports on the good Ahmadi's do to try and spread the message of Peace and Love, and unfortunantly, it also reports the percecution we face at the hands of ignorant Muslims, who think they are doing Gods work. I would like to see them provide any support for their actions against Ahmadiyyat, Islamic teachings say not to judge who is a Muslim and who is Not a Muslim, Allah is the judge, not the Muslim umma. Yet they brand us as \"kafir\" and non-Muslim, and somehow twist the beautiful teachings of Islam to justify persecutions against Ahmadiyyat. \n\n"
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"http://www.real-islam.org/73_8.htm",
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8TJTG4yUSQ&bpctr=1375774183"
]
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||
5tdewh
|
when did blue became the standard color for ball pens?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5tdewh/eli5_when_did_blue_became_the_standard_color_for/
|
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"It really isn't the standard, but there's many reasons why it could be preferred by companies that manufacture pens. Here are some explanations.\n\nFor one, blue ink is distinguishable. If you're printing out a paper in greyscale, blue ink will stick out on the paper. This is especially important for official documentation such as what you get in the doctor's office. The color on the paper makes the person who's looking at it know exactly what you wrote without having to scan through the paper.\n\nAlso, blue ink makes an original document visible from copies. Since most copy machines use black and white printouts, the blue color of the pen makes the original document (the one scanned) easy to identify.\n\nAnother explanation is that blue ink writes better. The composition of the ink allows the pen to flow better on the paper.\n\nAnd finally, there might not be a reason. It's likely that when different colors of ink were developed that people naturally developed a preference for blue. Like black ink, it's legible but unlike red ink, still easy to read. This is probably the more likely explanation."
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5jsasn
|
how do we know anything about the unobservable universe?
|
I watched this minute physics [video] (_URL_1_)
and at 1:30 he said that the whole universe is at lease 20 times bigger than the observable universe. My understanding of the observable universe (from some [Wikipedia](_URL_0_) reading) is that it is the section of the universe that can be observed from earth because light from this section has had the time to reach earth. So since light is the fastest thing there can be how do we know anything about the unobservable universe?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5jsasn/eli5_how_do_we_know_anything_about_the/
|
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"We don't *know* much about the unobservable universe. It's unobservable.\n\nThat said, we *do* know stuff about the observable universe, *and* the fact that the unobservable universe comes from the observable one.\n\nSo we can predict pretty well that the unobservable universe follows the same rules as the observable one. \n\nThis means that we can predict from the age of the universe and the rate of expansion approximately how big the whole thing is.\n\nThat said, it's just a guess. If there was something that was radically different from the observable universe, we'd never know.",
"Strictly speaking we know NOTHING about the unobservable universe but we have no reason to think it's any different from what is observable.\n\nAlso an interesting fact about the rapid expansion of the universe billions of years means that the part of the universe that is observable is constantly increasing (and will continue increasing for billions more years until stuff starts to slip out of view), so we can \"universalize\" our current theories based on the new stuff that is slowly coming into view."
]
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[] |
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observable_universe",
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3MWRvLndzs&t=90s"
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[],
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fnhvqt
|
how do ventilators help people breathe and are they complicated to manufacture?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fnhvqt/eli5_how_do_ventilators_help_people_breathe_and/
|
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"They work by forcing air in and out of the lungs. Ventilation can be made using a machine or manually using a bag-valve-mask (BVM) device.\n\nThe main idea is to keep a good flow of air in and out and to ensure that a sufficient amount of the lungs is actually in use to allow the transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide between to and from the blood.\n\nThe machines are simple in that all they have to do is pump air in and pump air out. The complex part is making sure that the lungs are not overinflated, not stressed and sufficient air/oxygen/carbon dioxide is supplied and exchanged. There are other factors as well but these are the main points.\n\nAs an example of a complicating factor, the rate at which air enters and leaves the lungs is not just constant in, then constant out, but follows a quite complex curve - not sure if you've seen the respiration flow traces on one of the monitors.\n\nThere are a number of mode of operation of these devices to assist not just in the flow of gasses but also to ensure that the speed of gas flow is correct, that \"resting\" periods take place and so on. In fact the air flow into the lungs is extremely complicated.\n\nA very simple device but with many components to make it safer and more effective to use - this is what makes them complicated. Then there's all sorts of interesting issues regarding medical compliance, testing, certification and so on.\n\nHope this helps.\n\n & #x200B;\n\nEdit: received my first gold - thank you kind anonymous redditor!"
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3vehtr
|
If heat and sound are both vibrations of molecules, what's the thing separating them?
|
I remember reading in physics textbooks over and over that heat is vibration of particles, and so is sound.
So, what's the threshold? What decides where heat ends and sound begins?
|
askscience
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3vehtr/if_heat_and_sound_are_both_vibrations_of/
|
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"There isn't really a clear dividing line, but heat energy is more random and represents energy that has spread out among all possible vibration modes, while a traveling sound wave will be more organized and concentrated in specific vibration modes. As sound dissipates into heat the energy spreads out into other modes of vibration until it is diluted as much as possible. ",
"Sound is a wave. It means coordinated movement with a beginning, an end, a velocity (both speed and direction), a frequency, and an amplitude. Sound possesses all those measurable properties of a wave.\n\nHeat is just the average kinetic energy of molecules. These vibrating movements are random in both direction and magnitude. And they're (mostly) perpetual (outside absolute zero). The key word is *average*. Each molecule could be vibrating slightly different from the one next to it. The only measurable property about them is their *average* kinetic energy.",
"Heat and sound are two different physical \"entities\" (in lack of better words):\n\nHeat is *any* transfer of energy to a system from its surroundings (or other system) that is *not* work. What is work you may ask? To properly define these two different forms of energy we must go into the realm of statistical mechanics:\n\nConsider your system, i.e. a solid slab of metal or some fixed volume of gas. This system can be in *any* of a given number of *microstates*. A microstate is label that completely specifies the configuration of the system, i.e. (microstate 1) = (particle 1 at position r*_1_* and moving at velocity v*_2_*, particle 2 at r*_2_* and moving with v*_2_*, particle 3 ...). Each microstate comes with a certain energy E*_i_* (In quantum mechanics we call the microstate with lowest energy the ground state and all states with higher energies are excited states). The energies E*_i_* are determined by internal factors such like kind of particles and their mutual interactions and by external factors such as the system size and external forces like applied electromagnetic fields. Now there are two ways you can change the energy of the system:\n\n1) Keep external factors fixed but change the microstate of the system: E*_1_* -- > E*_2_*, the change in energy is thus dQ = E*_2_* - E*_1_*.\n\n2) Change the external factors so the energies of the microstate changes: E*_1_* -- > E*_1_*', the change in energy is dW = E*_1_*' - E*_1_*.\n\nThe change in energy by method 1) is called heat, the change in energy by method 2) is called work. If both things happen during some thermodynamic process the total energy transfer is dU = dQ + dW.\n\nWhat many people think of when they talk about heat is temperature. The reason is that if you take your system and connect to a heat bath (big macroscopic system) with temperature T energy will flow between the system and the heat bath until the temperature of the system is also T. During this process the systems energy has changed by dU = dQ, i.e. heat as been added since we haven't done any work. When the system and the heat bath is in thermal equilibrium the energy of the system is not constant but rather fluctuating around some average energy < U > , since particles in the heat bath are continuously bumping into the walls between the two systems given or taking small amounts of energy.\n\nThen what has temperature to do with vibrations? When the system has any temperature above absolute zero it is rarely in its ground state. Instead there is a high chance it is one of the excited states with energy E*_i_* = < U > . In fact there are *many* states with energies < U > or close to < U > , because one state where moves with speed v in one direction has the same energy as another state where it moves with speed v in another direction. Many of these states correspond to states with different variations and amounts of vibrations and rotations. When the system is connected to a heat bath we do not provide (or know) which of these states will be excited and they thus effectively come with equal probability. So you can say that \"temperature vibrations\" are vibrational excitations that come with equal probabilities.\n\nLastly: What is sound then? Sound is a controlled excitation of a specific (or range of specific) vibrational modes - i.e. it comes with 100% probability. When you are sending a specific sound through the system you are in effect doing work. A sound wave has some energy E so when you send a sound wave through your system its energy is U + E, but if the sound wave does not get attenuated and absorbed by the system it will just propagate through and deliver its energy to some other system (or reflect back to the original system), i.e. this process is *reversible*. If its fully absorbed by the system it will excite more less random excitations in the system so that its internal energy becomes U*_2_* = U + E and the temperature increases - this process is *irreversible*, since we don't expect a coherent sound wave to spontaneously form from the random excitations due to temperature.\n\nPHEW!",
"Sound is a periodic change in density of an material.\n\nHeat probably isn't the word you're looking for, as heat is the amount of energy transferred between systems.\n\nTemperature can be naively related to statistical moments of *random* velocities of particles in large ensembles. This can be even further stretched to relate it to vibrations of molecules/atoms of a solid, but outside of naive high-school physics, it's starting to be a little too wrong. A formal definition of temperature in context of (quantum and classical) statistical physics (only really meaningful place to define something like temperature in a more abstract way) is that it's an parameter that describes how much the entropy changes with change of internal energy of a system (or rather, temperature is actually the inverse of this parameter).",
"You're confusing two different types of \"vibration\".\n\nSound is a *pressure* wave. A sound wave is a difference in pressure (or density, if you prefer) that is propagating through a medium. Think of it like one guy in the back of a large line of people shoving the guy in front of him. You will see that pressure wave travel through the line as each person bumps into the next person.\n\nIt just so happens that vibrating a physical object, like a speaker or a guitar string, will create sound (pressure) waves - so that might be where you're getting confused.\n\nSound waves have little to do with the absolute temperature of the medium. Think of the temperature as the average movement speed of each individual in that line of people. Although the whole temperature being related to the average movement of a bunch of particles is not totally accurate."
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10fd3t
|
Historically, have we ever hit a "peak oil" like situation with other commodities? What should we expect?
|
I was watching a [documentary](_URL_1_) over at [r/documentaries](_URL_0_) which talked about how people don't understand the concept of exponential growth, and the coming oil crisis. In the documentary the professor said that we have already reached peak oil, and to expect things to get much worse from here on out. Are there any historical case studies of a life-blood economic commodity like oil running out, and if so what were the repercussions of the event?
|
AskHistorians
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/10fd3t/historically_have_we_ever_hit_a_peak_oil_like/
|
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"Jareed Diamond wrote a book \"Collapse\" that provides some case studies on similar situations. Deforestation caused enviromental problems that led to the collapse of the Mayan civilization. The Mayan city states fought harder wars with each other as the competition for scarce resources was racheted up. Water shortages also caused other civilizations to collapse. The Moche and Teotihucan civilizations both ended around 750 AD when both regions experienced decade long droughts. ",
"The belief in peak 'x' has been very common in history. However what actually occurs isn't 'peak x', it's that innovation drives the search for substitutes and/or making the original issue irrelevant. \n\n\nFor instance, here's an extremely well written essay from Victorian times about their concept of peak coal: \n[The Coal Question](_URL_2_) 1865\n\n[The Limited nature of Coal in Great Britian](_URL_4_) 1798\n\n\n[A general view of the coal trade](_URL_5_) 1812\n\n\n\n\n\n > It chanced one day that Spilett was led to say, \"But now, my dear Cyrus, all this industrial and commercial movement to which you predict a continual advance, does it not run the danger of being sooner or later completely stopped?\"\n > \"Stopped! And by what?\"\n > \n > \"By the want of coal, which may justly be called the most precious of minerals.\" …\n > \n > \"Oh! the veins of coal are still considerable, and the hundred thousand miners who annually extract from them a hundred millions of hundredweights have not nearly exhausted them.\"\n > \n > \"With the increasing consumption of coal,\" replied Gideon Spilett, \"it can be foreseen that the hundred thousand workmen will soon become two hundred thousand, and that the rate of extraction will be doubled.\"\n > \n > \"Doubtless; but after the European mines, which will be soon worked more thoroughly with new machines, the American and Australian mines will for a long time yet provide for the consumption in trade.\"\n > \n > \"For how long a time?\" asked the reporter.\n > \n > \"For at least two hundred and fifty or three hundred years.\"\n > \n > \"That is reassuring for us, but a bad look-out for our great-grandchildren!\" observed Pencroft.\n > \n > \"They will discover something else,\" said Herbert.\n > \n > \"It is to be hoped so,\" answered Spilett, \"for without coal there would be no machinery, and without machinery there would be no railways, no steamers, no manufactories, nothing of that which is indispensable to modern civilization!\"\n > \n > \"But what will they find?\" asked Pencroft. \"Can you guess, captain?\"\n > \n > \"Nearly, my friend.\"\n > \n > \"And what will they burn instead of coal?\"\n > \n > \"Water,\" replied Harding.\n > \n > \"Water!\" cried Pencroft, \"water as fuel for steamers and engines! water to heat water!\"\n > \n > \"Yes, but water decomposed into its primitive elements,\" replied Cyrus Harding, \"and decomposed doubtless, by electricity, which will then have become a powerful and manageable force, for all great discoveries, by some inexplicable laws, appear to agree and become complete at the same time. Yes, my friends, I believe that water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen which constitute it, used singly or together, will furnish an inexhaustible source of heat and light, of an intensity of which coal is not capable. Some day the coalrooms of steamers and the tenders of locomotives will, instead of coal, be stored with these two condensed gases, which will burn in the furnaces with enormous calorific power. There is, therefore, nothing to fear. As long as the earth is inhabited it will supply the wants of its inhabitants, and there will be no want of either light or heat as long as the productions of the vegetable, mineral or animal kingdoms do not fail us. I believe, then, that when the deposits of coal are exhausted we shall heat and warm ourselves with water. Water will be the coal of the future.\"\n > \n > \"I should like to see that,\" observed the sailor.\n > \n\nJules Verne, [The Mysterious Island, ch. 33 ](_URL_1_)\n\nWhile I'm on the subject of coal, early coal adoption itself was a response to the growing scarcity of wood in pre-industrial Britain. There weren't enough resources to support academics with peakesque theories back then, but if there had been there would undoubtedly been numerous papers outlining the vital problem of 'peak wood'.\n\nTo answer your question, while we have many, many fears of 'peak' like events occuring for various commodities ('Peak' Salt, Cotton, Indigo, Tin, Copper, Gold, and etc,) there never has been an actual coming true of the fearful predictions. I'd recommend you read [The Prize](_URL_0_), the Pulitzer winning history of the oil industry, to judge for yourself how likely the predictions of global doom as a result of 'peak oil' is. \n\nMore recently, Paul Ehrlich's 70s bestseller 'The Population Bomb' predicted peak just about everything. He was predicting peak copper, tin, grain, etc etc. Just as an example, he was predicting food riots in Kansas by 1985, and 'Great Britian will have ceased to exist as an entity' by 1990. His bet with Roger Simon, or the [Simon-Ehrlich bet](_URL_3_) proved rather disastrous for his own peak theories. But he's back, and peddling a remixed version of the Club of Rome's 1950s version of 'peak everything' last I heard. \n\n",
"There is also a discipline called resource economics that studies this. Basically don't take \"doomsday\" predictions of resources running out too seriously because:\n\na) These predictions are based on estimates of natural resource levels which invariably turn out to be wrong. We should have run out of oil several times already according to past predictions. Realistically people actually have no idea how much oil there actually is in the world.\n\nb) We cannot predict technological trends. In the 1800s many states planted a shitload of forests because they were sure they would run out and wouldn't be able to build ships. Wooden ships became steel 100 years later and it turns out those forests were a waste of time.\n\nNot that depleting our resources shouldn't be a major concern. These kinds of doomsday predictions are however, taken too seriously. They make good sensationalist documentaries - shrouding the issues in misinformation.\n\n\n\n ",
"[Easter Island.](_URL_0_) The natives overexploited the forests and fish stocks, leading to general ecological collapse, famine, civil war, and depopulation. By the time the Dutch arrived in the 18th century, most of the island was barren and uninhabited; all that was left was a single small village whose people had forgotten their history.",
"i am not a historian, nor do i consider myself to have expert judgement on resources, but a book that i've been really enjoying that you might be interested in is Collapse by Jared Diamond. it's got descriptions of lots of failed civilizations that collapsed often due to the unintended abuse of natural resources and how once that resource ran out it was in some circumstances too difficult for the society to recover.\n\nit seems that in the course of most of the failed civilizations that have existed, most food resources weren't irreplaceable, but wood is and has been for most civilizations--without it, your society isn't able to do lots of things it tends to want to do, even though the people can survive. even though wood can replenish itself pretty quickly if you let it, the inhabitants of Easter Island actually killed off the native tree species, and because of it they couldn't escape the island when it became a death trap (as Diamond's thesis goes, i understand there might be some debate on exactly what happened there). the Anasazi in the American Southwest also destroyed their surrounding forests but didn't collapse for a few more centuries. \n\nwhat we *don't* want to happen is for oil to suddenly run out and to have no alternative around as a replacement, but i think others have addressed the relationship between availability of the resource and technological progress better than i can.",
"Mercury: I understand that there is only one mine in Spain still producing it.\n\nHelium: this is a bit artificial because of the stock-piles of helium which are now being exhausted, but economically relevant anyway. Important for superconductors, and probably no viable substitutes.\n\nPerhaps the one we should most be concerned about is phosphorus which is needed for fertiliser. We are not at peak phosphorus yet, but it is in sight. There is no substitute.",
"Yes. We have hit 'peak food' several times in history and several different locations (China has peaked at 100m several times coming down to closer to 50m afterwards, Europe has done the same).\n\nWhat typically happened: \n**1**) Good times, so everyone is making babies and things are going great. Productivity is very high because everyone is getting great new land to occupy. \n**2**) Century or so has passed and now all the good land has been taken. Innovation keeps occurring, but not as fast as the population is growing so the production by the 10,000,000th farmer is less than by the 1,000,000th, regardless of technological advances (because the latter farmed a plain next to a river, the former is on a shady side of a mountain in a desert - there's only so much technology can do). \n**3**) There's a sharp divergence in the population, as the excess growth in population starts to create a lower class - the total GDP simply isn't growing fast enough to deal with the population. \n**4**) The Empire is doing fine, as the cheap lower classes (the 20,000,000th would-be farmer etc, who has to choose between farming the bloody Sahara or whatever work he can get) come to the cities to serve whoever can feed them. The biggest symptom is the average salaries to the bottom 50%. \n**5**) The elites can not grow much more either because of the GDP, and the elites children find themselves without access to the next generation of the elites despite having good education etc. Meanwhile the situation among the lower classes has started approaching starvation. \n\n\nHistorically this has happened a number of times, and often with de-stabilizing effects. Often with even a minor external nudge, the situation descends to chaos. For example the elites getting wealthier towards the end in the past often attracted neighbors (most famous and most often repeated act of this show: Mongols to China) who started stalking the border looking for any sign of weakness.\n\nNow add to this the high likelihood of elites-without-a-future turning to the starving masses and starting a rebellion, and suddenly you have a central government besieges by uprising AND incursions.\n\nFarming output drops by, say, 20% in all the chaos and suddenly there is true famine everywhere. This gets people moving en masse to places where they think there might be food, and standards of hygiene drop, which helps diseases (which were often happening due to the cramped conditions already). Now you have a mixture of war/civil war/famine/plague. Not good.\n\nThis type of combination dropped China's population from nearly 120m in 1200 to around 65m in 1350. \n\n\nThese 'peak foods' have been pretty much the only times that human ingenuity has not found a way through, and even in those cases we have typically postponed the inevitable longer than anyone would have thought.",
"I find it interesting that the top voted comments in this thread insist that humanity will always have cheap energy sources, because by nature we innovate. The common adage is: \"The stone age didn't end because we ran out of stones\".\n\nOf course it is true that technological solutions might be found as the age of cheap oil fades (it is already pretty much over). But to insist that we will *inevitably* employ a new source of cheap energy is simply faith-based reasoning.\n\nBelievers refer to past innovations, but ignore past collapses. \n\nHuman civilisations in the past have collapsed and have gone backward in their use of technology.\n\nDon't mistake me for saying that total catastrophic collapse is inevitable. I think it's likely, but I don't know everything. \n\nHowever, to insist that there is only one possible outcome, and that it is a favourable one, requires blind belief combined with a limited set of experiences about the world.\n\nMake no mistake: we are out of cheap fuel, and continuing to exploit the reserves that remain [puts our life-support system at risk](_URL_0_). If you think that as a species that we can sit back and let the scientists sort it out, you are living in a bubble seperate from reality.",
"It's not quite what I'd call a natural resource, but the Romans liked using [Silphium](_URL_0_) as a medicine and contraceptive so much that they harvested the plant until it went extinct.",
"The lost city of [Iram](_URL_0_) was an important trade crossroads, but at some point in history they ran out of water and the city was abandoned.",
"If Professors didn't have things to warn us about they wouldn't have jobs.\n\nIn grade school I learned that we would run out of oil in the 1990s. Fool me once. \n\nNot saying that they're wrong, I'm just no longer invested in worrying about it.",
"One of the competing theories for the Bronze Age Collapse, that affected the civilizations of the Mediterranean and Middle east around 1200 BC was an exhaustion of easily available tin to make Bronze. The rising cost of bronze, the highest quality metal available at the time, lead to the rise of Iron as the chief metal of War. The decrease in Bronze production (a complex and centralized process) erased the technological advantage of the primary civilizations and made them vulnerable both economically and militarily to the various \"hoards\" that prey on a weakening empire. The ability of strong central governments to control the tin trade was one of their cornerstones, and without that fragmentation occurred.\n\nThis does not necessarily have any directly applicable lessons to the oil crisis, but it does answer the first part of your question.\n\nEdit: It is worth noting that when those civilizations recovered from their 'Dark ages' they came back more technologically and scientifically advanced as a general rule. Just as technological advances continued through Europe's middle ages, paving the way for the renaissance. The broad view of history has shown that it is civilizations that exist in isolation that are the ones that are vulnerable. Those of the mound builders, Easter Island, and Tazmania. When Humanity is consided as a whole, were millennia mark the passage of time; we may stumble, we may fall, we may slaughter ourselves by the hundreds of millions, but we will always rise stronger, further, and with more shiny toys to play with. I trust that whatever shortages lay ahead, that trend will continue."
]
}
|
[] |
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/Documentaries/",
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umFnrvcS6AQ&feature=youtu.be"
] |
[
[],
[
"http://books.google.com/books?id=WiUTwBTux2oC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+prize&source=bl&ots=_1z1u5d23X&sig=gvSW8F_eiO_XaylDfMFD_YVZ-0s&hl=en&sa=X&ei=rSthULfpCI2C9QSbnIDwAQ&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=The%20prize&f=false",
"http://www.online-literature.com/verne/mysteriousisland/33/",
"http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=317&Itemid=27",
"http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/5.02/ffsimon_pr.html",
"http://books.google.com/books?id=YdFNAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA723&lpg=PA723&dq=%22The+Limited+Quantity+of+Coal+in+Britain%22&source=bl&ots=zXgy-9m0We&sig=5--H8OE35iGIgwMqNNWwWHkdzm8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=GyphULLIEIXk8gSo54G4BA&ved=0CDQQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=%22The%20Limited%20Quantity%20of%20Coal%20in%20Britain%22&f=false",
"http://books.google.com/books/about/A_general_view_of_the_coal_trade_of_Scot.html?id=GikBAAAAQAAJ"
],
[],
[
"http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/27864/1/WP117.pdf"
],
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/global-warmings-terrifying-new-math-20120719"
],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silphium"
],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iram_of_the_Pillars"
],
[],
[]
] |
|
e9ruqs
|
common themes in latin american colonialism
|
In latin american history, there were many periods where foreigners tried to control the governmental systems of the native peoples. In what ways would a historian most directly compare the actions of early conquistadors and the american government's interventions into south american politics during the latter half of the 20th century?
|
AskHistorians
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/e9ruqs/common_themes_in_latin_american_colonialism/
|
{
"a_id": [
"fangc7x"
],
"score": [
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"text": [
"The comparison between the late 20th century and the early 16th century is quite difficult to make. For earlier periods, there are individual cases (such as William Walker in Nicaragua in the 1850s) where so-called \"filibusters\" behaved almost exactly like conquistadors. They came from abroad with a small but well equipped military force, tried to overthrow the existing political structure. None of them were nearly so successful or enduring as the original Spanish conquest, but the behaviours and general strategy were not so different. In the early 20th century, the US more officially occupied many Central American and Caribbean nations, ostensibly in order to force the repayment of their bonds, but also to install US-friendly governments, force unequal treaties, and in one case, build a strategically and economically relevant canal through the Isthmus of Panama. This is the era of gunboat diplomacy and the Roosevelt Corollary of the Monroe Doctrine. But none of this very direct intervention is in the time period you asked about.\n\nPost-WWII, the United States has made plenty of attempts to influence the government of Latin America ranging from subtle pressure to direct military and intelligence support for a coup d'etat, either in the style of Pinochet overthrowing Allende in Chile, or the Bay of Pigs invasion (See: John Coatsworth, \"Liberalism and Big Sticks\" for a good overview). However, it has refrained in basically all cases from either direct invasion with American troops or direct governance of any Latin American territories. Insofar as what the conquistadors did was show up with an army, use a combination of violence and manipulating local politics to establish control, then rule in perpetuity as the new colonial elite, this is not something that has happened anywhere since WWII.\n\nIf one were to try and draw similarities, I suppose one could say that supporting one friendly local faction against another rival faction by giving them the advantages of cutting-edge (literally, in the conquistators' case) weaponry and tactics is common between both eras. Otherwise, the ways in which the United States exercised its influence in the region is almost entirely distinct from how the conquistadors did it five hundred years ago. Indeed, many of the most important channels of US influence (intelligence, debt negotiations, trade negotiations, foreign investment, military advisers) were basically unknown or irrelevant at the time of conquest. Overall, I would be very hesitant to make this comparison at all.\n\nEdit: It is worth noting that there are a few exceptions here: the invasions of Panama and Grenada, the intervention in the Dominican civil war in the 1960s, and the US occupation of Haiti in the 1990s. All of these were relatively brief interventions, and were justified to the world as humanitarian in nature. And, of course, the US never did stop governing Puerto Rico, which remains a US dependency today, though it was not acquired in the late 20th century."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
|
41hihm
|
why do dogs have random patches of differently colored fur?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/41hihm/eli5_why_do_dogs_have_random_patches_of/
|
{
"a_id": [
"cz2ferz"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"The hair color is determine by two different genes and when the genes are differenr both of the genes get expressed fully (e.g. black and white spots vs gray)"
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
||
3mcbng
|
Did the U.S. have any election irregularities in its early days?
|
Sometimes I hear on the news about countries with electoral irregularities. An international observer sometimes reports that there were suspicious circumstances during an election. I'm wondering if a well developed democracy, like the U.S., used to have election irregularities?
|
AskHistorians
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3mcbng/did_the_us_have_any_election_irregularities_in/
|
{
"a_id": [
"cvdumsn"
],
"score": [
10
],
"text": [
"The Broad Seal War comes to mind. In the election of 1838, there was a difficulty with the election results from New Jersey. At the time, elections for New Jersey congressional representatives were determined by vote taken from the entire state. NJ had no congressional districts and no electors. The election results that year for the US House of Representatives between the Democratic ticket and the Whig ticket were very close--something like only 100 votes. \n\nIt was discovered later that the one of the county clerks in NJ threw out the election results for a couple of towns (thus favoring the Whigs) because they hadn't been properly sealed by the town clerks--some said he threw them out on a technicality that would normally be overlooked and others claimed that the votes had been opened and tampered with.\n\nSo when it came time to seat the members of the House of Representatives in December, the clerk began to call the roll and then everything got into an uproar when he reached New Jersey and he couldn't figure what names to call because both delegations from the Democrats and the Whigs had come to the House to be seated. Not counting the NJ delegation (6 seats), the House consisted of 119 Democrats and 118 Whigs. Needless to say, the NJ delegation would tip the balance of power. \n\nThe dispute grew so heated that the House was unable to organize itself and couldn't even manage to elect a speaker of the house for a couple of weeks--business that's usually over and done the first day of the session. Once the House finally organized, neither NJ delegation was seated while the matter was investigated. Basically, NJ remained unrepresented in the House until March when the NJ Democrats were seated and served the remainder of their terms.\n\nSo, in that case, anyway, there wasn't anything like an international observer around, and it doesn't seem that there was wide-spread national irregularities, but apparently the actions of relatively few people within a single county in New Jersey had a significant national consequence in the election of 1838.\n\n[Source (warning, pdf file)](_URL_0_)."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[
"http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=webhp&cd=8&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDkQFjAHahUKEwiQh9SOv5LIAhWIuYAKHSojA40&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjrul.libraries.rutgers.edu%2Findex.php%2Fjrul%2Farticle%2Fdownload%2F1618%2F3057&usg=AFQjCNHC7NZz5OjByDxzoambr_yXECk3zA&sig2=rzOkhLIQfucBRcxUslpnWQ"
]
] |
|
13aocq
|
the period between donating blood
|
Why do we have to wait ~56 days to donate 500ml of blood? There are two questions in there really -
1. 56 days - is that really neccessary all the time - it seems unlikely?
2. Why is it set to 500ml (a pint) when someone larger could donate a lot more in theory?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/13aocq/eli5_the_period_between_donating_blood/
|
{
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"text": [
"Based on averages and to be safe. \n\nThe cost, time and effort to take exactly the maximum safe amount of blood at the soonest possible time would be inefficient. ",
"1. No, it is not necessary all the time. A friend of mine was often allowed to donate more often, as he was the only available donor for one particular person. It's a safe period, and it was designed so that people would be on the safe side.\n\n2. Besides the logistical problems during the donation, you have further problems. Right now, a unit of blood is a pint. That's what you order and give to a patient. If a doctor needs one such unit, they get one container of blood. Stocking and handling blood would be terribly complicated if we had different sized containers - and we would have to! A unit of blood is made by/from a clearly identified donor. We can't mix blood together, so if two people donated 1.5 pints, we would not end up with three standard containers - but with two normal sized and two half sized dosages.",
"The body needs 6-8 weeks, on average, to replace the red blood cells you give up when you donate whole blood. 8 weeks was determined to be the safe period for everyone.\n\nIf you donate plasma, which puts the red cells back into your body, you can donate again much sooner. The plasma comes back in 24-48 hours."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
aua6pe
|
why doesnt black absorb all light?
|
In high school or here in the UK comprehensive/secondary school you are told that black absorbs all light by all light i mean every colour of the spectrum and white reflects or refracts light. So why is it that different things that are black dont absorb all light like vantablack absorbing 99.6% (or what ever the number is). on that topic what about colours that arent on the spectrum like gray or brown? What colours do they absorb?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/aua6pe/eli5_why_doesnt_black_absorb_all_light/
|
{
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"text": [
"Black obsorbs all colours equally, but not 100% of everything. \"blacker\" black obsorbs more.\n\nAlso a surface can have texture that changes how it reflect light, compare a shiny black glass vs a slightly rippled textured black keyboard vs really matte black paint.",
"The color that we see something is a reflection of what is being absorbed. \n\nSomething is black colored *because* it absorbs all the light; it doesn't absorb all the light because it is black, if that makes sense.\n\nSomething that appears grey is just absorbing most of the light uniformly (even levels of light), and reflecting some of it at less intensity than it is absorbing it at. IE, it's absorbing 60% of the light and reflecting 40% of all the light. \n\nBrown is also a reflection of all colors in the spectrum, just with red being more intense than the others. ",
"Because you've never seen true black, it doesn't exist (on Earth). Most blacks you see are blackish. For painted stuff it's usually a very dark grey. Carbon black or the famed vanta black is the closest to true black.\n\nVanta black is almost nonreflective",
"Color made of chemical and pigment is different than color made of light. When no light is being reflected off a surface, as in the vacuum of space, we call that black. Vanta Black is a pigment based on a chemical composition that simulates the black of space (no light reflection) to 99.6% accuracy."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
c3xmxd
|
how does a turtle’s shell grow while the turtle grows? what is it made of?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c3xmxd/eli5_how_does_a_turtles_shell_grow_while_the/
|
{
"a_id": [
"eru09aq",
"eru6k1x"
],
"score": [
61,
5
],
"text": [
"The shell is made up of panel-like things called scutes. With most types of turtles, these scutes shed periodically to allow bigger scutes to form. They are made out of keratin - same as human hair & nails.\n\nSource: I’m a turtle fan.",
"Turtle shells are bones (modified ribs and other bones) with skin over it. On the skin are specialized hard scales which makes it feel like there's no skin.\n\nIt grows like any other skin and bone does."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[]
] |
||
2j62af
|
Can there be incomplete annihilation?
|
My only real context is thus: _URL_0_
So a proton and an anti-proton collide. Is there a possibility that not all 3 of the associated up and down quarks will interact with their anti-equivalents?
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2j62af/can_there_be_incomplete_annihilation/
|
{
"a_id": [
"cl92h3g"
],
"score": [
4
],
"text": [
"Protons and neutrons contain more than just 3 quarks. There are gluons holding them together, gluons interacting with other gluons, and gluons can spontaneously form temporary quark-antiquark pairs (called \"sea quarks\").\n\nThe 3 permanent quarks are called valence quarks. They give the particle its properties.\n\nThis is also true for all baryons and other hadrons, e.g. mesons are more than just a quark-antiquark pair.\n\nProton-antiproton annihilation is a very messy process because of this. It's not only possible for the annihilation to be 'incomplete', as you put it, it's pretty much guaranteed."
]
}
|
[] |
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annihilation"
] |
[
[]
] |
|
3kdjgm
|
the difference between adverbs and adverbials.
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3kdjgm/eli5_the_difference_between_adverbs_and_adverbials/
|
{
"a_id": [
"cuwla7m"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"An adverb is a word, an adverbial is a group of words, phrase or clause which acts as an adverb."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
||
288mav
|
difference between marxism and cultural marxism?
|
Hello! Could someone please explain the differences between basic marxism and cultural marxism? I've been looking at Wikipedia, but I just don't understand. I just have a easy answere, hehe.
Thank you very much!
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/288mav/eli5_difference_between_marxism_and_cultural/
|
{
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"ci8hzqs",
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5,
3
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"text": [
"**Marxism** - The ELI5 version is that economics dominates and explains human society. Specifically, by looking at how capital is distributed you can explain and predict how society will be organized. It also predicts, based on history and a particular view on how technology will develop, that one day the world will end up at a point where there are no economic \"classes\" and everyone jointly owns everything, working according to how they can, and getting what they need. \n\n**Cultural Marxism (actual)** - Is an offshoot of Marxism saying that to understand society, especially western society, you need to look not just at how capital and money is distributed but also at the cultural systems that maintain society a certain way. So, for instance, a regular Marxist might say that you have slavery because it's a society with a certain level of land ownership and technology that makes slavery worthwhile and that as technology develops (say that makes land easier to work) slavery, and the cultural things that justify it, will go away. A cultural Marxist would say that underestimates the sttenght of those cultural things, so, for instance, better technology might make slavery less profitable, but it will hang around because some religion associated with slavery, that made everyone believe slavery is okay, will keep social roles the same even as technology shits. \n\nUltimately, it's not really that different, it's more a matter of emphasis and timing. In the West, a Cultural Marxist is different from a Marxist, because the Cultural Marxist focuses on talking about how the cultural keeps classes around, rather than about how economics explains everything. So a \"cultural Marxist\" professor in the 1970s when it was very popular might teach a class saying that poverty exists in part because the belief that the individual work ethic is important inhibits people from sharing what they produce with others who are less able to work. \n\n**Cultural marxist (as heard on TV) ** - This is basically used to mean anyone more to the left on the political spectrum the the speaker. It is meant to carry the connotation that they are someone who not only disagrees about some policy---say, they support the minimum wage or they think that prayer in school shouldn't be mandatory---but who also hates Western society at a fundamental level, thinking that it is inherently bad for poor people or all people. Ultimately, at this point, it's really just a bad sounding word that means \"anti-work\" or \"anti-religion\" or \"anti-american.\"",
"Marxism is just a way to describe the world. Cultural Marxism is this paranoid conspiracy theory where, usually right wing nuts, think that people in high positions, such as a university professor or people in charge of newspapers, try to disseminate marxist ideas with the hope of establishing a marxist hegemony. Not only is this totally insane, but it goes against the whole Marxist idea regarding social change."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[]
] |
|
5n8b0f
|
why do cities and towns "stagger" stoplights so that no matter your timing you'll always be caught at a light?
|
I'm from a mid-sized city and work in a suburb nearby. Every light in both areas is timed to cycle the opposite of the lights on either side of it, so there's no way to "catch" more than one light at a time as while one light is green, the next will be red. Is there a reason for this, or was it just really, really poor planning?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5n8b0f/eli5_why_do_cities_and_towns_stagger_stoplights/
|
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"text": [
"So you don't speed? Maybe....",
"There are a lot of different ways that traffic lights are controlled. In some cases the goal is to create \"waves\" of traffic that go through multiple green lights. And of course there are detectors that wait for vehicles before they activate - although they always have maximum green and red times. \n\nIn this case it may be poor design or it may be part of a bigger traffic plan. It could be they've identified that by slowing traffic down at this point they're able to stop it building up somewhere else. They may have done it for a safety reasons if they identified excess speed as a particular problem. ",
"Usually it's because there's a preferred road to travel on and you're not on it. It can be a few main roads that gets all the greens to keep traffic moving and you're crossing them so you get the reds, or increasingly where I live, a toll road that the operators have a contract with the government to direct traffic onto either because its the new main road, or just so the toll road is always faster than the \"free\" roads.\n\nOther reasons are because of poor planing or the lights run off sensors and aren't coordinated (which amounts to the same thing)",
"Background: Served on Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for a major Canadian city. Involved in design/implementation of roadworks, including intelligent stoplight systems. \n\nSome background on stoplights:\n\nThere are multiple kinds of stoplights, the most basic just running on a simple timer-based system. Every so many seconds, the lights change, but there is no awareness of the traffic conditions.\n\nSome more advanced stoplights contain vehicle sensors embedded in the roadway at or before the stop line. These sensors feed information into the light control system, allowing it to make intelligent decisions. For instance, if you have a minor road intersecting a major road, there may be sensors placed on the minor road, so that the lights only cycle when there is a car waiting to cross. Sometimes they are used to signal a preemptive left turn light. The civil engineers will space out two sensors 4-5 car lengths apart, and if both sensors are covered it means there are at least that many cars queuing, and the advance left will allow those cars to proceed first. Most major intersections have at least a few roadway sensors. \n\nThe most advanced systems allow the lights to communicate and can be timed to allow waves of traffic. In my city, there is an Intersection Control Centre, with live feeds from cameras at each intersection, and the ability to adjust intersection timings on the fly. Priority routes are identified, along with traffic flows during certain times of the day. The stoplights along these priority routes are then synchronized, taking into account the relative speed of the traffic and the speed limits. If you're going with the priority flow of traffic, you'll hit at most one red light, after which point you'll be synchronized with the traffic flow, and you should hit all greens, as long as you drive the speed limit. If you drive too fast, you'll hit each red just as it turns green. \n\nIf you're hitting all the reds, you might be going in the wrong direction, or you're just really unlucky. I highly doubt that your city is specifically engineering the light cycles to slow you down. If anything, they'd be aiming to speed you up. \n\nEDIT:\n\nSo this blew up overnight. I'll try to answer a bunch of questions that people have had.\n\nI'm not an industry professional, I've just been in the scene with them for awhile. I work in IT, not traffic engineering.\n\n0. There's no big \"Traffic Engineering\" bible that every engineer uses. Different cities can do wildly different things, and all we can do is speculate. There's no way to answer \"My road is optimized for exactly 42mph at 11am, why is that?\"\n\n1. People are really good at finding patterns where there aren't any. Conspiracy theorists abound! If the lights in your city are messing with you, they probably aren't. Having said that, weirder things have happened. *shrug* It's certainly possible for clever engineers to slow traffic down or to speed traffic up. I'd bet dollars to donuts that they do this in Vegas, as many people have mentioned. A few people have also mentioned that the lights are used to prevent speeders, another plausible possibility. It really depends on your city and the engineers.\n\n2. \"aiming to speed you up\" is meant within reason. I'm talking about a jam packed 6 lane road where coordinated light cycles can mean the difference between 40km/h and 50km/h. At night, the lights probably ARE optimized to dissuade people from speeding/racing.\n\n3. Buses and emergency services usually have preemtion devices to allow them to hold a green or switch to a green (usually respectively. I know that buses where I live aren't able to force a red to a green, but fire trucks can)\n\n4. The roadway sensors use magnetic induction to detect when a large chunk of metal is above them, e.g. your car. It's not by weight or pressure, you don't need to hit them exactly or run them over, you just need to get your car near them. The preemption devices mentioned above use special strobe lights (or wireless in higher-tech systems), so flashing your high beams probably isn't gonna do dick, unless you can flash your high beams 20 times per second.",
"Could be poor planning by the city or you could simply be travelling on a less important road than the cross streets whose lights you are getting stopped at.\n\nAn example.\nI work for an engineering firm that includes highway/street planning and construction division. The highway dept starts 2 desks away from mine. Our office is located next to a very busy city street/limited access highway intersection.\n\nThe traffic coming out of my office park and onto the city street is usually crappy and the lights cycle in VERY short cycles. Cars pile up into the office park and citizens are constantly complaining to the city. My company did the design on the intersection when it was upgraded about 3 years ago. The city has asked us to do a traffic study to determine if the street traffic can be reduced or wait times in the intersections reduced.\n\nI was discussing all this with a coworker at lunch just the other day. I asked why the lights were on such short cycle and what could they do about it. The problem as he explained to me was not the city streets but the highway. Because the highway has much higher speeds the potential for deadly crashes is much higher if the exit ramp backs up onto the highway so the timing of the lights is designed to not let the exit ramp fill up. All the other surrounding streets are less important than making sure there are no stopped cars sitting on the highway to get rear ended.\n\nTL:DR maybe your road isn't as important as the other roads",
"Something in a similar vein- Near me there is a long commercial strip with probably 10+ sets of lights stretching over a couple kms. The speed limit is 60km/h BUT, if you go at or near 60, you get through only one(or maybe 2 if you punch it)lights before getting stopped. HOWEVER if you are at the start of the strip(and grandma gets out of the way) and take it up to ~72km/h, you can cruise the whole strip not stopping once. It has been like this for at least 10 years. ",
"When the frig fuck are they just going to require car manufacturers put a signal-emitting unit into cars that are then picked up by related sensors in lights so they know how many cars are at each intersection and contain logic that decide which lights are green and for how long? No cameras needed, no oversight by human beings in a control center. One and done. Freeze me like Walt Disney and wake me up when that happens. ",
"I've thought about this a lot. I think I have a possible answer.\n\nFirst, let me describe the two types that I've encountered most:\n\n**Type A:** After cross traffic gets a red light, left green arrow on both sides gets to go next. Then solid green for them. Then after they go red, the cross traffic gets green arrows, then solid green, and so on.\n\n**Type B:** Green arrow and solid green go together and this alternates around the intersection.\n\nType A used to be the most common one by far, but I've noticed lately that a lot of intersections that used to be Type A are now Type B. That lead me to believe type B must be better. But why?\n\nMy thoughts: People turn slowly. They jack around on their phones. They think their minivan is going to tip over if they turn at anything faster than 5mph. They accelerate slowly. They have stupidly slow reaction times. It's incredible how many times I'll get a green arrow for a left turn and two cars get through. (on a light that SHOULD be long enough for 10 non-retarded people to get through) So... you have two sets of \"slow\" traffic flowing through the intersection during this time, while the through lanes are all red. Through lanes are straight through. People go faster straight than during a turn. Also, lots of intersections will have one turn lane but two through lanes. That mean even if people turned as quickly as they did the people going straight, the through lanes have twice the bandwidth. I believe that by letting through lanes go WITH the green arrow left turn people, you get the most throughput during the period of time when you're letting people turn left. This is assuming the amount of time you give left turn versus solid green is equal between the two types.\n\nI could be wrong. That's just what I've pondered and gathered while sitting helplessly in traffic watching these patterns.\n\nEDIT: adverbs end in -ly",
"This was intentionally done by the UK government to waste fuel and increase tax revenue. I'm sure it was pitched as a \"safety feature\" long ago in your case. \n\n_URL_0_\n\n > In the UK, in 2009, it was revealed that the Department for Transport had previously discouraged green waves as they reduced fuel usage, and thus less revenue was raised from fuel taxes ",
"City councils instaling traffic lights opt to stagger traffic near commercial areas to make you stop and consider shopping at the small businesses you have time to notice. It's like forcing you to look at advertisements on the internet. And it works. \n\nSource: designed stoplights. ",
"Traffic engineers: \nNot good enough at math to be real engineers. \nNot good enough at programming to be programmers.",
"I've seen the contrary. The lights were set up so you *would* catch every light only if you went 25mph or slower through downtown.",
"Boston does this to slow traffic down and make the city more \"pedestrian friendly.\" It doesn't work, it just makes drivers more aggressive and mad. That's what happens when your town is run by Puritans.",
"Former civil engineering student changed major. But I worked as an intern in a city working on planning detour traffic arrangement and mitigation so I would give some possible reasons:\n\n(1)\n\nYou are possibly doing a reverse commute. Usually when we synchronize lights, let's say 30s green and 30s red, and you take 30s to pass two blocks, the reverse direction would hit red light every time. I won't say people doing a lousy job because it is extremely difficult to synchronize lights, especially if the distances between intersections are different.\n\n(2)\n\n[Area Traffic Control](_URL_1_). If the area has implemented an area traffic control to minimize the overall travelling time of all roads in the area, it may have red-lighted your road and temporarily slow down the flow of the vehicles flowing into high traffic area. The ATC would keep / store your vehicles outside by red-lighting you while making the vehicles able to leave the area ASAP.\n\nIt is basically the vehicular version of crowd control. For example, in Asia in rush hours, metro stations often do crowd control that they close all the ticket gates. People wait outside. It is to prevent catastrophic accidents like [people landing from moving escalators but has no where to go](_URL_0_). It is the same for ATC to prevent deadlocks in an area so they try to \"store\" the vehicles outside.\n\n(3)\n\nPedestrian cross light contributes a lot on red time on suburban boulevards. In North America the normal case is you will hit fewer red lights on a 4-lane bi-directional road than a 8-lane / 10-lane road thanks to our design philosophy. The wider the road, the more time the pedestrian is required to cross, thus the longer the red time, and more possible to encounter a red. (off-topic) If road designers in North America can adopt the road design philosophy of the UK, with pedestrian islands + no u-turn signs, pedestrians don't even need a button to cross.\n\nThere are a few more reasons but I think it would be enough.",
"Coming from my father that did a little traffic engineering... \"half of the issues you see with traffic are caused by humans fucking shit up, the other half of the problem is a poorly designed traffic plan fucking shit up. \n\nOnce all the lights become networked things will get better. Especially when cars all become autonomous and networked with the traffic grid. Very little traffic and all way safer.\n\nA big problem is they very well may have come up with a very good local traffic plan for a new shopping plaza, but will not give enough credit to how it affects the traffic grid as a whole. Not because of laziness because it is enormously time-consuming to continue to manually set up traffic assessments and monitor flow, speed, numbers, numbers. With the actual time humans have to work on these issues it's almost as if they are fighting against chaos theory. All of this takes time. We are in a weird place in history where we \"should\" see a huge improvement in these problems within our lifetimes. \n\nAnyway sometimes this is on purpose to allow side traffic to enter safely and not have side streets get backed up. The wave affect. Periods of time all the tributaries have time to empty out onto the main street. Yes this all sucks for everyone. \n\nThere is just too many people. ",
"This is not the case in (at least) some avenues in Manhattan. Many times the lights ahead basically turn green around the same time, and we pass a ton of green lights in a row, until they all turn red.",
"Wow, an ELI5 I feel qualified to answer! I'm a graduate student in transportation! Signal timing is actually a very complicated process, **but it really comes down to the fact that you can't please everyone all the time** (this is the tl;dr of every life problem probably). \n\nLet's illustrate it with a simple example. You want to time three signals, they are split with 30 seconds green and 30 seconds red. If you drive at the speed limit, it takes you 10 seconds to go from the first to the second signal, another 10 seconds to go to the third signal. So how would you time them? Well, it seems easy, set the second signal to start green 10 seconds after the first signal, and the third signal to start green 20 seconds after the second signal. The problem is this only works in one direction! Imagine, now, you want to go in the opposite direction using these timings. If you pass signal 3 when it first shows green, signal 2 will already have been showing green for 10 seconds (20 seconds of green left), and signal 1 will already have been showing green for 20 seconds (only 10 seconds left). Since it takes you 20 seconds to reach signal 1 from signal 3, it's easy to see that someone going in the opposite direction is going to have to stop. Add in cross streets and you've got yourself even more priorities to juggle! \n\n\n[Here's an image I found on Google to illustrate this](_URL_0_). In this figure, the green arrows represent the \"greenband\" (the \"window\" where arriving vehicles will get green along the whole corridor) for the major direction, and the signal timing is plotted out as horizontal bars. You can see that the opposite direction's \"greenband\" shown in blue arrows is not as wide, and many vehicles will stop at one of the three lights. \n\n\nThe reality is, transportation systems are designed to minimize the total system delay, which means spreading the delay around such that the total (volume*delay time) is minimized. This means that not-so-busy directions will see red more often, and you may see red at cross streets. Roads where both directions are busy are also really hard to time. Vehicle tracking technologies and things like this are used to adapt the signal timing so that less people have to stop. Usually most cities will time their signals a few times a year based on volume demands, and they may have special timing plans for bad weather (which changes how fast people drive) and special events that add extra demand on certain streets.",
"It's called \"Traffic calming\" and it's done intentionally just like speed bumps. \n \nWhat it really says is \"fuck you for trying to get where you are going in a car. We will make it just as slow as taking a bus if we can.\"",
"In Brussels (Belgium) it's actually done intentionally with the idea of 'discouraging' people to come to the city by car and to 'stimulate' the population to take public transport.\n \nOf course, the effects on trafic density are negligable and the main results are simply much longer trafic jams than necessary. \n\nSo yes, the people in charge here are indeed complete and utter morons. \n",
"About 2 years ago I did a tour of the traffic management centre in my city, and they explained that in some cases it is deliberate. In the central business district it's done to both deter traffic from the area and to optimise the traffic light cycles for pedestrians (which has a side effect of not being optimal for cars). In the suburbs it's done to a lesser degree; you might get 2 or 3 green lights in a row but never continuous green lights (when traffic is heavy anyway). The reason for this is to bunch the traffic up periodically, to allow cars etc turning from side streets a chance to enter the traffic flow by creating gaps. They explained that they use sensors to pick up the bluetooth signals in people's phones to give an estimate of the amount of traffic in specific areas, and a computer then decides what to do with the traffic light cycles to optimise the flow. They also have a bunch of cameras at major intersections to keep track of what's going on, and I believe that humans can intervene if there's a major issue or unexpected traffic jam. \n\nThey also said that it was one of the most advanced systems in the world - not sure if this was actually true or just local pride creeping in, but if it is true it may not be applicable everywhere. ",
"In The Netherlands in some busy roads with have system which let's you know what your driving speed should be in order to make the next green light. It will tell you to drive slower to avoid standing still. If you follow the instructions you will almost always be able to drive all the way through town without stopping once. This is a wikipedia article about it [_URL_0_](_URL_0_)",
"I remember seeing \"Green Wave\" signs in some cities of Turkey. They were saying:\n\n\"If you go at 50kmh, you won't hit a red light in this road\"",
"I work in traffic control and I can tell you were not intentionally trying to slow you down, we drive on the same roads and want to get home too so we do our best to time lights correctly, keep the fiber and loops up and just keep the maintenance on schedule the best we can. If you want, and you notice serious traffic issues call us. We don't see every light and sometimes the timers can lose its time base over months causeing weird traffic conditions. Just call traffic engineering and let them know what you think is wrong. \n\nOn a side note sometimes cops and emergency services accidentally will leave there opticom on unknowingly and this causes some backups as well. I say unknowingly because at least for our city there is no notification if it's left on it's just a switch and after a big event they just get left on by accident. Happens quite often actually. ",
"Some communities will do this on purpose to stop people from speeding, especially in school zones or high pedestrian traffic areas.",
"Back in the 1950s and 1960s, there was a theory that having the stop lights staggered would increase foot traffic in downtown areas, because people would be more likely to walk where they were going. It's been long discredited as a good traffic control technique, but some towns still use the timing patterns for the lights.",
"Here in the Netherlands we have what we call \"Green Waves\". It's specifically designed paths leading in, out or around the city center to quickly direct the flow of main traffic. It uses timers, sensors and algorithms to calculate the optimal distribution.\n\nBasically, when you start a green wave, there is a sign telling you you're in one. It will show the optimal speed you should drive to reach the next green light. This can be the legal top speed of the road or up to 30km/u below it. So a 70km/u road, can advice you to drive 50km/u. This way, it's 95% sure you'll get a green traffic light at the next intersection. This will repeat for multiple traffic lights. It will sometimes hold traffic intersecting with the green wave a bit longer just to keep the green wave going.\n\nIt will also tell you when a green wave isn't possible due to extreme traffic or you simply being out-of-sync with the green wave. Often there are also signs telling you how far you are in the green wave \"5 traffic lights on green\" etc.\n\n_URL_0_\n\nApparently my Dutch home town is becoming a benchmark on it's implementation and engineers of large cities around the world visit our systems for guidance and tips on how to correctly implement it. It's as awesome as it sounds, you'll zip through heavy traffic no problem.",
"I'm an engineering PhD working on designing new traffic signal controllers. As has been mentioned, most traffic signal controllers perform poorly because they: don't consider the state of traffic at the intersection at all and operate on a fixed signal schedule, use decades old sensors (i.e., big magnets under the road) which allow minor adjustments to the signals or act in a coordinated manner, in one direction, but are often at risk of becoming uncoordinated. \n\nI'm trying to use state-of-the-art artificial intelligence/machine learning techniques to build an intelligent traffic signal controller (ITSC) that is capable of adaptive control. Adaptive signal control is not a new idea (i.e., observing traffic and adjusting the signals based on that observation), but I'm attempting to let the ITSC learn for itself how to best control traffic at the intersection to minimize delay, as opposed to biasing it with my dumb human brain and its ideas.\n\nI'm trying to facilitate the return of modern 'traffic cop'. Traffic cops are only required when the current traffic signal control systems fail. The ITSC I'm developing actually uses a simulated brain (i.e., artificial neural network) to control traffic. Traffic control is coming full circle, we initially used the brains of traffic cops to control traffic, now I'm trying to bring brains back into the picture, albeit artificial in nature.\n\nIf you're interested, this [video shows the ITSC before and after it has learned to control traffic](_URL_1_) and if you're really interested, the [paper I'm trying to publish](_URL_0_).",
"Not all traffic systems are designed equally, and not all are designed by people who know what they're doing. In a small town near here (technically a city, but only by technicality) they completely messed up the road system when they changed the one-way system and traffic management about 15 years ago. Basically what they'd achieved in their oversight was that, every time a light went green, the cars at those lights couldn't go anywhere, since the cars in front of them were still stuck at a red light. When the cars in front of THEM got a green light, they couldn't go anywhere because the cars in front of THEM were stuck at red lights. This went on and on around the small town traffic system until it ended up back on itself near the train station, so as soon as it got remotely busy, the entire town came to a grinding halt. \nThey temporarily \"fixed\" the problem by covering all the traffic lights with polythene bags and letting drivers work it out by courtesy - which worked exceptionally well, unexpectedly.\nOnce they'd re-thunk things they put the traffic lights back in action, but honestly, it has never flowed so smoothly as it did when the lights were turned off.\nOccasionally there will be a blackout of the traffic signals, and everyone has to rely on driver courtesy again, and it always works better than anything the town planning can come up with.\nThis may be a peculiarity of the town's layout, I guess.\n\nEDITED: typo",
"It's largely just poor planning.\n\nSome cities do try to time adjacent intersections so that if you're traveling at \"typical\" speed in the \"typical\" direction of traffic, then you'll go from one green light to the next. (Of course, in trying to time it right, you also assume that traffic will actually flow at the predicted speed, and if it doesn't, you might end up with the situation you describe where the light is just always red when you get to it. So it also depends on somewhat stable and predictable traffic conditions)\n\nIt is my impression that this is more common in Western European cities than in the US, but I can't say that for sure.\n\nThere's also a difference in technology. Cities which invest in modern stoplights which have sensors to detect current traffic conditions can do this much more intelligently than ones that are just following a timer.",
"As an aside to u/cdav3435 amamzing explanation, I had a friend, an engineer student, who had timed the lights in a major stretch of road. Those were optimized for a traffic flow of 35mph. However, he had found that, if he went somewhat faster, he would hit all green lights as well, and one day invited me to drive in his car while he did it.\n\nHe failed to mention that the speed necessary to accomplish this was 70mph.",
"Theyre supposed to be timed slightly one after the other so that if youre going the speed limit you will eventually hit continual green. But after repairs etc the timing gets off. ",
"In smaller towns in Oklahoma, when the lights are ON THE FUCKING HIGHWAY, it's so you have to stop while driving through said pissy little town. When you have to stop anyway, you're more likely to visit a gas station or fast food joint. Rather than building overpasses, or finding some other solution that allows the highway traffic to maintain speed, they use this to try to bring money in. Along with tickets they hand out like there's a raffle going on as people run red lights or miss the constant speed changes and end up going 10 over...",
"Often lights are timed this way in shopping districts to make you stop and look at the window displays more often. \n\nSource: mother when she was in city planning/council ",
"We have the lights with sensors on the ground. If there is a gap 4-5 car lengths, then the light changes red. It is frustrating when the person infront of you is slow and doesn't keep up with traffic, so the light changes red. Or when they sit at a light behind the sensor on the road, so the light never changed because the idiot infront of you won't move up. \n\nAlso timing between lights with these sensors suck on the main road and favor the side street turning into main road. For example, if you are main road sitting at red. The side traffic turns left onto the same direction you are going but ahead of you. So that side street traffic triggers the next light, there is a gap of that traffic with yours. So when your light turns green, that next light has turned back to red because of the gap. So main oncoming traffic always hits reds. Frustrating as fuck. ",
"They don't, they do the opposite. You're probably always speeding and race to a stop light. If you catch a green and are going the speed limit, you will almost always catch multiple greens.",
"We could synchronize all our lights on a route and time them perfectly, but that costs money. So we use radio interconnect to cut costs and isn't reliable. We don't send traffic engineers out to tweak timings. We set them up once and move on. You're lucky if you tweak timings every three years. So the bottom line is costs. \n\nNow throw in adaptive systems that tweak timings automatically. They are usually low bid and you can get some subpar equipment. Throw in system/detector maintenance? Comes back to money. ",
"I'm surprised no one has mentioned the economical benefits. These lights are usually strategically placed in cities to force traffic to stop to recognize small business and billboard advertisements. It's an idea that's been around for quite some time. I'm not sure if OP was looking for the mechanical explanation, but this should be noted. ",
"I don't know about other countries but in the Netherlands they try to use this system called \"green wave\" which means the lights in the city are all tuned so that if you drive at the speed limit you would get only green lights, but if you exceed it you'll face the lights so you don't gain anything from speeding. \nOf course, only the main roads can be like this because all intersections would then need to be red, so it only works for some of the roads.",
"In some cities this is done on purpose to control traffic by eliminating massive backups at any one single light. If all lights are synced then the potential for a major backup at one light increases because of new cars entering the road at each intersection.\n\nIt can also be done to control the flow of cars from one road to another. Ex: you can force only 500 cars per hour to turn left or right onto a major road instead of 800 by limiting how many cars can make it to the intersection per hour.\n\n\nIt is also sometimes used as a way to encourage speed limits and create \"safer\" travel. This is why in my city, even at 2am on a wednesday night you will run into a red light \"for no reason\". This method can also be used to help prevent street racing. It's mostly just annoying and the benefits are hard to scientifically prove.\n\nTraffic is highly complex and what hurts a few individuals may end up helping many more. Finding a balance is actually incredibly difficult.\n\n\n",
"Where I live you can make it a stretch of main road with out a stop if you catch it at the right moment. Otherwise you're fucked with consecutive reds. "
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_wave"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEF7pMREuyw",
"https://www.civil.iitb.ac.in/tvm/1111_nptel/577_ATC_A/plain/plain.html"
],
[],
[],
[
"http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/-/media/Travelandtransport/Roadandtrafficinfo/Traffic-Signals-Information/Figure3.JPG?w=650&h=430&as=1&la=en&hash=8C38C03F431B6B03CBF231DB963781581CBCC1E1"
],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_wave"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_wave"
],
[
"https://arxiv.org/pdf/1611.01142v1.pdf",
"https://youtu.be/jT2przwUSwo"
],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
fao4ut
|
how does “night mode” work for iphone pictures?
|
Not sure it’s iPhone specific but I keep seeing that commercial so I tried it and it’s amazing.
Commercial: _URL_0_
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/fao4ut/eli5_how_does_night_mode_work_for_iphone_pictures/
|
{
"a_id": [
"fizt4rf"
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"text": [
"It keeps the shutter open a little longer to allow more light in. It mixes that with some digital brightening that makes some noise, so depending on the situation, it takes 2 or a few photos and combines them and it puts those photos on top of each other and the artificial intelligence does its thing to best reduce noise. Imagine a checkered board and in this boxes, there are many different shapes. You memorise some of those shapes and position and your friend memorises a few more and another friend memorises the last few.\n\nSo put together all your work and you have the complete checkerboard. If you were doing this alone, you'd try to fill in this empty boxes with whatever you think is right. Those things you think is right are actually wrong and that is the noise you get when you take photos at night without night mode."
]
}
|
[] |
[
"https://youtu.be/a1-ibIspYbs"
] |
[
[]
] |
|
ja999
|
Why are so many organic molecules yellow or orangish?
|
I work in a chemistry lab, and most of the molecules that we make and that I see in the NMR room from other labs are either colorless, yellow, or a shade of orangish brown. I have never seen green, red, or blue for example. Why is this?
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ja999/why_are_so_many_organic_molecules_yellow_or/
|
{
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"text": [
"In my limited experience (Chemistry undergrad, BioPhysics grad school work), the smaller ring structures and smaller conjugated bond paths absorb larger amounts of energy (the blue, purple, green, etc), which means that the energy that passes through the solution is what's left, (the orange, red, yellow, etc).\n\nI can't confirm, and I don't have a source, but that was the way it was explained to me once.",
"most of the things you make in chem lab (aspirin, toluene containing compounds, etc) include substituted aromatic rings in their structure. these rings usually look yellow.",
"I'll just leave this here: _URL_0_",
"In my limited experience (Chemistry undergrad, BioPhysics grad school work), the smaller ring structures and smaller conjugated bond paths absorb larger amounts of energy (the blue, purple, green, etc), which means that the energy that passes through the solution is what's left, (the orange, red, yellow, etc).\n\nI can't confirm, and I don't have a source, but that was the way it was explained to me once.",
"most of the things you make in chem lab (aspirin, toluene containing compounds, etc) include substituted aromatic rings in their structure. these rings usually look yellow.",
"I'll just leave this here: _URL_0_"
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjugated_system"
],
[],
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjugated_system"
]
] |
|
2sqvn2
|
Were stone carvings in ancient, medieval, or renaissance sculptures painted or colored?
|
I recently visited Seville and Granada and it made me wonder if the carvings we see all over the outside and inside of these structures was originally colored or decorated somehow. [Here's an example of some carvings I saw on the outside of Granada Cathedral](_URL_0_), for example.
|
AskHistorians
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2sqvn2/were_stone_carvings_in_ancient_medieval_or/
|
{
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"cns3yai"
],
"score": [
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"text": [
"Frequently, yes.\n\nAncient sculptures were almost always painted. Here's an article about how traces of this paint can be detected scientifically: _URL_3_\n\nHere's a reconstruction of what classical sculptures might have looked like originally, when painted: _URL_4_\n\nAnd here's an older article with some history about the rediscovery of paint on ancient sculptures: _URL_0_\n\nThis holds true in the middle ages as well.\n\nFor example, the stone crosses you see in parts of England from the anglo-saxon period were entirely painted, and fitted with metal and glass inserts to add sparkle as well as color.\n\nHere's a good article about one such cross: _URL_5_\n\nAnd here's a reconstruction of the paint on another cross: _URL_2_\n\nSometimes traces of the medieval paint survive. More frequently, they were cleaned off of medieval buildings and sculptures because, as the paint aged and started to flake, people decided it was unattractive. Sometimes paint was stripped from a decorated building because it was thought to have been a later addition, and the building would look more 'original' without the paint (sometimes, original medieval paint was removed by such well-meaning restorations!).\n\nThere are a few interesting restoration projects in the UK right now which are repainting medieval sculptures and buildings their original colors (when evidence survives) - [Stirling Castle](_URL_1_) in Scotland is great example. The result looks very different from the grey middle ages we usually imagine!"
]
}
|
[] |
[
"http://i.imgur.com/2zCrern.jpg"
] |
[
[
"http://www.jstor.org/stable/30103116",
"http://www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/story",
"http://poppy.nsms.ox.ac.uk/woruldhord/contributions/369",
"http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090615/full/news.2009.574.html",
"http://www.nbcnews.com/id/11945940/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/scientists-retrace-parthenons-brilliant-hues/",
"http://www.jstor.org/stable/125057"
]
] |
|
4sh31d
|
Would it be possible to build a predictive model of chemistry?
|
We have models of physics that can, with a fair degree of accuracy, predict how certain physical forces will interact and what outcomes those interactions will yield but could we do the same with chemistry?
If we created a program and defined all the parameters of every particle, element, molecule, ion, compound, chemical process, etc. that we know of, could that program potentially be used to predict new materials? Mendeleev was able to predict then unknown elements and even their properties based on what was known of chemistry at that time. So I can't help but wonder if, with the power of modern computing on our side, we couldn't potentially predict new materials in a similar fashion.
|
askscience
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/4sh31d/would_it_be_possible_to_build_a_predictive_model/
|
{
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"d59uw84",
"d5a1dzm"
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3
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"text": [
"Density functional theory (DFT) does this quite well by solving the quantum mechanical calculations for molecules or materials. Often it is predictive, but not perfect in most cases.\n\n_URL_0_ has a huge database of material compautations, and works towards predicting performance in batteries, Thermoelectrics, and photovoltaics.\n\nThere are several other examples of these materials genome project type computational databases. \n\nIn fact, there is a whole field on computational chemistry working to do exactly what you are asking.\n",
"We can simulate all kind of materials. A huge application of this field is in pharmacological research, e.g. computational chemists will try thousands of molecules to bind to a particular protein.\n\nDensity functional theory (DFT), molecular dynamics, monte carlo simulations are some subfields of computational chemicals and materials research.\n\nThere are a lot of limitations. While the computational power we have at our disposable may be awesome, it is nowhere enough to simulate systems with all parameters defined for particles, elements, etc.\n\nMost simulation fields comes with its set of assumptions and approximations. For example, molecular dynamics will treat atoms as point charges. Even with this approximation, even with powerful supercomputers, we can only simulate very few particles (usually less than 1 million, which is a tiny fraction of a mole) for a very short time (usually less than a microsecond)."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[
"http://materialsproject.org"
],
[]
] |
|
6jditc
|
how are you supposed to know if a self diagnosed mental illness isn't just the placebo effect?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6jditc/eli5_how_are_you_supposed_to_know_if_a_self/
|
{
"a_id": [
"djdgcre"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Its easy...a self diagnosed mental illness isnt the placebo effect. It cant be. The Placebo Effectis a beneficial effect, produced by a placebo drug or treatment, that cannot be attributed to the properties of the placebo itself, and must therefore be due to the patient's belief in that treatment. \n\nNow you could mean.... \nHypochondria \nsomatic symptom disorder \nor maybe even... \nMunchausen syndrome \n\nTake your pick, \nthe answer to your question is STOP SELF DIAGNOSING. Go see a professional. \n"
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
||
2b0iaj
|
how do people die from strangulation but wake up from being choked / knocked out?
|
Very confused, but I'm also stupid.
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2b0iaj/eli5_how_do_people_die_from_strangulation_but/
|
{
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"cj0kv02",
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"text": [
"Because when you choke someone out in a martial arts setting, or knock them unconscious, you immediately cease the attack and allow them to recover. I promise, if you continued your choke for even a fairly short period of time after they pass out, you are likely going to kill them or severely injure them at the least.",
"I just recently happened to be explaining this to somebody, oddly enough. I'll tell you a bit from the anatomy perspective. There's a few things to note. First, the airway and the heart. An interesting fact that you learn in CPR or medical training is that the lungs and heart and incredibly interconnected, in both their form and function. This means that when one stops, the other will, too. If your airway is blocked for a long enough period of time, you will pass out. However, if at exactly that moment your airway is cleared, breathing will automatically resume and you will shortly regain consciousness (though this is incredibly dangerous still, obviously, as brain damage due to oxygen starvation or serious injury could still result, even if death were avoided). If, however, your airway remains blocked for just a short time longer, it will eventually induce cardiac arrest as well. So, now you're not breathing and your heart has stopped - both troublesome, as either condition alone will render you dead within minutes, and both together means you're pretty well screwed. This is exactly what CPR sets out to do - manually beat a victims heart and force air into the lungs if the airway is clear to keep blood moving and carrying oxygen. Even if the airway is not clear, though, there is enough oxygen reserves in your lungs to keep you alive for even several minutes if you keep the heart pumping blood until better medical attention is available (rescue team in the field or a crash cart in a hospital). So, if the airway is temporarily blocked - unconsciousness results. If it is blocked for too long - combo of respiratory arrest and cardiac arrest, both highly dangerous and very fatal conditions without immediate emergency treatment. The other factor to be aware of are the myriad of dangerous injuries that can result from forced closing of the airway by means of choking or strangulation - rupturing of the carotid arteries and internal bleeding, severe muscular damage, deformation of the airway or esophagus enough to render them useless, or even the straight up breaking of the spine (side note - there's an interesting little free-floating bone called the hyoid in the throat, and seeing it broken in an autopsy of a suspected homicide victim tends to lead to proof of death by means of strangulation). These injuries are more likely from violent acts of strangulation such as hanging or garroting, but can happen even if you are attempting to render someone unconscious by choking but don't mean to kill them - besides, they'd only be out for like a second anyway, not like the movies. \n\nPeople die from being \"knocked out\" all the time. It's too severe of blunt forced trauma, causing catastrophic brain damage (or damage to other vital areas if struck elsewhere). Again, if you are knocked out only by a blow to the head, the actual time that a person is out is (hopefully) just a brief moment. The longer they are out (counted in mere seconds), the greater the chance of irreparable brain damage. \n\nSorry for the length, or if some of it's a bit off - I tried to summarize a lot of things so I may have poorly phrased a bit. The human body is a very interesting topic to me though, and I love talking about it, so I'm glad if any of this is helpful!"
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[]
] |
|
mg2tv
|
What is located in the area that would otherwise be a uterus if a man were a woman?
|
Do men simply have larger organs/bladder? It seems like the uterus is quite a large organ in itself so I am wondering what the equivalent body area in men contains.
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/mg2tv/what_is_located_in_the_area_that_would_otherwise/
|
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"The base of the penis is where the vagina would be, the prostate is roughly where the cervix would be and the bladder is where the body of the uterus would be (the male bladder is larger).\n\nThe non pregnant uterus is not that big, about the size of a clenched fist.",
"Embryonically speaking, the uterus is formed by the [Mullerian or paramesonephric ducts](_URL_0_). In a male, hormones produced by the testes stunt the growth of this tissue and it becomes a tiny little speck on the prostate and testicles (look in the male/female chart in that wiki article).\n\nAnatomically speaking, the space is occupied by the prostate, a larger bladder, and the small intestines which are somewhat mobile within the abdomen.",
"The uterus is approximately the size of a very small pear (or a woman's fist) when there is nothing in it. (It expands up to 100x it's normal size to accommodate a fetus.) The uterus is located behind the bladder and in front of the rectum, so one could speculate that a male's larger excretory organs would \"take up\" that room. Since the female pelvic bones are shaped a little differently than a males (in order for a human skull to pass through the pelvic opening), I would imagine that there is even less of a real-estate issue for reproductive organs--females simply have more room in that part of their anatomy, and only a small space is needed for a uterus.\n\nTo be literal, the seminal vesicle lies between the male bladder and rectum, so that is what is there \"instead\" of a uterus.",
"The base of the penis is where the vagina would be, the prostate is roughly where the cervix would be and the bladder is where the body of the uterus would be (the male bladder is larger).\n\nThe non pregnant uterus is not that big, about the size of a clenched fist.",
"Embryonically speaking, the uterus is formed by the [Mullerian or paramesonephric ducts](_URL_0_). In a male, hormones produced by the testes stunt the growth of this tissue and it becomes a tiny little speck on the prostate and testicles (look in the male/female chart in that wiki article).\n\nAnatomically speaking, the space is occupied by the prostate, a larger bladder, and the small intestines which are somewhat mobile within the abdomen.",
"The uterus is approximately the size of a very small pear (or a woman's fist) when there is nothing in it. (It expands up to 100x it's normal size to accommodate a fetus.) The uterus is located behind the bladder and in front of the rectum, so one could speculate that a male's larger excretory organs would \"take up\" that room. Since the female pelvic bones are shaped a little differently than a males (in order for a human skull to pass through the pelvic opening), I would imagine that there is even less of a real-estate issue for reproductive organs--females simply have more room in that part of their anatomy, and only a small space is needed for a uterus.\n\nTo be literal, the seminal vesicle lies between the male bladder and rectum, so that is what is there \"instead\" of a uterus."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramesonephric_duct"
],
[],
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramesonephric_duct"
],
[]
] |
|
4jmf4k
|
why do modern ultraportable laptops only have a 32/64gb ssd, when netbooks, which were even smaller, commonly had 120gb hard drives?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4jmf4k/eli5_why_do_modern_ultraportable_laptops_only/
|
{
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"Those larger hard drives were mechanical drives which compared to SSD's, are very slow and more prone to damage since it's getting bumped around all the time. \n\nSSD's of the same size (or higher) go up significantly in price.\n\nIt's a mix between improving speed and keeping costs low.",
"Hello colmreddy :)\n\nYou should start with what are the differences between SSDs and HDDs and why smaller SSDs are more expensive than larger HDDs. I believe [this topic](_URL_0_) should be quite useful for you. \n\nAs the guys suggested, this has a lot to do with the purpose of modern small portable laptops and how much storage space is really needed for their purpose. This, combined with features like light-weight, portability, safety against movement and vibrations make SSDs more suitable for these laptops, but larger capacities would increase he cost.\n\nI'd be happy to further explain something if needed, feel free to ask :) \n\nCaptain_WD."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4l7mk8/eli5_how_do_ssds_work_why_havent_we_switched_from/"
]
] |
||
31fou1
|
since it's illegal for children to purchase cigarettes, why isn't forcing 2nd hand smoke on them also illegal?
|
Specifically in the home,
where they have no choice but to breathe it in.
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/31fou1/eli5_since_its_illegal_for_children_to_purchase/
|
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"text": [
"I agree the it should be stopped, but how would you enforce it",
"The only way it'll stop is when society matures enough that either no one smokes, or everyone who does smoke doesn't do it in a situation where it affects anyone else.",
"It's not illegal for children to buy cigarettes. It's illegal for shops to sell cigarettes to children. In other words, you can't make money off of children consuming tobacco.The difference there kind of defeats the parallel you were drawing. ",
"A friend of mine was able to get sole custody and restrictions on his exes access/visitation. She and her boyfriend smoked heavily in their home and car. One of the kids had asthma. The Mothers' attitude really sealed her fate (It's my house, my car, my kids)",
"It is illegal in some places, particularly to smoke in a car with a child. ",
"Where I live it's illegal to smoke in a car if someone 17 or younger is in the car. ",
"Interesting you say this; I know a young woman whose currently in medical school at Harvard with a concentration in public health. She is currently working on creating legislation that would make smoking in cars where children are present illegal. So I guess in due time your concerns may be answered.",
"Why isnt forcing 2nd hand smoke on **anybody** illegal?",
"There is proposed legislation in my city to do just that. I'm glad, my parents smoked in the car when I was growing up and it was fucking gross. Kids should not be subjected to that.",
"Because smoking isn't as much of a choice as people think it is. Imagine two towns, one where everyone smokes and one where no one smokes. Growing up in the first town will make you much more likely to smoke than growing up in the second(i.e. see smoking habits in eastern Europe compared to western Europe). If there were laws saying second-hand smoke were child abuse, that would be equivalent to saying that because I was born in the first town, not the second, that I would be considerably more likely to be charged with child abuse. Now you might say that if it was considered child abuse people would stop smoking in the first town, a win-win by all accounts. But what about people who already smoked? The whole idea is that smoking is addictive. In particular, think about people who started smoking before the consensus that now exists about the dangers of smoking. They became addicted when it was legal, not considered bad, but now all of a sudden they are more likely to be convicted of crimes, based on something they can't control.\n\nAlso, such a law would very likely be discriminatory against poor people or people with poor housing situations. Imagine you are in a neighborhood where it is considered dangerous to be outside after 2 am, but its 3 am and your up for some reason(for example, you work a night shift) and you need to smoke. In this context it is much less of a no brainer to go outside to smoke.\n\nFurther, if someone is forcing second hand smoke on their children its not because they are crazy or irrational. You could probably characterize it into three broad categories: either they don't understand the risks, understand the risks and don't care, or understand the risks, care, but can't stop themselves. Such a law might penalize all three groups, when really its only the second of the three that carries culpability. The other two are arguably expressions of failures by society: failure to educate people, failure to offer treatment, failure to hold cigarette companies responsible, etc."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
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|
4betbw
|
what makes guitars that expensive?
|
Browsing through the guitar section in a music store delivers a veeery high price margin.
I might understand the difference between a 100$ guitar and a 500$, but why do a lot of guitars cost 4k$+? What makes them that expensive?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4betbw/eli5_what_makes_guitars_that_expensive/
|
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"Can be vintage, or workmanship in general. High priced manufacturers (PRS) are known for good sustain, and of course the art that may be put into it. I'm not much of a player, but this I know",
"Guitars are actually among the cheapest, most mass-produced instruments. Beginner flutes *start* at around $500. Beginner tubas... oh my god please don't let my child get interested in the tuba. Guitars are much more affordable as they are a very popular instrument, and competition is fierce among guitar manufacturers. Thusly, you can find excellent beginner guitars in the $300-$400 range that may last many decades if treated well. I have 6 guitars and still have the MIM Stratocaster I learned on that was $350. Still plays great even though I've moved on to more advanced axes. \n\nCost of the guitar stems from many things:\n\n-Popularity. A \"normal\" cut guitar like a stratocaster will be cheaper because they are tremendously mass produced. The company can pump out thousands of bodies and slap different hardware into them, and that's 2/3 of their entire product line. This brings costs down tremendously. A guitar with a unique shape requires a different process, or may need to be hand crafted.\n\n- Hardware. Pickups, for example, can vary widely in cost. Low-end guitars come with less expensive hardware, and likely a generic version made by the guitar manufacturer. More expensive guitars often have pickups from a dedicated pickup manufacturer, like Seymour Duncan or EMG, or may have an active electronic internal preamp. Note companies like Fender or Gibson make their own pickups for most of their guitars, and many of them are very high quality. \n\n- Uniqueness. If you're just starting out and you want a cheap axe to learn on, you're not going to be dropping $1k+ on a guitar. You're also not gonna care if it has a cool paint job because a black guitar looks cool too. So when they do the sunburst flame patterns and shit, they can mark it up because they know mostly hardcore guitarists, guitar collectors, or kids with rich ass parents are going to be buying them. \n\nMany other things to take into account... craftsmanship, materials down to the wood type used, etc. Also, some guitars are designed by famous guitarists, e.g. Steve Vai's Ibanez line, Joe Satriani's Ibanez line, Tremonti's PRS line, Kirk Hammett's ESPs, etc. These guitars may be marked up because of the unique design, and the \"famousness\" of the person they were designed for. That said, Tremonti's PRS is awesome and is actually cheaper than most PRSs. Also, the JS Ibanez series are excellent guitars and not outrageously expensive.",
"A lot of it is brand name, the fact is that a handmade instrument is going to be much more expensive than a mass produced instrument, and if someone has the money, they are often willing to pay that much to have their own unique guitar. Guitar making (luthiery) is considered an art, and often people will pay to have \"hand painted\" art, rather than reprints. \n\nAdditionally, there are many considerations in making a guitar, such as the wood used in the neck, in the body, and the distribution of tension across the guitar. These things can all change the sustain and sound of the guitar. Having a nicer pickup can change the sound drastically, and can even prevent hum from electromagnetic interference. \n\nTL;DL, people will pay big money for unique handmade name brand guitars that have the best of the best gear in it ",
"My good friend is a guitar maker and sells them for about $3000-4000. At the end of the day, he makes around $20-25 per hour for his effort. He says each guitar takes at least 100 hours to make, and the woods alone cost between $700-1000. So the best guitars are hand made, and that's why they cost so much- expensive woods and a lot of labour. \n\nCheap guitars often just use ply-wood or cheap woods, and are often mass produced by machines/factories",
"Depends on the brand. But in general you get what you pay for in guitars. My dad and I share a collection of around 20+ and they range from a few hundred to 10,000 and I can assure you that (in general) the more expensive ones are more well made and sound better. Rarity can also play a big role in price though. There are a lot of factor that contribute to a price of a guitar, and some guitars are much more worth the high price than others ",
"Adding to the discussion. A Classical Guitar can go upwards to 10K + depending on whether it's hand made by a well known craftsman. Rosewood is the wood of choice for the back and sides and it's importation is strictly regulated. Most makers have a limited stash and prices go sky high when they use it. I own one non-rosewood handmade guitar from Canada that is worth about $1000. My best one was hand made by Augustino Guitars with rosewood and costs about $4000 now. It truly sounds beautiful and resonates perfectly, no words to explain it really but the difference is noticable.\n"
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
9ol35i
|
g-force - what is it and how does it injure/kill?
|
How does it affect our bodies?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9ol35i/eli5_gforce_what_is_it_and_how_does_it_injurekill/
|
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"G-Force is just a shorthand way of referring to a force using the force of gravity as a reference. \n\n & #x200B;\n\nSo 1G is the same as the force we feel due to gravity. This feels like almost no force at all because we feel it act on us all the time. 2Gs would be twice the normal force of gravity and 3Gs would be 3 times the force etc.\n\nIt injures you and kills you the same way force from anything else would. It crushes you causing your internal organs to compact and your bones to break.",
"Imagine your bodies vascular system, your heart pumps the blood around your body and is able to do so at earth gravity. The moment u accelerate faster than earth gravity (9.81m^s2), you begin to experience forces greater than 1G. But your heart is only designed to supply your body with blood at 1G. \nA pilot in a plane can experience multiple Gs, at this point your heart is unable to pump enough blood and supply your brain with enough oxygen which can cause a black out and ultimately cause a plane crash.\nAnother example would be a Car crash. Your body would be subject to multiple negative Gs as you decelerate very quickly. Your body wants to carry going while your veins or nerves become severed.",
"Did you ever go on a extreme ride like rollercoaster or one of those spinny type things?\n\nThat feeling you are getting very heavy and pushed back in your seat? That even stretching your arms in front of you takes more muscle power than you can muster?\n\nNow imagine that same ride going faster and faster, and you will feel heavier and heavier. Your body will be crushed by it's own weight. \n\nWith things like car impacts and accidents and such it is often because of a extremely high g-force in a very short time. Imagine your body weighing 30 tons for 0,05 seconds.\n\nSplut "
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
2vog4p
|
Why does Turner's syndrome have any effects at all?
|
In Turner's syndrome, the person is missing an x chromosome. Normally Barr bodies inactivate one x chromosome in female anyways. Why do the women show any differences at all if they only need one x chromosome?
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2vog4p/why_does_turners_syndrome_have_any_effects_at_all/
|
{
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"cojk18d"
],
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"text": [
"Even though one X chromosome is transformed into a Barr body, some of its genes are still expressed. They're called the [pseudoautosomal regions](_URL_0_), of which there are two. The article linked contains a section on Turner syndrome and its probable pathology."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[
"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2435358/"
]
] |
|
n39pp
|
How is this possible!?
|
basically this kid drowns in the pool and is found 30 minutes later dead underwater, yet they somehow revived him after being underwater for 30 min and he is alive and no brain damage or anything. How is something like this possible?
here is the video _URL_0_
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/n39pp/how_is_this_possible/
|
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"In the past there have been people who have been revived after a hour underwater. Some time ago I was watching a lifeguard show, and they claimed that once an hour pasts of a person missing in water it becomes a search and recover, not search and rescue. All I could find on the subject was this [article on a 2 year old under](_URL_0_) the water for an hour.",
"Depends on the temperature of water. The colder the better (as long a it's above freezing).",
"This is possible in very cold water (hypothermia onset delays tissue damage from hypoxia) in conjunction with a laryngospasm which prevents water ingress to the trachea. Rare set of conditions, but possible.",
"There was a woman caught in an avalanche at Mt. Baker around 8 years ago, as well as several others. One of the other people was only partially buried, and walked out for rescue. The next morning, they dug the girl out. She had a core temperature somewhere around 68 degrees Fahrenheit, and even though she was completely buried, she had not suffocated. (typical avalanche suffocation occurs after about 7 minutes). After re-warming her core temp, she regained consciousness and recovered with no brain damage or frostbite.\n",
"Others have covered quite a bit but I can put a name to the phenomena: [mammalian diving reflex](_URL_0_). It's a set of processes that occur that allow mammals to survive being underwater for prolonged periods of time, and is particularly strong in young individuals.",
"In the past there have been people who have been revived after a hour underwater. Some time ago I was watching a lifeguard show, and they claimed that once an hour pasts of a person missing in water it becomes a search and recover, not search and rescue. All I could find on the subject was this [article on a 2 year old under](_URL_0_) the water for an hour.",
"Depends on the temperature of water. The colder the better (as long a it's above freezing).",
"This is possible in very cold water (hypothermia onset delays tissue damage from hypoxia) in conjunction with a laryngospasm which prevents water ingress to the trachea. Rare set of conditions, but possible.",
"There was a woman caught in an avalanche at Mt. Baker around 8 years ago, as well as several others. One of the other people was only partially buried, and walked out for rescue. The next morning, they dug the girl out. She had a core temperature somewhere around 68 degrees Fahrenheit, and even though she was completely buried, she had not suffocated. (typical avalanche suffocation occurs after about 7 minutes). After re-warming her core temp, she regained consciousness and recovered with no brain damage or frostbite.\n",
"Others have covered quite a bit but I can put a name to the phenomena: [mammalian diving reflex](_URL_0_). It's a set of processes that occur that allow mammals to survive being underwater for prolonged periods of time, and is particularly strong in young individuals."
]
}
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"http://gma.yahoo.com/video/news-26797925/boy-2-survives-30-minutes-underwater-27505842.html"
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2bumvk
|
why does the usa still have an embargo against cuba?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2bumvk/eli5_why_does_the_usa_still_have_an_embargo/
|
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"The older Cuban-American generation is vehemently anti-communist and, therefore, very pro-Republican. They're adamantly opposed to lifting the embargo. They're a powerful constituency group within the Republican Party, and they happen to be centralized in a major battleground state.\n\nTL/DR: Older Cuban-Americans are politically important and won't let it happen.\n\nSource: I work with the GOP.\n\nEDIT: Changed 'Cubans' to 'Cuban-Americans' to avoid confusion.\n ",
"*Not* only is there still the strong anti-Castro pro-Republican contingent lobbying hard to keep the embargo AND no motivation to lift it, but it is a matter of continued doctrine, principle, and preparation for the demise (of old age, probably) of the Castro brothers.\n\nIn Cuba, a single strong dictator confronted us directly both ideologically and (granted, re-actively) militarily by allowing launchers so close to US soil. We lost face in the Bay Of Pigs incident (long forgotten except in Miami) and then cut a deal with the Soviets (which continued with the Russians, btw) that we would not invade militarily. So basically the U.S. government took the position that we will win this confrontation the easy way; through attrition and time. This is actually a good tactic because the U.S. believes that the only thing that holds the Cuban nation together at this point is the Castro family. Once Raul is gone, the system will *likely* fall apart within a couple of years. A large (and rich) ex-pat community will then pour much needed capital and political leadership into the island nation.\n\nFidel, though many have wished him dead of old age for years now, is still hammering away ideologically from the sidelines, but it is Raul that is the military strongman now. Behind him is...nothing. Well, at least nothing with their force of personality or the Castro family name-brand attached to it. In short, within a few years of Raul's death, no matter who takes over, the island will revert to where it was before Communism took over and we will not have needed to fire a shot.\n\nThe embargo keeps their economy weak and prepares the way for the wave of Cuban-heritage politicians and business people from the U.S. that will provide the next government and economic base once the Castro brothers die off. These 1st & 2nd generation Cubans have *vast* wealth. Others have political power & experience in local Florida as well as national-level politics. Let us not forget that we have THREE U.S. Senators that are of Cuban heritage. Senators. [One of those, Marco Rubio](_URL_0_), will likely be a Republican nominee for PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES as well. That is some serious pro-embargo political clout at the highest levels of our government.\n\nSome ex-pat Cubans have something even better... money AND political power. Combined with the very generous hand-outs and recommenced trade from a newly friendly U.S. government, these people will probably turn Cuba from one of the poorest nations in the Caribbean to one of the wealthiest in less than a decade.\n\nTLDR: The embargo keeps them weak & paves the wave for 2nd generation Cubans in the US to transform it almost over-night into a rich & (more importantly) US-friendly ally once the Castro brothers die.\n\nEdit: I seem to have drawn the ire of Mtl_dood. I am not trying to justify the embargo or predict the future; I was simply answering the question by explaining the US rational for keeping it in place.",
"I am Canadian the owner of an online tour business in Havana and a very frequent visitor to Cuba.\n \nI see things slightly different than starstarstar42, I do agree with the overall point but would like to point out that while the US sits and waits the end of the Castro regime the people in power in Cuba are also watching and waiting. \n\n These people do not want the status quo to change they are quite happy with how things have worked out for the Cuban 1% and have been preparing for years the eventual power shift.\n \nWith recent economic developments in Cuba massive trade deals with both Russia and China the building and opening of the Mariel special economic zone and the concentration of tourism resources in the hands of the Army I would hesitate before saying that Cuba will fall shortly after Raul Castro dies.\n\nI think there will be changes in Cuba to be sure but the US will not be invited in with open arms to buy everything and run everything.\n\n ",
"Because the people who lost under Castro moved to the US and they have inordinate power to shape US anti-Cuban sentiment.\n\nThere actually remains zero good reasons to continue the embargo.",
"Because the USA and Cuba got into a huge dick waving contest, and the USA lost, and refuses to acknowledge that loss.",
"Cuban exiles and their families are still furious over having their property nationalized. Basically they were the wealthy ruling class in Cuba under Batista, and then Castro came in and took all their money and all their power. They fled to the United States, predominantly Florida, where they have used their wealth and understanding of power to amass political power in Florida politics. Florida has an outsize role in US politics due primarily to the electoral college, but for other reasons as well.\n\nFor many years it was politically problematic for any Presidential candidate to propose changing the policy toward Cuba, and there is no strong \"end the embargo\" lobby who are nearly as passionate or adament about it as those who hate Castro because they are angry over what they feel was a wrong done to their family. Put another way, I want the embargo to end, I had a chance to visit Havana and thought it was wonderful. But it's not issue #1 for me, so I'm not pushing my elected officials to do something about it, while the bitter Cuban exiles care about nothing else more, and are vocal about their caring.\n\nA related issue not mentioned below is that US political doctrine changes very slowly. Just look at the number of policy areas where Obama sought to make changes, like closing Gitmo, but has been stymied by the extensive forces at play maintaining the status quo. These forces are also at work preserving the embargo even as its logical underpinnings are mostly gone.",
"It because there is a small but noisy contingent in a swing state (Cubans in south Florida) that will throw a tantrum if it gets lifted. The embargo has done absolutely nothing in 50 years.",
"It's essentially a sham at this point. Cuban Americas can go visit their family and take them whatever they want to Cuba and bring most things back too. They can visit as much as they want now too. My brother in law just brought back a bunch of Havana Club rum when he went to visit his grandmother. My sister in law took her younger brother a PS3 a few years ago. The embargo is a political bargaining chip anymore and only prevents companies from doing business and exchanging goods, not individuals. It messes up tourism too. People are now signing up to be mules taking things (not drugs) to Cuba thru people who pay their flight round trip.",
"Very interesting that most explanations are ignoring the history of Cuba. For example, we have wanted to annex Cuba since the Revolutionary War. Founding Fathers such as John Adams saying\n\n > If an apple, severed by the tempest from its native tree, cannot choose but fall to the ground, Cuba, forcibly disjoined from its unnatural connexion with Spain, and incapable of self-support, can only gravitate towards the North American Union.\n\nBut more recently, we made very active moves towards annexing it after going to war with the Spanish over ownership of it's very rich and undeveloped lands, then forcing within their Constitution various clauses that allowed us political vetoes over their decisions and eventually ownership of their only port--Guantamano--in addition to the land surrounding it which was still very rich, very fertile, and undeveloped (still is). Then there is the absolute hate for it within American government, going back to the NSC and Kennedy administration. There was contempt for Cuba because it was the \"threat of a good example\" i.e. it was a model of development for Third World countries that did not rely on the US and therefore satisfy US interests. It drove them crazy, logically, and they enacted terrorist campaigns such as Operation Mongoose--overseen by RFK but headed by Edward Lansdale as revealed in Arthur Schlesinger's biography of him--that did nothing but insist that Cuba was\n\n > [t]he top priority in the United States Government -- all else is secondary -- no time, no effort, or manpower is to be spared\n\nSo farms were sabotaged, plants and factories bombed, militias raised and used to attack the countryside, and so forth.\n\nEven after the Bay of Pigs, our failed attempt at an invasion which escalated into a nearly \"hot\" moment in the Cold War, the embargo which was supposed to bring democracy to Cuba has done nothing more than bring starvation to children, death and suffering to the masses, and unnecessarily made life hard--it could be considered an act of siege and thus an act of war if the UN was serious about enforcement but it's not so it's not.\n\nIn fact, due to their successful defiance of our imposed model and our interests--as dictated by the Monroe Doctrine--we actually made the embargo **harsher** under Clinton. All sanctions on \"terror states\" were removed save for Cuba. When these sanctions were declared illegal by international organizations such as the Judicial Commission of the Organization of American States and the World Trade Organization. Clinton simply reacted with horror that these organizations would challenge American policy and declared their judgement null and void.\n\nAgain, you ask why. It's very simple, everyone from Dean Acheson to the NSC to the CIA to RFK and even JFK have said something on the subject. It's simply because\n\n > Cuba, as symbol and reality, challenged U.S. hegemony in Latin America.\n\nTherefore they had to be made an example of--it's a very logical elite response to a threat to power.\n\nedit: THANKS FOR THE GOLD! Hard to believe but it's my first one!",
"The only thing that matters to the US is the fact that they can never let Fidel die thinking he won. The US knows the only way they lose is if they submit to Fidel. If he dies while the embargo is still in place, he never wins, and then the US can simply pour money into Cuba like they've wanted all these years. I believe it's more of a personal grudge than anything else. Although the political influence of expat Cubans in the GOP is important.",
"Before Cuba had become Communist, there were a number of American businesses located in Cuba. Once communism had set in Cuba, those businesses were shut down without compensation to the owners. The US officially refuses to lift the embargo until those companies are compensated.",
"TL;DR because Miami.",
"ELI5 is an embarrassment to reddit. Where do you get off asking political questions in a place such as this. To get to the truth of the matter of something like that requires a research project.\n\nAll you will get here is popular American sentiment from people who don't know the first thing of what they're talking about. It's inevitable, it's the nature of the downvote/upvote system. There are no experts in reddit; the only expert is popular opinion. But I suppose you probably knew that and all you're looking is for something that seems mildly agreeable, and maybe a pad on the back.\n\nThe idea that everything can be explained simply given enough skill on the part of the explainer is so naive it makes me cringe to think someone could believe it. The world is complex and sometimes there are nothing but complex answers. If you want to know the answer then do not be lazy, but otherwise do not bother. Don't ask here and pretend you'll get anything out of it.",
"Same reason drugs and prostitution is illegal. Just waiting on all the conservatives to die. ",
"I once asked on the Miami Herald Boards why Cuban refugees didn't try to form a counter-revolution beyond the ill-fated Bay of Pigs. Hell, even Nicaragua mounted a counter-revolution before the cynical installation of the appearance of democracy, and one lonely centrist rule by Chamorro.\n\nIn the Miami boards I got the same response, that the US promised to lay off Cuba, as if that explained why thousands of well-off expats wouldn't fight to get their country back. IMO what happened was they got spoiled and complacent in Miami, and used US isolation as an excuse. We shall soon see, but I predict rich Cubanos will not move back to Cuba in any notable numbers when Raul dies. Certainly Bacardi Rum and other former employers will not return, so when Raul dies the century of bickering of what belongs to whom can begin. And there will be no jobs beyond cigars.\n\nAs for embargo, that was the trade-off for not turning Cuba into a radioactive reef. When Castro brought missles into Cuba, this country went crazy. I was 14, and remember the whole country started going to church-they had to run extra sermons and masses. We were *scared*, we were losing it on the border of going stupid, and I remember Kennedy with respect for keeping us intact, respect I can't have for many other Democrats.",
"It amazes me that Americans, who are banned from traveling to Cuba, think they know so much more than people who go there.",
"These answers all seem fine and dandy, but I learned it as being political suicide for any person that suggests lifting the embargo. Florida is a major swing state with a large Cuban bloc who hate the Castro's. If any politician suggests lifting the embargo, they and their party will lose Florida for many years, and since it's a big swing state that often decides elections, no politician or party would want to risk losing it. ",
" > In 1999, U.S. President Bill Clinton expanded the trade embargo even further by also disallowing foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies to trade with Cuba.\n\n\n > President Barack Obama has outlined a series of steps that Cuba could take to demonstrate a willingness to open its closed society, including releasing political prisoners, allowing United States telecommunications companies to operate on the island and ending government fees on U.S. dollars sent by relatives in the United States.\n\n_URL_0_\n\n\n\nTIL: Clinton and 0bama are Republicans!\n",
"I don't think the Florida Mafia is behind this anymore. Ex-Cubans are old folks. They'd like to visit childhood haunts before they die. \n\nThe US has an interest in fomenting a culture of fear. \"Walk softly and carry a big stick\" only works when other nations can see the results of the stick.",
"One of the reasons the US still has an embargo in Cuba is because Castro's form of communism actually works well in a small island nation like Cuba. If the embargo were not in place, Cuba's economy would increase greatly, due to an increase tourism, and selling of goods to other countries.\n\nIf this were allowed to happen, then other small countries in the Caribbean would quickly try to implement similar styles of government. And instead of having 1 communist country within a short distance, we would have a may more. This would be a foreign policy nightmare for the US. It would also demonstrate how the US does not even have much influence within tiny countries right in its backyard. It would put capitalism in direct confrontation with communism all over again. And it would diminish US' influence worldwide. ",
"Florida is a swing state, full of Cuban ex-pats, and they hate Castro.",
"Putting aside the political drama, the bottom line is there is no incentive for the US to lift it. Doing so would only benefit Cuba, so why bother.\n\nIt's not like their tourist dollars or exports would meaningfully benefit us, and opening up trade and travel would just benefit them at the expense of ourselves and the rest of the Caribbean.\n\nEven in the unlikely event the political issues were solved, there has to be something in it for us, and there is not.",
"Pretty much what's been said previously. Older cubans wield a lot of political party within the state of Florida and won't allow the embargo to ever be lifted. \n\nAt the sametime the US government continues to offer all Cubans that land on American soil amnesty through the so called \"wet foot dry foot policy.\" This is also known as the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966. This ensures that any Cuban national that sets foot on any American soil is granted legal status within the US. \n\nWhile this might sound great in reality it is a form of passive aggressive warfare being waged against the Cuban nation by depopulating the island. We could also get into discussions on the hundreds of people that have died attempting to reach American soil and the blame that should be assigned to the US government and yet never has been. \n\nWe should also mention that individuals such as Mexicans leave their country for the same reason 90% of Cubans do (financial) and yet they don't receive the same legal benefits. The claim that Cubans continue to flee Cuba due to political persecution is almost dead. Very few of the individuals that leave Cuba these days are actual political prisoners of some sort. In reality most of them return to Cuba as tourists after having been here for the prerequired period before their able to obtain a green card. \n\nJust my two cents. \n",
"They nationalized lots of US corporate shit. Don't fuck with corporate assets.\n",
"IMHO there are many reasons, below are the key ones I believe are the most important. \n\nWealthy Cubans that fled to FL and vote for the GOP oppose Communist Cuba.\n\nThe Republicans need minorities (especially Hispanics, although many Hispanic voters don't vote like Cubans), so the Republican party is sympathetic to the demands of the Cuban population in FL. \n\nUneducated people are manipulated into believing communism is still a threat to our way of life. \n\nElites use the uneducated and manipulate them for votes. (See recent examples portraying Obama/Liberals as communists).\n\nBecause many uneducated people have been primed to see communism as this evil specter ready to raise again, it cost too much political capital to go against the embargo.\n\nPoliticians have nothing to gain from going against the embargo, risk, no reward.\n\nCorporate assets.\n\nOld people raised during the height of the Cold War Era still vote.\n\nedit: The reason Democrats don't oppose the embargo in my theory is because many Democrats are elected in electorally vulnerable districts. Democrats in safe areas like California, and the North East could take whatever stance they want on the issue. However, Democrats in purple states could suffer from their party taking such a position. ",
"Because the US government is run by rich business assholes and idiot lawyers. ",
"Old Cubans in Miami",
"A theory I have heard, from someone who is usually wrong:\nThe U.S. sugar industry consists of cane sugar (Hawaii) and beet sugar (mostly Idaho). Powerful right wing people control each. They don't want sugar competition from Cuba. Since the only source I have for this is one whack job, I don't trust it.\n",
"They're an example of what happens when you come at the global hegemon. Iran has the same thing going on and the only reason they get any play at all is because they have oil and nukes. ",
"It's because Cuba is one of only 3 countries in the world without a Rothschild owned/partially owned central bank.",
"its a national pastime, like baseball.",
"Because Cuba is not under US hegemony and there's nothing to be gained politically by lifting the embargo.",
"the original reason for the embargo was Cuba questioning the actions of the American government. \n/u/Fellowship_9 , you've been banned from the U.S. \nplease move along \n;)",
"Cuban-American here. Born in Cuba, raised here. My parents and I left in 94' when shit hit the fan. Plan and simple, even if the embargo was lifted, Castro is a communist bastard that has never wanted anything to do with the US. He still believes in some \"revolution\" bs. It's pretty sad, honestly. I still have family there and they are shit poor. Clothes torn, food is scarce, we send money when needed. We visited in 2006 and looked like the Iraq war was being fought there: streets cracked with huge holes in them, people running with buckets to collect water when there was a broken pipe, no AC in their homes, and a thing called \"the little black book\". This book has the size of your family in it, along with your info. When it's time for you to buy food, you present it Nd they check to see if it really is your turn. Once everything checks out they give you \"enough\" (Cough bs cough) food till the next week. They also stamp it so, no, you can't cheat.",
"Surely the communists dont want to trade with the evil capitalists in the U.S.",
"So much wrong in here, fucking conspiracy theorists. \"If we lift the Embargo, Cubans will all come here and vote democrat/republican\" Dumbshits think your vote actually sways the electoral college?\n\nFirst, the embargo was not because of the cold war. It happened during the cold war, yes. The Cuban Missle Crisis was the \"straw that broke the camel's back\". It was mostly because of the Cuban Revolution (which the USSR had a hand in), and the overthrowing of Fulgencio Batista as president of Cuba. The U.S. liked him, and he liked us. It was a corrupt system, but we both made money. Fidel Castro and his revolution, ousted Batista and killed the relationship. Castro sided with the Soviets and taxed the shit out of everything from the U.S. So then, they were making a lot of money off us, while we made no money off of them. So they got cut off. Their tax laws have not changed, it is illegal for Cubans to visit, or move to the U.S., and they refuse to acknowledge or abide by NATO agreements. Obama even told them that if they were to work towards fixing those issues, the embargo could be lifted, they don't care.\n\nAlso, that's also why we will not leave Gitmo. That was a deal worked back in 1903. As long as we pay, it's is ours. Castro came in and said it wasn't ours, and wanted it back. So, since the 1960's, we've been paying the lease (which like $4,000/year), but Cuba has not been \"cashing the check\". The treaty signed that is the lease agreement states that Gitmo is ours as long as we recognize Cuba as a sovereign nation."
]
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"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Rubio#Speculation_on_a_possible_run_for_higher_office"
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8i0a2r
|
if you are short-sighted, is it better for your eyes/eyesight to wear your glasses in front of a computer screen?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8i0a2r/eli5_if_you_are_shortsighted_is_it_better_for/
|
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"Um, wut? I'd have to be 3 inches or less from the screen to read it. This is not a thing for me.",
"Anecdotal, but I'm near sighted, my vision starts to go blurry around the 8-10 foot mark. I typically wear my glasses at the computer, and find if I don't I tend to get headaches and/or eye strain. Not sure if it's the antiglair costing helping or what. But that's what I do.",
"I'm short sighted to an extent, I only really need my glasses to read far away things like road signs but I absolutely do not wear my glasses when I use a pc and very rarely use them at all if I'm not driving. ",
"I work in IT, and spend most of my free time PC gaming. My eyesight has been the same (shortsighted... - 1.75) since I was about 8, and I always wear my glasses, even though I don't really need to at the PC.\n\nSo, anecdotally, it makes no difference if you do or don't. "
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2q2uwb
|
How do cold blooded animals cope in colder climates? Do they feel such things such as brain freeze? Is there any examples any cold blooded creatures living in the cold?
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2q2uwb/how_do_cold_blooded_animals_cope_in_colder/
|
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"Cold blooded animals are actually newly classified as endothermic organisms, such that they need to take in external energy in the form of heat in order to survive. Their blood is not cold, as the original classification would suggest. Therefore, in an absence of heat, they can not support metabolic processes and their cells would die due to the lack of function. This is not \"brain freeze\" which is actually more of a nerve response to the cold, but rather an inability to survive in the environment. Think about throwing you, naked, into the tundra. You wouldn't last very long and you would suffer from many medical issues leading to death secondary to hypothermia. ",
"Fish are cold-blooded, in that they don't maintain a constant body temperature in the same way that mammals do. lots of them live in or seasonally visit very cold climates.\n\nto understand this, we just have to consider what the problem with being cold is.\n\nthe reason that mammals go through all the trouble of keeping a constant temperature is that it enables us to use more temperature sensitive enzymes. at the wrong temperature, the shape and therefore functionality of an enzyme can be completely warped.\n\nso fish have enzymes that can operate at a lower temperature. as long as they stay within that range, and as long as nothing like their blood freezing happens, there isn't any particular problem with the cold.\n\nThis isn't my area, but I'm pretty sure that is a good understanding of the considerations for an organism in the cold."
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|
[] |
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3nhbha
|
Did the Norse colonies of Greenland make contact with any Inuit tribes? If so were there any records of interaction? Conflict? Trade?
|
I know Erik the Red made contact with Natives in the Americas, I'm just wondering more so if there was a long term relationship between settlements in Greenland and native (sortof, they migrated there) tribes.
Edit: Lief, the son not Erik
|
AskHistorians
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3nhbha/did_the_norse_colonies_of_greenland_make_contact/
|
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"Yes, the Norse called them *Skraelings*. The relationship between the Norse and the skraelings appears to have been mostly belligerent until the abandonment of the Greenland colonies.",
"You'll probably find [this post](_URL_0_) interesting; it contains a summary of a few Inuit stories concerning the first Norse settlers of Greenland. ",
"Quoting myself from a previous answer to a similar question:\n\nThe Norse likely interacted with three different groups of Native Americans: the Dorset Paleo-Eskimo people, the Thule Eskimo people and the ancestors of the Beothuk people. They called the people of North America 'Skraelings'.\n\nThere are very few accounts of their meeting, though we know that the Dorset and Thule lived in Greenland during the same period that the Norse had colonies there (even in the same fjords) so they likely interacted somewhat beyond what we know from the sagas.\n\nThe Greenlander's Saga and Erik the Red's saga both tell pretty much the same story, with some minor differences. They reference a few meetings (most not very pleasant) between the natives and the Norse. They say that Lief Erickson's brother, Thorvald, and his men killed eight men they found in Markland and were subsequently attacked by men in skin boats, during which Thorvald himself was killed by an arrow.\n\nA few years later an Icelander, Thorfinn Karlsefni, while setting up a colony in Vinland (maybe modern-day Newfoundland), were approached by people who came out of the forest to trade furs for weapons. Thorfinn refused to trade them weapons, trading only with milk. The natives returned to trade a year later, but one of them was killed by the Norse when he tried to steal a weapon. The natives then attacked and forced Thorfinn to abandon the colony. We are told that Thorfinn's crew captured two native boys and brought them back to Greenland to be baptized.\n\nAnother (mostly fictional) saga relates a tale of two Norse men who encountered some (likely Dorset) people in eastern Greenland. Starving, the Norse encountered two \"witches\" butchering a sea mammal they pulled from a hole in the ice and attacked them and stole the animal for food.\n\nAll other references that records make to native North Americans were from later and likely refer to Thule Eskimo immigrants to Greenland. Most of these records show conflict more than cooperation; a chronicle mentions an attack on a Norse settlement in 1379 in which 13 Norse were killed and two boys and a woman captured. But, it must be said, they did live fairly close to each other for quite a long time, so there was some contact that wasn't violent. One story tells of a Norse man saving two Skraeling children who then served him faithfully for two years but then killed themselves when he departed for Iceland. There is actually a shared traditional story (which includes an Eskimo girl working on a Norse farm and friendly archery contests) between the Norse and Thule people, as they lived side-by-side for over a century."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1skwfh/do_any_native_americanfirst_nations_peoples_have/"
],
[]
] |
|
13y11l
|
why do video games ship with unused files and portions of code?
|
I'm always hearing about vestigial files and portions of code that exist in finished versions of video game but are not accessible except by using workarounds. For example, many video games will have audio files, character models, or even entire areas that are unused in the game and serve no purpose. Often these elements were used for testing or existed in previous versions during production but were eliminated from the final game. Why aren't video games "cleaned up" prior to shipping to eliminate these elements? Doesn't it take away precious memory to include all these things in the finished versions of video games?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/13y11l/eli5_why_do_video_games_ship_with_unused_files/
|
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"Back when memory was a hot commodity, yes, it did take away and would've caused issues.\n\nToday, it's easy enough to fit a whole game onto a disc (or if you're downloading it, the size only matters insofar as how much space your client has). \n\nA lot of game companies work with pretty tight deadlines as it is, and in many software projects, not just gaming, there's always a list of things \"we'd like to get to at some point\". Code/resource cleanup is usually on that list, but with space being as cheap as it is nowadays, it falls to a pretty low priority. \n\nOn top of that, unless you're the person that actually included that resource into the program, there's no way to know for sure that it truly ISN'T being used anywhere without fully testing the game/application. What if that model that used to be a main character is now being referenced as some random citizen walking around? If I remove it, and the game tries to load that character, it could crash. Better to just leave it alone unless you have time to fully clean up the game folder AND retest the entire app (note: that'll never happen).",
"The risk of deleting a random \"unused\" file is that the maybe its not tttoottallly unused. Delete it and maybe the whole game crashes and never works again, millions of dollars are lost, people get fired, yadda yadda. \n\nThe reward is you save some tiny, negligible amount of space on the users harddrive. \n\nSo its just not worth the risk.\n\n",
"It's sort of one of those things that's hard to truly comprehend unless you've actually worked in the industry. Software projects are **BIG**. I mean **REALLY BIG**. There are typically hundreds of people all working on the same project in video games, and each of those people is doing a bare minimum of 160 hours a month, though more realistically probably more like 200-240 hours. Even a quickly-produced video game takes at least 2 years most of the time. That's... a lot of hours, and subsequently, a lot of work produced (in the form of files). \n\nNow, that just addresses the quantity. The reality is, software projects change their requirements constantly. Sometimes it's because those in charge (the designers) changed their mind. Sometimes it's because there isn't enough time to finish something that was started, so it's scrapped from the final game. Sometimes it's something that just wasn't as cool as you thought it would be when you finish it. Sometimes you hit a road bump that you didn't know would be there, causing you to change what your plans are.\n\nRegardless of the reason for the change of plans, no single thing is ever completely done by one person. There are teams for *everything*. Each of those people may also be working on multiple parts of the project at once. With things like deadlines, or even something as simple as lunch or leaving for work disrupting your thoughts, sometimes things that get changed don't get fully cleaned up. People are human, it happens. Due to the aforementioned vast size of the project, it sort of just gets lost in the clutter. Nobody else knows if that thing is important, either because it is currently being used, or it *will be* used. The developer has moved on to other things, and likely will never get back to it and realize it's pointless.\n\nFurther, there are a couple things you need to understand about programming, and programmers. It's really hard work, but you know that. What you probably can't quite grasp without having first hand experience is that even the smallest bug can cause really big problems *somewhere*, and it can be very hard to track down (depending on the nature of the bug). What this causes is very much an attitude of \"If it isn't broken, don't 'fix' it\". Anything you take out or put into a program can cause an instability, so if it's working as is, often there just isn't time to make **sure** that what you remove doesn't break something. It's less than optimal, but that's the world we live in. The other thing about programming is that for many developers, you work on *so much* code and *so many* files/areas, it doesn't take long before a lot of us almost completely forget what we had done on older projects. Sure, you can go back and look at it again, and understand what you did, but there's an intimate familiarity that you have with whatever you've been working on recently, and that goes away very quickly for many people. Thus, if something is just junk, if a sufficient amount of time has passed, the person that made it in the first place likely doesn't even know/remember it's junk anymore unless they look at it, and as I said, there usually isn't the time or motivation.\n\nTLDR: There's just too little time, too much stuff, and too much possibility to accidentally break the game when it was already working. Storage is cheap now, and most of these junk files are small anyway."
]
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|
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[] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
21rh6n
|
Why do some animals produce more offspring than other animals?
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/21rh6n/why_do_some_animals_produce_more_offspring_than/
|
{
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"text": [
"Animals are grouped according to their reproductive strategy by r/K selection theory. r types tend to produce a lot of offspring, hoping that a few will survive. These animals tend to be smaller, lower on the food chain, or less complex organisms. Insects, fish, and rodents are good exampes of this strategy.\n\nBy contrast, K types produce fewer offspring less frequently and spend more energy raising and protecting their young. Humans do this, as do elephants, bears, and dolphins."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
||
3yo98n
|
why is pirating more socially accepted than other copyright infringement crimes?
|
I am not interested in the ethics or the arguments for and against pirating games/music/videos.
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3yo98n/eli5_why_is_pirating_more_socially_accepted_than/
|
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"text": [
"It's a lot easier to do than other forms of copyright infringement. Not as many websites or services are dedicated to helping you do other things like counterfeiting. ",
"This is just a guess, but I think there's a perception amongst most folks that certain products are way overpriced, and the pirating of them is either an act of defiance or an act of desperation.\n\nBack in the day before interney piracy was \"mainstream,\" there were tons of people who still pirated copies of software like Photoshop because it was expensive and they didn't have a legit way to get it otherwise. Companies weren't really losing sales because for the most part people downloading weren't potential customers under the existing business plan anyway. The downloading actually sort of helped some of those companies because it increased familiarity with their products and helped them become standards in their industry.\n\nMusic piracy is what really brought online piracy to the mainstream, and that's when the defiant streak really kicked in. At the turn of the century, the record industry was really gouging the public with inflated CD prices (MSRP was around $18.99 at the time). When Napster and other file-sharing services arrived, people delighted in getting a bunch of free music and giving the industry the middle finger. For many, it didn't feel like theft when they were stealing from powerful conglomerates that had been screwing them for years; it felt like payback.\n\nEventually the industry was overhauled and a more sensible business model was put in place, but by then the damage had been done. The \"free stuff\" mentality had already taken hold and spread to just about every type of media. \n\nI think that the current mentality is a combination of young people who grew up in an age of \"free stuff\" and older people who still have lingering bitterness about being gouged (or at least have sympathy for those who don't want to pay what they feel are unfair prices). Had the industries in question developed a more pro-consumer mentality earlier in the game, there probably wouldn't have been such a mad rush to steal from them when the opportunity arose.\n\n",
"Because the kiddies who talk it up as a \"right\" and what not are usually not the creators of said media.",
"Because people fear no punishment, laws that protect content creators are not really enforced.\n\nPirates are a majority, they are leeching off of creative people who are a minority with no means to protect themselves from that exploitation. \n\nPoliticians won't help the minority content creators because if they do anything that is anti-piracy they will lose their next elections.\n\nContent creators are pretty much screwed in the current entitled consumer culture. "
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
7ic33u
|
why is it that most people can hold their breath for at least one minute, but if you’re ‘choked out’, you can go unconscious from lack of oxygen in roughly 10 seconds?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7ic33u/eli5_why_is_it_that_most_people_can_hold_their/
|
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"a headlock restricts blood flow to your brain by blocking your artery. that has a far more immediate effect than holding your breath.",
"Chokeholds restrain your oxygen not your breath.\n\nThe pressure on one's neck forces too much blood flow to be trapped in the brain, depriving neural networks of fresh oxygen. ",
"A choakhold will cut off *blood flow* to the brain. Holding one's breath does not do that - the body still has access to all the oxygen in the rest of the body's blood.\n\nThis can keep the brain operational for a couple of minuets because the rest of the body does not use *nearly* as much oxygen as the brain, especially when calm and relaxed."
]
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|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
wr83h
|
- why a government would 'peg' a currency to, say, the us dollar, and why a less-valuable currency is better for foreign trade.
|
A double question, I'm having trouble getting my head around quite a few aspects of currency. Any help would be much appreciated :)
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/wr83h/eli5_why_a_government_would_peg_a_currency_to_say/
|
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"A country might peg their currency to the US dollar if they like the US trading with them. Look at a country that has lots of goods they want to export. How much their currency is worth to other currencies makes little difference to citizens inside the country, so they can have a less valuable currency without harming their citizens. In fact, by having a less valuable currency, a country like the US is more likely to buy goods from them, because it is cheaper for the US. This improves the countries economy as a whole. If they want to maintain this trade relationship, they can peg their currency to the US dollar so the US maintains favorable trade rates.",
"Let's say I owed you $100, and instead of cash, I try to pay you back with $100 of McDonald's gift certificates. After all, $100 is $100, right?\n\nYou probably won't like that. You could only spend that $100 at McDonald's, and if they decided to raise their prices, that $100 wouldn't get you as much as it would at Burger King.\n\nThat's what getting paid in a small foreign currency is like. It is only worth something in that country, and if they have economic problems, it can suddenly be worth a lot less.\n\nBut what if instead of McDonald's, I offer to give you a $100 Amazon gift card. You'd be much more likely to accept that, because while it isn't cash, Amazon is so big you'll probably find something you want there. Plus it is unlikely they are going to raise all their prices all at once, so the value of the gift card isn't at risk.\n\nThat's kind of what happens when you have a pegged currency. It is not US currency, but the government promises to give you US currency for it if you want. They might not be able to always make good on their promise, but it is better than McDonald's. "
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[]
] |
|
37sasc
|
regarding ice (frozen water not the drug), why is there a white centre and a clear shell?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/37sasc/eli5_regarding_ice_frozen_water_not_the_drug_why/
|
{
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"text": [
"As it freezes, air bubbles form and cause the cloudy appearance you're talking about. The bubbles come from gases dissolved in the water in its liquid state which are forced out as the water crystallizes.\n\n It's possible to freeze ice in a clear form by boiling it first, which liberates the dissolved gases."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
||
alpmp0
|
cancer cure that scientists recently claimed to be one year away
|
[deleted]
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/alpmp0/eli5_cancer_cure_that_scientists_recently_claimed/
|
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"The treatment which the biotech company calls MuTaTo (multi-target toxin) is based on SoAP technology, which belongs to the phage display group of technologies.\n\nCEO of the biotech company Dr Ilan Morad said they started with identifying why other cancer-related drugs and treatment are not working and then they looked for an effective way to counter it.\n\nMost cancer drugs attack a specific target or on the cancer cell, but MuTaTo attacks the cancer cell's receptors from three different directions. “Instead of attacking receptors one at a time, we attack receptors three at a time. Not even cancer can mutate three receptors at one time,\" said Morad, to the daily newspaper.\n\nAfter a successful mice trail, Morad said that the company is now preparing to try medicines on humans through this year. Following this, they will introduce the medicine in the market by next year."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
|
52fzup
|
In calculating standard deviation, why do you square the variances instead of taking the absolute value of the variances?
|
In statistics, to get the standard deviation you take the variance and find the square root. The variance is each data point minus the average, and you square it (and divide by the number of samples). We square these terms because if you added them up without squaring them first, the negatives and positives cancel each other out.
My question is why would it be beneficial to square these individual variances in the first place? Why wouldn't you instead take the absolute value of the individual variances and skip the squaring and square rooting?
Edit: Thank you all for the wonderful answers.
|
askscience
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/52fzup/in_calculating_standard_deviation_why_do_you/
|
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"text": [
"Using squares makes standard deviation much more sensitive to large errors. Assuming you have already weeded out clear outliers, this forces the best fit trendline (minimizing stdev) to actually fit all the data reasonably well, rather than fitting some data points really well, and others not well at all. ",
"I believe you can do it that way too. Look up Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD). The standard deviation and volatility of a stock's price, for example, is one way a forecaster can measure risk. Calculating MAD is a much less computationally intensive process to measure a stocks risk than using standard deviation which involves exponents and was therefore favored in the early days of Markowitz's portfolio optimization theory.",
"The distance between the coordinates (a,b) and (c,d) is \n\n* sqrt((a-c)^(2)+(b-d)^(2))\n\nThis extrapolates to any dimension really well. For example, in n dimensions, the distance between the points (a*_1_*,a*_2_*,...,a*_n_*) and (b*_1_*,b*_2_*,...,b*_n_*) is\n\n* sqrt((a*_1_*-b*_1_*)^(2) + (a*_2_*-b*_2_*)^(2) + ... + (a*_n_*-b*_n_*)^(2))\n\nThis is nothing more than the Pythagorean Theorem. Now, let's say that we have a population and we pick n samples from it, x*_1_*,...,x*_n_*. We can think of this as the n-dimensional coordinate (x*_1_*,...,x*_n_*). Now, if, for instance, all of the x*_i_* were the same, then they would all be equal to their mean, M=(x*_1_*+...+x*_n_*)/n and the coordinate would be (M,M,...,M). The coordinates of the form (x,x,...,x) form a line in the n-dimensional space, called the Main Diagonal. Since there is no spread when the point (x*_1_*,...,x*_n_*) is actually *on* the main diagonal, a good measure for how unequal, or spread apart, the sample is would be the distance that the point (x*_1_*,...,x*_n_*) is from the main diagonal. This distance is exactly the distance that that the point (x*_1_*,...,x*_n_*) is from the point (M,M,...,M), where M is the mean. This distance is \n\n* sqrt((x*_1_*-M)^(2)+(x*_2_*-M)^(2)+...+(x*_n_*-M)^(2))\n\n\n\nThe only issue is that this kinda depends on the size of the sample. Adding more points will increase this distance, even if the new points are within the same spread. To counteract this, we can divide the sum by the number of points in the sum (like taking the average). This will happen inside the square root. This means that a good measure of the spread of n-points, that is not dependent on n, will be \n\n\n* sqrt(((x*_1_*-M)^(2)+(x*_2_*-M)^(2)+...+(x*_n_*-M)^(2))/n)\n\nWhich is exactly the Standard Deviation of a sample. This is the most geometrically natural way to measure the spread.\n\nTo reiterate, from a sample of size n, we can create a point in n-dimensional space. The Main Diagonal in n-dimensional space is the line of points whose coordinates are all equal, and so a good measure of how *un*equal the coordinates of a point in n-dimensional space are would be the distance that this point is from the main diagonal. This distance is given by the formula above, which is nothing more than the Pythagorean Theorem in n-dimensional space. We then normalize the sum by dividing by the number of terms, so that it does not depend on sample size.\n\n You *can* try to talk about spread using (|x*_1_*-M|+...+|x*_n_*-M|)/n, and this is called the [Average Absolute Deviation](_URL_0_). This, however, is far less useful because it is not as smooth as the standard deviation and it does not take advantage of typical Euclidean Geometry in an advantageous way.\n\n\nAnother important aspect of the Standard Deviation is that it is naturally related to the first and second moments, which are quantities that naturally pop out of distribution when we do calculus with them. This is extremely convenient."
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|
6q6gay
|
how is it possible to get doom to run on so many devices that are not even purpose built as home computers, like the gps console on someone's car for instance?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6q6gay/eli5_how_is_it_possible_to_get_doom_to_run_on_so/
|
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"The original code for Doom was released to the public under an open source license. So anyone with enough knowledge of C and the APIs for those devices can reprogram Doom to run on them.\n\nNo idea how you got about running custom software on a GPS device though. It probably requires a bit of tinkering considering they aren't designed to be reprogrammed by consumers.",
"Doom is an old game. It was designed to run on the very limited hardware of the time. Even a very limited computer by today's standards can be powerful enough to run Doom.\n\nSource code for Doom was made public in 1999, which made it possible for people to port the game to other platforms. People try to port it to unusual things like GPS consoles and printers mostly for fun - [there's even a webpage for it](_URL_0_)."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
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"http://itrunsdoom.tumblr.com/"
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||
8r9j18
|
why are monotremes considered mammals?
|
Mammals being defined by live birth seems like a good classification, however the inclusion of monotremes as mammals just makes it more confusing.
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8r9j18/eli5_why_are_monotremes_considered_mammals/
|
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"text": [
"There are more aspects that make a creature a mammal than live birth. Foremost is the presence of mammary glands that produce milk. Others are hair/fur covered bodies and being warm blooded. I'm sure there are more but my biology is quite rusty ",
"I didn't know but I looked it up and this is what I found:\n\n > \n > \n > Monotremata is the most ancient living order of mammals. In addition to being egg layers (oviparous), members of this order share primitive skeletal features such as the shoulder girdle and skull characteristics that have been lost in other living mammals. Relationships to other mammalian groups have been difficult to determine because of the puzzling combination of primitive features and specialized characteristics, a phenomenon known as mosaic evolution. Certain features of the skull appear to link monotremes to the extinct early mammal groups. Other evidence, particularly genetic data, places Monotremata close to more-advanced mammals, namely marsupials.\n\n\nBonus fun fact:\n\n > \n > \n > The name Monotremata means “one-holed,” in reference to the fact that both sexes have only one opening at the rear of the body, which is used for both reproduction and excretion.",
"As the name suggests, mammals are primarily defined by the presence of _mammary_ (milk producing) glands, not live birth. Monotremes produce milk (they kind of sweat it), hence they're mammals.",
"Mammals are not defined by live birth though. If they were then several species of snakes, several species of sharks, and a few amphibians would be mammals. \n\nMammals normally have live birth, but what defines them as being mammals is the production of milk to feed their young. "
]
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|
[] |
[] |
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[],
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|
1txn6q
|
how people sell movie scripts and who decides if it's a big budget movie?
|
I have been working on some scripts since it's a hobby of mine and can't really afford to shoot any of them, being they would be in need of a high budget (by this I mean more than a few hundred dollars I could scrap up). If I wanted to 'shop my script around' who do I send it to? What protects my rights as owner and who decides what movies get made or pushed to high budgets? I'm curious just be curious but also because I'd love to sell some of my script and see a more talented and professional crew make it a reality. If this belongs elsewhere or has been answered, please direct me there and I will delete this, otherwise thanks for your responses!
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1txn6q/eli5_how_people_sell_movie_scripts_and_who/
|
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"text": [
"I can tell you one thing for sure--make sure your formatting is up to par with the genre you're writing. What are some that you've written so far? Who you pitch to might depend from there.",
"Studios receive scripts all the time. Someone, usually people starting out in the company, but who are still often University graduates etc., will read all these scripts, and write a very brief description of all of them (like a paragraph). It will give the plot, as well as a description of characters etc.\n*Alien* began as \"Jaws set in space\". Eddy Murphy's *Coming to America* was \"What if an African King came to Harlem in search of a Queen?\".\nThese brief notes will be read by higher ups, who make decisions, and use it as a basis to try and 'sell' it to others eg. Producer goes to director/ famous actor (or their agent) and says\"There is this great story you would like, with a role that really suits you\". It is a producers job to basically get a movie of the ground, and to get it made.",
"Get a copy of the Screenwriter's Bible\n\n_URL_0_\n\n",
"Most studios will not accept unsolicited scripts because it exposes them to high risk litigation (e.g. accusations that they stole a story). Studios will usually only take material from literary agents with whom they have an established relationship - so if you want to get your scripts made by studios you will have to get an agent first. To get an agent you need two completed scripts and a third in the works. However, getting your first script to an agent is a task in itself - you will usually need a personal introduction in order to have your query letter opened. \n\nOnce you get an approval for your spec script to be read, the agent will get one of their lower ranking employees or interns to write \"coverage\" - usually a single page of plot synopsis and a single page of analysis together with a chart that ranks parameters such as plot, structure, visuality etc. The reader will also provide a tagline, and one of three grades, Pass, Consider and Recommend. It's typical that about one in a hundred scripts receive a recommend because the readers have to stake their reputation on the reliability of their coverage - if they recommend too many scripts and the senior executives find themselves having to read too many sub-standard offerings they will be fired, or non-re-hired. \n\nIf your agent considers your script strong enough, they will then start the process of shopping it around to various studios (who will then do their own coverage). \n\nYou may be able to shop your script yourself (without an agent) to independent film production companies, but be aware that independents are generally looking for projects that can be made on cost-effective budgets (say between $250k and $5million), and that won't be realistic for many genres.\n\nOther ways to get your script read and evaluated are websites like Kevin Spacey's _URL_1_ or Francis Ford Coppolas, _URL_0_ - but in order to have your script evaluated, you have to evaluate other peoples' scripts in return (which can be a useful exercise in itself). "
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[
"http://www.amazon.com/The-Screenwriters-Bible-Complete-Formatting/dp/1935247026"
],
[
"zoetrope.com",
"triggerstreet.com"
]
] |
|
ot4za
|
Why does smoke from incense or cigarettes not (usually) set off smoke alarms?
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/ot4za/why_does_smoke_from_incense_or_cigarettes_not/
|
{
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"Alarm Company Employee\n\n\nDetectors fall in to 3 categories.\n\n\nGeneric Smoke - These are the old style ones that your cigarettes could set off. The respond to any smoke in the air.\n\n\nHeat - These have an IR sensor in them that looks for a heat signature in the room (Usually used in commercial settings paired with the CO).\n\n\nCO - These look for carbon monoxide or dioxide and after a threshold trip. (most commonly installed type)",
"Fire Alarm / Smoke Detector Manufacturer here.\n\nHousehold smoke detectors (excluding Heat and CO) fall into two catagories, Ionisation and Photoelectric.\n\nIonisation smoke detectors (the detectors with the radioactive symbol on their label) are designed to detect sub-micron particals of combustion (different to thick smoke). Examples of sub-micron particles are cooking vapours (released from opening a hot oven, for example), vehicle exhaust, birthday candles, lighters, etc. Basically smoke that is the result of something burning, but you can't see. Ionisation smoke detectors in the house react well to fast, flaming fires (flash flame from a pot of oil on the stove, for example). \n\nPhotoelectric detectors simple use an infrared transmitter and receiver in a chamber in the detector. As thicker, visible smoke enters the chamber, it blocks the light and the detector registers this change. When the smoke obscures the light to a certain level, the detector goes into alarm. Photoelectric detectors react well to visible smoke (cigarette, burning meat, smouldering natural fibres, etc).\n\nTo answer your question, it's very likely you have an Ionisation type installed, and it is not detecting sub-micron particulate in the air (as cigarette smoke is greater than one mircon and the ionisation detector cannot see it).\n\nPlease read this: The majority of household fires are caused by smouldering fires (burnt out motors, rats chewing electrical wires, cigatette left on bed or couch). These fires do not immediately show flame, but smoulder away and generate smoke for minutes (sometimes hours) before flaming. In this case, Ionisation detectors are not effective in providing early warning. Photoelectric detectors are far more suitable for this purpose. Please, when you check your battery next, check it's type. If it is a ionisation detector, please consider purchasing a photoelectric as a replacement.\n\nTL;DR - Ion detectors (ones with radioactive symbol) can't see visible smoke. Photoelectric type detectors (stated on product label) do.",
"Would putting a sock or something to block the smoke from entering into either alarm set it off? Someone told me that if you limited the airflow to the detector it could set it off too. "
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
3662xv
|
Why does plaque always come out a yellowish-white color, regardless of the color of food you've eaten?
|
The plaque on your teeth. It's always made me curious about it. Any help?
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3662xv/why_does_plaque_always_come_out_a_yellowishwhite/
|
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"text": [
"Dental plaque is a biofilm of bacteria, not a buildup of food particles, and as such the color depends on the type of bacteria not the type of food. From what I understand, dental issues are generally a result of the high amount of carbohydrates (i.e. sugars) that we consume. Therefore I would assume that plaque is caused by a certain set of bacteria, regardless of what kinds of food you had been eating, and the biofilm produced by said bacteria, just happens to be white.\n\nNow my major is chemistry so take this with a grain of salt as I am drawing from a very limited knowledge base with regards to biology.",
"The plaque that forms on your teeth isn't a result of food that you eat (at least not directly) and so wouldn't share any characteristics with that food.\n\nDental plaque is a biofilm created by the bacteria that live in your mouth to protect them and provide them with an environment that is better suited to their survival and proliferation. The biofilm is mostly made of water, the bacteria and polysaccharides and glycoproteins secreted by the bacteria^[[1]](_URL_0_) .",
"[Dental plaque](_URL_1_) is a complex structure formed when bacteria grow on the surface of your teeth. In fact, there's a lot of plaque in your mouth that you can't see as well. What we commonly refer to as \"plaque\" is more formally known as supragingival (above the gumline) plaque to distinguish it from the other major type of plaque which is subgingival (below the gumline).\n\nPlaque begins to form immediately after tooth cleaning as specific bacteria adhere to the tooth. The most famous of these is *Streptococcus mutans*, the major causative agent of cavities (formally known as dental caries). However, there are literally [hundreds of species](_URL_0_) and billions of individual bacteria in your mouth at any given time to this is hardly the only player. As the bacteria grow, they synthesize molecules such as polysaccharides and proteins that anchor the cells tightly to the surface. They even recruit proteins in your saliva. The structure formed is known as a [biofilm](_URL_3_). This is what you actually see when you remove dental plaque. \n\nSo why is it yellow/white? The reason for this is because the components of biofilms are relatively uniform (at least to our eyes). They are composed of bacteria (that in the majority of cases do not produce any significant pigments *in vivo*), proteins, and polysaccharides. These molecules are typically off white or yellow. Note that this doesn't mean species composition of the biofilm is always the same - each individual will have very specific bacteria present in the oral cavity depending on multiple factors including oral disease state. It just all looks the same to use because most oral bacteria in biofilms just so happen to be a similar color.\n\nInterestingly, the bacteria on your teeth do not necessarily even get their nutrition from the food you eat. Patients fed solely through tubes [still have bacteria in their mouths](_URL_2_) that subsist on proteins and small molecules in the saliva."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[
"http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF01569822#page-1"
],
[
"http://www.homd.org/",
"http://www.uky.edu/~cmiller/page3/s3p1.html",
"http://aem.asm.org/content/77/19/6739.full",
"http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/node/2390"
]
] |
|
84lozz
|
For Scandinavians' and Germanics' mythology:
|
Hallo everyone, I want to learn more about Scandinavian and Germanic mythologies. What all books, epics, etc could be useful to me? Can I get a PDF of them?
Also, I have some questions:
1) If the Jotunn are personification of evil, why many Æsir have marriages with them? Odin's mother was a Jotunn.
_URL_0_
2) How much does skyrim depict the life and culture of Scandinavians? Is there an alternative to it?
|
AskHistorians
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/84lozz/for_scandinavians_and_germanics_mythology/
|
{
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"I can't really help with your questions, but I can definitely give you some recommendations: you'll want both the Edda and the Poetic Edda for Norse/Scandinavian mythology as well as historical epics like Beowulf and *The Saga of the Volsungs* translated by Jesse L. Byock. The prose Edda is on Project Gutenberg, though I prefer the current Penguin edition; you'll probably have to find the Poetic Edda in a library or on Amazon (I've been told Lee Hollander's translation is excellent). I recommend finding Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf if you can, as it is truly excellent, though Tolkien's translation+commentary is also really good. \n\nFor retellings of Norse myths that provide a little more ease of access, Neil Gaiman's *Norse Mythology* is amazing. I'd also recommend *The Penguin Book of Norse Mythology*, *The Norse Myths* by Kevin Crossley-Holland (Pantheon Library), *Myths of the Pagan North: Gods of the Norsemen* by Christopher Abram, and *Gods and Myths of Northern Europe* by HR Ellis Davidson. Also anything Tolkien wrote on the subject that you can get your hands on (*The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún* and \"Beowulf: The Monster and the Critics\" are particularly good). Actually, on a related topic, you can find out a *lot* of really fascinating things about Scandinavian mythology, the Vikings, and the Anglo-Saxons by reading Tolkien's lectures, letters, notes, and discussions on his influences for the history and mythology of Middle Earth.\n\nAnglo-Saxon mythology's enduring legacy is Arthurian legend, which is an entire basket of books, poems, and epics all on its own (including all of the various Medieval Arthurian romances). There's...quite frankly a *ton* of Arthurian legend variants and media, as the Arthurian romances were incredibly popular in the Medieval period, but here's a quick rundown of the \"big\" ones:\n\n* History of the Kings of Britain, Geoffrey of Monmouth (the first full narrative account of Arthur's life, from Uther's reign to post-Arthur's death)\n* The Lais of Marie De France (particularly Lanval) \n* Chrétien de Troyes' works: Erec and Enide; Cligès; Yvain, the Knight of the Lion; Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart; and Perceval, the Story of the Grail. de Troyes' \"Lancelot\" is the first major work to feature Lancelot as a character, and \"Perceval\" introduces Perceval as well as the story of the Holy Grail and the Fisher King\n* Tristan and Iseult\n* The Vulgate Cycle/Lancelot-Grail Cycle\n* The Gawain Poet: Gawain and the Green Knight\n* Le Morte D'Arthur, Thomas Mallory\n\nIn modern times:\n\n* Tennyson's various poems (\"The Lady of Shalott\" and \"Idylls of the King\" being the most famous)\n* Tolkien's unfinished poem \"The Fall of Arthur\"\n* The Once and Future King, T.H. White\n* The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley\n* The Dark is Rising Sequence, Susan Cooper\n\nFor History of the Kings of Britain and Marie De France, I recommend *The Broadview Anthology of British Literature: The Medieval Period* (which has a lot of other excellent pieces besides); you can also find Marie De France's lais [here](_URL_0_). You should be able to find *Le Morte D'Arthur* on Project Gutenberg, but I'm 100% positive it would be at your local library if it's not online or in PDF form somewhere. de Troyes' works are a little harder, but there's a truly excellent Penguin edition of his works available, either in your local library or cheaply on Amazon (Chretien de Troyes' Arthurian Romances, translated by William Kibler). \"Gawain and the Green Knight\" should be online, but if it's not *The Gawain Poet: Complete Works* is your best source. The rest of them can be found in various places: the Vulgate Cycle is hellishly long and unless you're *really* into Lancelot I wouldn't recommend it, but if you do want to read it I'd find Sommer's or Lacy's translations. For the more modern works, check your local library. Tennyson's poems are all available online, as far as I'm aware. \n\nFor a more scholarly look at mythology in general, I'd take a look at Edith Hamilton's *Mythology* and Joseph Campbell's *The Power of Myth*."
]
}
|
[] |
[
"https://odindevoted.wordpress.com/2013/06/28/mother-of-odin-bestla/"
] |
[
[
"http://users.clas.ufl.edu/jshoaf/Marie/"
]
] |
|
9h1oef
|
just saw a video where a snowmobile accelerates really quickly in a drag race setting. a commenter said part of the reason is it's cvt transmission . what is that?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9h1oef/eli5_just_saw_a_video_where_a_snowmobile/
|
{
"a_id": [
"e68k90c"
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"score": [
2
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"text": [
"Continuously Variable Transmission. Polaris has been using them for ages:\n\n_URL_0_"
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zHhD-45Id0"
]
] |
||
d9r0ti
|
What did contemporary political maps of Warlord era China look like? Did they just mark the Republic of China, with pre-warlord borders, or did they update it at all? Did this vary depending on where the map was made?
|
I'm asking this because there's a debate on r/TNOmod about how an in-world map of a completely shattered post-nazi-victory Russia would look like. The state of Russia in the HOI4 mod is very similar to/based on China during the Warlord Era, so this would be the best example to look to for precedence.
Did contemporaries just mark it as being part of the Republic of China?
Did any states recognize different parts of China than the ROC, and mark them accordingly?
Would maps made in states closer to the conflict (i.e. Japan) have marked down regions of control?
How much was known about internal politics by outsiders at the time, aside from it being a mess?
|
AskHistorians
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/d9r0ti/what_did_contemporary_political_maps_of_warlord/
|
{
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"So, I wont be able to answer this question in full, mainly because anyone is gonna have a hard time finding maps of warlord-era China. It's just, as you said, a period of total chaos where China really is a failing state. I tried looking into it quickly online, but to no avail - I couldn't find any contemporary maps. I'm lead to believe that the best bet for anyone would be Japanese-based sources because, as I'll explain, Japan had a heavy hand in the chaos that engulfed China during this time. Unfortunately, I do not read/speak Japanese well enough to launch into that. That being said, I can answer parts of your question, especially the last \"How much was known about internal politics by outsiders at the time?\" \n\n & #x200B;\n\nWhen the Qing dynasty fell apart in 1911, the rest of the world did have an eye on China. China was a key region for European goods such as silk for clothings and soybeans for farmers, kind of like it is today. The nation with the most interests in watching this progress (and influencing it) was Japan, which for all intents and purposes by this point in history was considered Western by many Chinese nationalists. By 1922, another nation which was born into the world also looked down upon its southern neighbor with interest - the USSR. I'll break this response into two seperate parts dealing with Japanese interest and Soviet interest, and how they played an influential role in the way China would be formed.\n\n**Japan**\n\nIn 1895, Japan defeated China for control of Korea, Taiwan, Qingdao and Port Arthur (Lushun). The event would lead directly to the outrage of a patriotic Chinese citizenry and the downfall of the Qing. From the moment the Qing fell apart in 1911 up to the beginning of WW2, Japan had a keen interest in keeping China isolated and dissolved. Japan's ultimate goal was, at this time, the unification of a pan-asian front, and China was the largest region to this ideological alliance. In the Northeast, or Manchuria, Japan directly played a role in politics by giving material aid to a bandit named Zhang Zuolin. Zhang would become the biggest puppet in Northern China for Japan until his assassination (by Japanese officers) in 1928. From there, Japan was successfully able to control the valuable soybean trade that exported massive amounts of beans to the West. In 1926, when the Northern Expedition kicked off in earnest, Japan deployed additional troops to Shanghai and Jinan, resulting in the Jinan and Shanghai Incidents (1928 & 1932, respectively), where Japanese forces attacked Chinese troops. After the KMT takeover of most of China, Japanese influence generally degrades in most areas, although in 1931 the Japanese do outright invade Manchuria. From 1928-1945, it really does become an off-and-on battle between the Republican KMT and the Japanese who are attempting to take control of China. Some speculate that later defectors of WW2, such as Wang Jingwei, may have been in contact with Japanese officials much earlier than one could assume.\n\n**USSR**\n\nThe birth of the USSR meant the opportunity to export the revolution. Sun Yat-sen himself was somewhat of a socialist, but he never did identify fully as a communist. Most importantly though, both the USSR and the KMT were anti-imperialist organizations defending their homelands from what they saw as attacks by the West. From its founding to the end of WW2, the KMT would receive an egregious amount of materiel aid and funding from Stalin, as Stalin saw the KMT as a good way to protect Russia's flank from Japanese invasion. The USSR was also involved with direct invasions of Xinjiang after the near defeat of their puppet, Sheng Shicai, in 1934. So both the USSR and Japan, both ideologically believing to be helping China (though in very different ways) held Chinese puppets that supported their direct interests. Even after the 1928 Purge of the Communists by the KMT, Stalin continued to support the KMT as he knew only Chiang Kai-shek would be apt for the job of defending Russia's rear, which was most important to Stalin, especially after the Nazi takeover of Germany.\n\n**Other Powers**\n\nThe USSR and Japan were the largest influences on Chinese politics in the warlord period, but other powers were certainly aware. In fact, Germany allowed several officers to be sent to China in order to train Chinese troops on modern weapons tactics. There is a flurry of correspondence between the UK and US about Japanese aggression against China, especially as it becomes more apparent that Japan will stop at nothing to unite East Asia. Everyone knew there was a huge power vacuum in China, that the KMT was mostly corrupt and weak, and that Japan was lurking at any moment to stab China in the heart. It was a dangerous time, with dangerous consequences.\n\n**Conclusion**\n\nI know this doesn't answer your questions about the maps in full, and that may not be answerable on a community like this, as primary sources from this time are rarely translated into English or available. Such was the chaotic nature of China where so many crucial historical documents are unnoticed, lost, or were destroyed. However, I do hope I did a good enough job answering some of your other question, particularly on foreign influence.\n\nSo in conclusion, yes the outside world knew very well what was going on in China during this period. The two major powers influencing these politics were the USSR and Japan. But after 1937, most of that didn't matter, as China was left to face Japan on its own for four years.\n\nSources:\n\n*Biography of Zhang Zuolin* by Xu Che and Xu Yue (In Chinese)\n\n*Diplomacy and Deception: The Secret History of Sino-Soviet Diplomatic Relations, 1917-1927* by Bruce Elleman\n\n*Facing Japan: Chinese Politics and Japanese Imperialism, 1931-1937* by Parks Coble",
"/u/Drdickles and I had actually been discussing this question by PM, and at the time we both hit the same obstacle – it's really bloody hard to find contemporary maps of China! But since then, I've had a bit of a eureka moment and traced an alternate lead: world maps. In turn, this has led me to the [David Rumsey map collection](_URL_3_), an open-access database of high-quality digital map scans, including from several major atlases of the period. In turn, I was able to locate the specific China maps within those atlases, and one freestanding one. In all, I turned up 3 maps of China and 6 world maps printed between 1919 and 1928 (no doubt, there must have been more, these were just the ones I could find in around 45 minutes.) These were, in chronological order:\n\n* ['The Official Map of the World'](_URL_4_) by L. V. Crocker, published by the National Survey Company in Chester, Vermont in 1919;\n\n* ['The World, Prepared Especially for The National Geographic Magazine'](_URL_1_) by Gilbert Grosvenor, published in Washington D.C. in 1922;\n\n* ['World - Political'](_URL_0_) and ['China - Southern Section'](_URL_8_), published by the Institute of Social and Religious Research in New York in 1923;\n\n* ['2. Weltkarte' (Map of the World)](_URL_10_) and ['74. China'](_URL_2_) by Hermaan Haack and Adolf Stieler from the second edition of *Stielers Handatlas*, published in Gotha, Germany in 1925;\n\n* ['The World Showing Principal Nations' Colonial Possessions'](_URL_9_) and ['China, Japan and Mongolia'](_URL_7_) from *Atlas Of Prince Edward Island, Canada, And The World*, published by the Cummins Map Co. in Toronto in 1925; and finally\n\n* ['The New Map of the World'](_URL_5_), published by the Washington Square Book Shop in New York in 1928.\n\nFrom the world maps, it's readily evident that they weren't just marking pre-Warlord borders, they were marking *Qing* borders! World maps produced during the late 19th century typically marked a clear internal border between China proper (the eighteen provinces as established by the Ming) and 'Chinese Tartary' or what have you – take [this American nautical chart currently in the Hong Kong Maritime Museum](_URL_6_). (Side note: if you're ever in Hong Kong, visit the Maritime Museum. This isn't an invitation, this is an imperative.) World maps of the early Republican period show the entirety of the Qing Empire as it stood in 1910 continuing to be lumped under the 'Chinese Republic', irrespective of actual separatist movements in Tibet, Mongolia and to a lesser extent Xinjiang, yet at the same time retain the marking of internal borders within the broader former empire. Hence Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongolia and Manchuria are generally marked out as sub-units of the whole. This continuity reaches somewhat absurd extremes, with the three world maps from 1925 and later showing Mongolia as part of China, despite it basically having become a Soviet satellite state since 1924. The sole exception to the trend of including Mongolia is the specific China map in the 1925 Canadian atlas, which shows it as a separate entity (also, interestingly, controlling the former Northern March of Xinjiang, which is now PRC-ruled), but Stieler and Haack's map of China marks only an internal border, as does the 1928 map from New York. Tibet, which was *de facto* independent until the 1950s, remains part of China on all three.\n\nIrrespective of which map you look at, though, individual warlord cliques are never marked out. This is in part because while warlords exercised *de facto* regional military hegemonies and there were functionally no centralised government bodies to speak of, there was a relatively cohesive civilian world in the early Republic, and a continued diplomatic recognition of a central Chinese state based in Beijing, even if the specific government running it tended to be a little volatile. China ultimately became a belligerent power in WWI and dispatched the Chinese Labour Corps under the auspices one such Beiyang-backed figure, the old revolutionary leader Li Yuanhong. Basically, these maps seem to have been conveying *de jure* territorial claims as proclaimed by the (somewhat ephemeral) Republican governments, rather than seeking to convey the *de facto* political realities on the ground, and this manifested both at the broad geopolitical level as regards 'imperial' territories of the old Qing empire, and the smaller-scale clique politics below those top-level divisions."
]
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|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
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"https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~268457~90042767:Frontispiece--World-Political-?qvq=q:pub_list_no%3D%222030.000%22;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=4&trs=67",
"https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth493548/m1/1/zoom/?resolution=2&lat=3685.8453670909184&lon=638.9314833310589",
"https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~265632~90040075?qvq=q%3Apub_list_no%3D%227839.000%22%3Blc%3ARUMSEY~8~1&mi=155&trs=228",
"http://www.davidrumsey.com/",
"https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~302661~90073385",
"https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~260724~5522993",
"https://imgur.com/a/vlFeQjp",
"https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~259270~5522425",
"https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~268478~90042748",
"https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~259196~5522401",
"https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~265488~90040219?qvq=q%3Apub_list_no%3D%227839.000%22%3Blc%3ARUMSEY~8~1&mi=8&trs=228"
]
] |
|
58gh79
|
why do we still not have bold, italics and underlined keyboard options for typing on mobile devices?
|
We can type in emojis, cut and paste text and even GIFs, and now we can google search within texting apps on some devices (Google's new extension for Apple keyboards, for example).
Despite all of these cool things, why have we still not included these three basic features?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/58gh79/eli5_why_do_we_still_not_have_bold_italics_and/
|
{
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5
],
"text": [
"There is no standardized method to send font styles via SMS. Apple, could for example, enable it on all their devices, but then what would happen if the user sends a bold message to an Android phone? Android wont know what to do with the extra information and it will just display it as plain text.\n\nEmoji's on the other hand are standardized Unicode characters, the only variation between devices is in the image it displays, but the image it displays will convey the emotion that the Unicode character represents."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
|
5vf24p
|
why does the world need money?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5vf24p/eli5_why_does_the_world_need_money/
|
{
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"text": [
"Because after many tries and experiments, people found that it was really, really inconvenient to buy a water buffalo with skittles. Just as an example.",
"It's an easy way to make an indirect trade. Rather than be paid in potatoes or grain or whatever the employer or tradesman had on hand, it's much easier to be paid in a trustworthy currency and then exchange that for whatever it is you really need or want, whenever you happen to need it.",
"Because without money, trading usually hits a dead end. Like in this example.\n\n > \"Hey Roof Guy, my roof is broken. Can I trade you two chickens to fix my roof?\"\n\n > \"Sure thing, Chicken Dude.\"\n\n\n**Two weeks later**\n\n > \"Hey Chicken Dude, I'm really hungry. Can I have some more chickens?\"\n\n > \"I don't have anything that needs fixing, go away Roof Guy.\"\n\nOnce you add money into the mix, Roof Guy doesn't have to starve. Each of us only has so many skills or goods to trade; money allows us to turn that skill into value that can be used now or later, even if our services aren't needed.\n",
"Probably too much of an answer, but this (very long) quote from the fictional character Francisco D'Anconia in the Book Atlas Shrugged (1957) addresses the value of money. \n\n“So you think that money is the root of all evil?” said Francisco d’Anconia. “Have you ever asked what is the root of money? Money is a tool of exchange, which can’t exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them. Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal with one another must deal by trade and give value for value. Money is not the tool of the moochers, who claim your product by tears, or of the looters, who take it from you by force. Money is made possible only by the men who produce. Is this what you consider evil?\n\n“When you accept money in payment for your effort, you do so only on the conviction that you will exchange it for the product of the effort of others. It is not the moochers or the looters who give value to money. Not an ocean of tears not all the guns in the world can transform those pieces of paper in your wallet into the bread you will need to survive tomorrow. Those pieces of paper, which should have been gold, are a token of honor–your claim upon the energy of the men who produce. Your wallet is your statement of hope that somewhere in the world around you there are men who will not default on that moral principle which is the root of money, Is this what you consider evil?\"\n"
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
1m3g9s
|
Does the temperature of the earths core contribute at all to sustaining normal/livable temperatures on the surface. If so, why or why not?
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1m3g9s/does_the_temperature_of_the_earths_core/
|
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"text": [
"On the *surface*—well, no. Sunlight + atmosphere + surface composition = *weather*, and this is what defines temperature, humidity, winds, etc. Contribution from inside of the Earth is just too small to be measurable in the global scale. \nHowever, if you dig a mine deep enough, you will actually feel the warmth of Earth. Several kilometers deep there are no atmospheric heat transfer and geothermal gradient takes over.",
"Actually I believe it does have a large effect on surface livability but not in the way you may be thinking. A very important part of the action of the earth's core is the convecting action that drives/is driven by the heat. The iron/whatever is constantly churning and heating and rubbing, causing friction and heating some more.\n\nRegardless of the ability to feel this heat on the surface, this action drives earth's magnetic field. If our core was colder/slower moving, our planet would have a weaker field, and possibly be less able to hold our atmosphere and regulate wind and weather. ",
"Not directly, no. The average heat flux coming out of the Earth's interior is of the order of 10^-1 Wm^-2 while the incident solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere is of the order of 10^3 Wm^-2 . There's a difference of four orders of magnitude between external heating of the Earth's surface and internal heating of the Earth's surface.\n\nHowever, there is a large indirect effect through geological control of greenhouse gas concentrations. On long timescales (10's to 100's of millions of years) the amount of carbon in the atmosphere is regulated by tectonic activity. Calcium carbonate is returned to the Earth's mantle at subduction zones, and Carbon Dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere at volcanoes. The dynamic equilibrium between these two processes helps buffer the atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration on long timescales, thus contributing to maintaining habitable temperatures at the surface."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
5sstpc
|
why does food taste worse when you eat a lot of it at one time?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5sstpc/eli5_why_does_food_taste_worse_when_you_eat_a_lot/
|
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"I assume you mean is if you eat the same thing over and over, in that case, it is because you are not getting all the nutrients your body needs from that particular food; thus making your body \"tired\" of eating it. Or it could be from getting too much of a type of nutrient. Its like the opposite of craving, let's say milk, because your body is in need of calcium. \nI am not entirely positive that is correct, but its the answer I got before for asking a similar question. Also I apologize for my grammar, I am in the process of learning better grammar.",
"It is because of your brains reward system. If you eat the same thing over and over again then the pleasure you feel from the taste diminishes making you switch to another food source.",
"Your body makes food taste \"worse\" as you continuously eat in order to protect you from overeating. Your body does so by creating more leptin (hunger inhibiting hormone) and reducing the production of ghrelin (hunger inducing hormone). It's basically your body's way of following the \"law of diminishing marginal utility\"."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
2d5z7k
|
How do we know Proxima Centauri is the closest star?
|
Is it possible that there are closer stars we just haven't discovered or is there some way to detect all objects within a certain distance of our solar system?
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2d5z7k/how_do_we_know_proxima_centauri_is_the_closest/
|
{
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"For very close stars, we can examine their paralax due to the Earth's orbit as seen [here](_URL_0_).\n\nWe measure where on the sky a star is and then measure where it is again 6 months later. Because the Earth is now on the opposite side of the Sun, the star will appear to have moved. We can use the angle it moved by to calculate how far away it is.\n\nFun fact - if an object has a **par**alax shift of one arc**sec**ond it is one **parsec** away.\n\nSo to answer your question, when preforming this measurement - Proxima Centuri happens to be the closest observed star. Astronomers have been doing this for a *long* time. If something was visible and closer than that, we'd know.\n\nEdit: Punctuation",
"The 4th closest star-system (excluding the sun) was found recently in April 2014. It's a brown dwarf at a distance of 7.3 ly (compared to Proxima centauri at 4.3 ly). It's debated if it's an actual star or a rogue planet though. \n\nIt was found going through data collected by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, data which is [available online](_URL_1_). \n\nSome more info:\n\n_URL_3_\n\n_URL_0_\n\n_URL_2_",
"We don't know for sure. Proxima Centauri is the closest known star.\n\nIf there were even a very dim red dwarf star closer than Proxima we probably (but not certainly) would know about it by now, so it's not very likely. A cool brown dwarf within that distance could have easily escaped detection though."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[
"http://abyss.uoregon.edu/~js/images/parallax.gif"
],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WISE_0855%E2%80%930714",
"http://wise2.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/release/allsky/",
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide-field_Infrared_Survey_Explorer",
"http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/PIA18003-NASA-WISE-StarsNearSun-20140425-2.png"
],
[]
] |
|
3xz7rg
|
How acceptable was it to support the IRA in America around 1981?
|
Obviously, a huge number of movies have been made that paint the Republicans in a sympathetic light. Furthermore, there seems to be a lot of sympathy for them nowadays, after the Good Friday agreement. But how publicly could one express sympathy for the IRA during the hunger strikes? Was it portrayed as a tragedy? Any sort of insight would be hugely interesting, thanks!
|
AskHistorians
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3xz7rg/how_acceptable_was_it_to_support_the_ira_in/
|
{
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"text": [
"Thanks to the strong tradition of free speech in the US, of course one *could* express any number of opinions. But I get the sense you are asking what the range of expressed opinions was. \n\nWith regard to the hunger strike itself, there was support for the hunger strikers at a relatively high level of US politics. The legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (home to many Americans of Irish descent) unanimously passed a resolution condemning prison conditions and asking the British government to recognize Bobby Sands as a political prisoner. A handful of US congresspeople from both parties signed on to a telegram asking President Reagan to urge Margaret Thatcher to action. \n\nOther action occurred as well. The International Longshoremen's Association boycotted British ships for 24 hours after Bobby Sands' death. I don't get the sense they found many ships to boycott, but the gesture stood. \n\nThat's not to say there was unanimous support. The Boston Globe, in an editorial upon the death of Bobby Sands, noted the \"American reflex to transfer automatic blame to London,\" but concluded that \"the government in London to which Bobby Sands was elected is innocent compared to the organization in which he is a commander, the Provisional wing of the Irish Republican Army.\"\n\nThe Provisional IRA and Sinn Fein were regarded as terrorists by many in the United States. But political support for them during the hunger strikes of 1981 was a mainstream view in the US, and was freely expressed. "
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
|
1pw1ue
|
why do we continue drinking alcohol, when it continually causes problems for everyone?
|
As a disclaimer, I'm not trying to make a statement against drinking: there will always be some substance to have fun with.
However, all those other substances are opposed heavily and considered "dangerous." Weed had massive "above the influence" campaigns against it, and a lot of people can remember how the media treated weed in the 80s-90s... but it was perfectly fine to show a "drunk" guy as a comedic character. The same for other mind altering drugs, like adderall and even caffeine. There is always a huge amount of "stay away from these" mentality whenever you hear about them... except alcohol.
But at the same time, everyone agrees alcohol is dangerous. And yet it gets a free pass. What allows that? Even cigarettes, with huge backing from the companies that sell them, can't stifle the opposition against smoking, while alcohol is ignored. Why so?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1pw1ue/why_do_we_continue_drinking_alcohol_when_it/
|
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"Prohibition caused even more problems so they had to give the booze back. Meanwhile, special interests have been pressuring the government to control alternative intoxicants to protect their various interests for about a century which has led to so many other prohibitions. A lot of these other substances have smaller fan bases, thus making it difficult to reverse existing bans. Drug prohibition has led to much greater problems than that of alcohol and will likely be reformed soon.",
"Alcohol isn't ignored. In fact we made it illegal for more than a decade. In the thirteen years of prohibition the crime rate rose to a point where law enforcement couldn't get a handle on it. The vast majority of people who drink do so responsibly. Most people have a drink or two and rarely cross the line into drunkenness. Others, the minority, drink specifically to get drunk and it's these you see causing problems. \n\n",
"Because it's popular",
"Because alcohol as been a staple of existence since we can remember. It makes us feel good, it makes us feel something, and goddamnit, it makes us feel good. Bad aspects aside, when it's used responsibly it does a more wholesome job of altering our present state for people to widely accept its use as a social lubricant and coping mechanism than other recreational drugs in a wide forum due to how it's firmly established in our existence. Personally, I do not wholly agree, but at the same time, there is a reason I enjoy myself a beer when I finish up my day.",
"It doesn't continually cause problems for everyone. Most people enjoy it responsibly. Now, you could argue that in a sense there is damage to the public good because it drains resources to deal with the odd bit of death and property damage, but in that same sense alcohol helps in general much more because it is such a huge business and it generates lots of money.",
"Part of the success of the campaigns against cigarette smoke came about from 'secondary smoking' whereby somebody inhaling somebody else's exhaled cigarette smoke could feasibly contract lung cancer without ever putting a cigarette to their lips. This allowed for the stigmatizing of smoking, but the secondary effects of alcohol are less easily defined. \n\nYou can't get a diseased liver from sitting next to somebody who drinks too much. Drink-related domestic violence, street fighting, crime and death or injury from drink drivers are all immediate ways to incur injury from another drinker's behaviour, but none of that involves the scary C word and so it's a lot harder to promote the stigma associated with cigarettes.\n\nAlcohol is what Bill Hicks called 'the taxable drug'. This is really why alcohol remains socially acceptable. It brings in massive revenue for the government and so far hasn't been hit with the same social stigma as cigarettes. Perhaps in a more enlightened period ahead it will suffer the same fate as cigarettes, but I doubt it. Then again, who would have thought 50 years ago that cigarettes would not only be uncool but actually illegal to use in certain public places and frowned upon as a habit?",
"It's mankind's greatest discovery.\n\nYou take the good, you take the bad\nYou take em both and there you have\nThe facts of life, the facts of life. ",
"There are a few reasons, but the best ones are:\n\n-It is social ingrained: alcohol has been around for thousands of years, and was often consumed in place of water, where the water was not necessarily safe to drink (alcohol kills all sorts of nasties). It's a VERY long relationship to sever.\n\n-Alcohol can be created by anyone with access to sugar, water, and yeast--even bread yeast. Because it's so simple to make, it's nearly impossible to eradicate. Distilling takes a bit more work, but isn't much more difficult--particularly methods such as ice concentration.\n\nIf you can't get rid of something, the only option you have is to regulate it, and there's only so much public appetite for regulations on behaviour; it's either got to have \"always been this way,\" or it's a long hard slog."
]
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|
[] |
[] |
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|
19fj4l
|
- how doomed are we in america with the sequestration thing?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/19fj4l/eli5_how_doomed_are_we_in_america_with_the/
|
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"Well its almost certainty happening. However the country isn't doomed. Most of the effects wont be felt for another month and the places that do feel them will be very specific.",
"$85,000,000,000 of $3,800,000,000,000\n\nTake 9 zeros from both sides, it's like you've got $3800 to spend and someone steals $85, and the thief promises not to steal money for food or rent. It might inconvenience you, but it probably won't kill you.\n\n",
"Sometimes it helps to put things in perspective:\n\n_URL_0_\n\nEDIT: here's a better picture:\n_URL_1_"
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
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"http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user5/imageroot/2013/02/Sequester%20in%20perspective.png",
"http://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/wp-content/uploads/sequestration_cuts_in_perspective.jpg"
]
] |
||
1i5h3z
|
why some foods completely unrelated to animals contain fat (olives, nuts, avocado), please.
|
I thought that intrinsically fat was what animals had to keep them warm, so why do nuts have so much? Also, the last time I took biology was in 9th grade (I'm 29), so please explain like I'm actually a five year old.
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1i5h3z/eli5_why_some_foods_completely_unrelated_to/
|
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"Ok, fats are a wide group of compounds that are generally insoluble in water (they won't mix, rather they'll form a greasy layer on top/bottom), and are well defined as Triglycerides. \n\nA triglyceride is just the name given to a molecule thats made up of a glycerol molecule, and three Fatty Acid molecules; and a fatty acid molecule is a fairly simple hydrocarbon molecule made up of a carboxilic acid group and a long chain. \n\nTo summarise, fats are defined by their molecular structure (a triglyceride), not their original source. These chemicals are used for energy storage, hence are commonly found throughout nature!",
"Fat is used by plant to store energy. Nuts have fat so the plant inside has energy to grow a stem and leafs. Once the plant has leafs it can produce it's own energy."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[]
] |
|
2re6r2
|
what are some scientific explanations for well known cases of 'supernatural' phenomena?
|
So I just moved into a new house, and was picking up a weird vibe, and then two days ago my housemate tells me he thinks its haunted, and since then I've noticed he's right. Closed (latched) doors mysteriously open, lights flick on and off, and just now a box of toothpicks quite literally threw itself across the kitchen. Please tell me the house is built in an area where gravitational force fields are stronger, or some sort of quantum physics is at work, because I'm pretty scared shitless right now
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2re6r2/eli5_what_are_some_scientific_explanations_for/
|
{
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"text": [
"**Physical**\n\n* [Carbon monoxide poisoning](_URL_5_) can cause feelings of dread, auditory and visual hallucinations and illness\n* Expansion and contraction of materials in a house as it heats up and cools down throughout the day can cause noises such as creaks, groans, clicks and bangs, and can cause doors to appear to swing open randomly.\n* Weather or appliances can cause vibrations or sounds that are not audible to us, but which can cause things to vibrate, move and can even cause visual artifacts.\n* Drafts and convection currents can cause noises, cold feelings and can cause things to move (e.g. doors to swing open, curtains to rustle, objects to fall over)\n* Sleep paralysis is a condition in which you wake up in a hypnagogic or hypnopompic state (those groggy moments just before you fall asleep or just after you wake up) during a REM cycle, when your body is paralysed. It often causes strong hallucinations, feelings of dread and sometimes a tightening of the chest, and is a common cause of reported alien abduction encounters, nightly visitations from ghosts, demons and spirits, and in the past, visits from witches.\n* Electrical or electromagnetic interference from appliances, old wiring etc. can cause odd electrical behavior in other appliances and components.\n* Pranks. Very common; they're all over YouTube. It could simply be your room mate messing with you.\n\n**Psychological**\n\n* [Mass hysteria](_URL_2_), in which a collective group of people can share in a delusion (there are many notable cases).\n* [Confirmation bias](_URL_3_), in which information is selected and selectively interpreted as evidence that confirms a preconceived notion (e.g. this house is haunted), while contradictory or unrelated information is ignored or reinterpreted. In other words, we are all biased in how we try to confirm what we already think is true.\n* [Selective perception](_URL_1_), the tendency for expectations to affect perception.\n* The [Bizarreness effect](_URL_0_), in which bizarre seeming information is better remembered than normal information.\n* [Suggestibility](_URL_4_), in which false memories can be implanted via suggestion.\n\n---\n\nThe most important thing to remember is not to prematurely jump to conclusions. If something odd happens that you can't explain, then that doesn't necessarily mean it must be something paranormal or supernatural. It only means that you haven't figured out the explanation, which is likely to be perfectly natural.\n\nIf you're genuinely interested in figuring out the cause of some unexplained event, the best thing you can do is collect data. Set up a couple of cheap web cameras and microphones around the house. If you're able to record objects flying around the room, then you'll have some of the best video evidence that exists and can post it on Reddit for fame and karma."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizarreness_effect",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_perception",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_hysteria",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suggestibility#External",
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide_poisoning"
]
] |
|
31oq0s
|
why current religious freedom laws are considered so objectionable.
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/31oq0s/eli5_why_current_religious_freedom_laws_are/
|
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"It's objectionable because most people believe society should be beyond this. Let's take the statements that are said about not serving gays and change the word to \"blacks.\" \n\nNow the RFRA laws can't work that way because African-American people are a legally protected class, and LGBT people are not, but let's just say they weren't protected. The uproar would be even louder than it was because, as a society, the majority of us believe that what they're doing is wrong.",
"In modern society, actions aren't considered acceptable just because the victim also has the opportunity to inflict the same damage on his attacker. Modern society has established that certain actions are just outright illegal, no matter if reciprocity is viable or not, because such precautions are necessary for a functional society.\n\nFor example, following your train of logic, theft should be legal, because I, having been robbed, have equal opportunity to rob the person who robbed me. It's a two-way street, but that doesn't make either action right or just.",
"The issue isn't about writing a message on a cake or some other sort of service where it's the *service itself* that the person finds objectionable. It's about doing the same thing for every customer and treating them equally. \n\nFor example, let's say that I wanted to buy a cake that said \"I love Nazis\" on it. A baker has every right to refuse to bake and decorate that, and that's true before or after any anti-discrimination law that's currently on the books. They would refuse to bake that cake and write the message on it to *anyone* who came through the door, so it's not a discriminating policy.\n\nNow, I walk into a bakery and say \"Can I have a cake for my wife's birthday? Please have it say \"Happy Birthday, [Wife's name].\" I'm a man, so the bakery provides the cake.\n\nIf Jessica the lesbian walks into that same bakery and asks for the exact same cake for her wife's birthday, and it's refused, that's discriminatory. The bakery was willing to do something for me, but not to do the same exact thing for another person. If that person was black, Chinese, or disabled, it would be illegal to discriminate like that and refuse that service.",
"The current religious freedom laws are not laws that guarantee the freedom of religion. To put it bluntly they are laws that allow purposeful discrimination against specific groups under the veil of protecting religious \"rights\" (notice the quotes, these rights don't actually exist)\n\nIn actuality there are many laws that protect one's ability to believe and practice their religion of choice. This isn't what these new laws do. What they do is allow someone to legally discriminate and use religion as an excuse.\n\nIt gets a little complicated... As a business you have no real obligation to provide a certain product. Lets say the product is a swastika cake. You can't be forced to make a swastika cake.\n\nBut in this hypothetical, lets say you're a white supremacist cake shop, and you make tons of swastika cakes. Then you're obligated to sell that cake to everyone. So if a black guy walked into your white supremacist cake shop and wanted to buy a swastika cake off the rack you can't refuse him/her service based only on the fact that he/she is black. \n\nThese religious protection laws attempt to do an end around of this by saying the owner of the shop can refuse service based on nothing more then the personal beliefs of the shop owner. It's a not so subtle anti gay law, since race, disability, religion, sex, etc... are all federally protected classes, about the only thing left to legally discriminate against is sexuality.\n\nEDIT: The fuck!? Downvotes? Down vote me all you want, but tell me and be specific, what did I get wrong. ",
"Because one persons religious freedoms can trample another person's civil rights. "
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[],
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] |
||
7ynwqu
|
how do sprints change your body versus jogging?
|
So far I'm doing 2 days of high intensity, 10, 100 meter sprints a week. The rest of the days, I slow jog for a mile or two. I'd like to know how each of these workouts change my body differently.
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/7ynwqu/eli5_how_do_sprints_change_your_body_versus/
|
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"Sprinting builds cardio and explosion in a shorter amount of time, it also burns fat for longer. Whereas, long distance cardio can improve cardio but not explosiveness it also takes longer. So you can get better results, running harder sprints than longer distance.",
"Look at the bodies of sprinters, they're generally pretty muscular. Now look at the bag of antlers bodies of long distance runners."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
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] |
|
8m9oiq
|
how is it ok for the usa to try to force other nations to denuclearize even though we maintain a nuclear arsenal that is capable of destroying the world.
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8m9oiq/eli5_how_is_it_ok_for_the_usa_to_try_to_force/
|
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"text": [
"We have signed onto denuclearization and test ban treaties and have complied with them. We have dismantled hoards of nuclear weapons. It isn't the US trying to force countries to denuclearize, it's the international community that recognizes dangerous regimes that support terrorism and threaten their neighbors that pressure them to denuclearize. ",
"Nobody wants anyone to have nukes, they're bad news *but* once you get some, you can't really give them up as long as somebody else has them - it's sort of a \"Mexican Standoff\" where safety & peace is assured by the fact that nobody with nukes will fire them first because they know everyone else that has them will fire back.\n\nThis all gets *much* more complicated when you have somebody new trying to join \"nuke club, *especially* if it's an unstable country like North Korea or Iran. So the nuclear powers do their *damnedest* to stop everyone else from getting nukes - either through friendly diplomacy (\"we'll protect you if anyone fires nukes at you\"), stern diplomacy (\"we won't ship you any food if you keep this up\") or outright threats (\"we'll invade your fucking country if you don't stop now\").\n\nWhat makes it \"OK\"? It's not like there's any laws that all countries have to obey - it just boils down to what you can do without making everyone else so pissed at you that they're going to attack you. Most of the world is OK with nobody else getting nukes, making it OK for the US (and the rest of Nuke Club) to stop others from developing them.",
"The US isn't trying to \"force other nations to denuclearize\", certainly not in general. The US is trying to entice North Korea to denuclearize, but that's a very specific situation.\n\nFewer nuclear weapons is a laudable goal, but the more pressing goal is that nuclear weapons should not be used arbitrarily. The US has a huge stockpile of nuclear weapons, and a correspondingly huge and careful control system to make sure they are not lost, stolen or used improperly. NK has a few nuclear weapons, like India or Israel, but it lacks a careful control system for them, having an absolute dictator is a problem for a nuclear power. That's also the problem with Iran having them.",
"Realistically the more countries that have nukes, the greater the chance of one country using them and kicking off nuclear war, especially with unstable countries like NK or Iran. \n\n"
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
1q668l
|
what on earth is wwe wrestling about
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1q668l/eli5_what_on_earth_is_wwe_wrestling_about/
|
{
"a_id": [
"cd9kw8w",
"cd9kxx0",
"cd9ky0l"
],
"score": [
6,
2,
2
],
"text": [
"Hey... uh... you know all those movies and TV shows you watch? They're not real either. You still watch those despite knowing it's acting, don't you?",
"It's just entertainment. I'm not a fan but I can appreciate the athleticism that some of those guys display, and the real appeal for the fans seems to be the storylines which are pure good vs evil. One guy is the hero, the other is the villain, and they're in the ring fighting for the audience to cheer.\n\n\nWhen I watch it I don't *feel* the excitement but I understand it. ",
"Its a performance. This of it like a play. The characters play archetypal roles of bad guy, hero, newbie, jerk boss etc. Notice they talk more than athletes do and the fights last odd amounts of time. Think of it as a play. Hopefully your favorite will not turn bad this week."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
3w35y5
|
Why did 4 year liberal arts educations become popular in the United States?
|
I'm an American that is going to graduate school in Argentina. One thing that I noticed about the university where I'm studying is that there is no "liberal arts" education. If you are in school to study architecture then you study architecture, if you're studying translation then you study translation and as much law as you have to in order to translate legal documents, if you're studying medicine then you study medicine, etc. My girlfriend is from Brazil and she was telling me that it is the same way in Brazil.
Also, it seems like the equivalent to a bachelor's degree takes longer to earn here. For example, getting a bachelor's degree in economics would take 5/5.5 years of study.
I also believe that Bachelor's degrees didn't even exist in a lot of European countries until the Bologna Process was implemented to try and standardize education across Europe.
So I'm wondering, how did the 4 year liberal arts degree where you spend half of your time taking classes in things that have nothing to do with your chosen area of study become the norm in the US?
|
AskHistorians
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3w35y5/why_did_4_year_liberal_arts_educations_become/
|
{
"a_id": [
"cxt5gkl"
],
"score": [
103
],
"text": [
"Your question actually needs to be flipped around: when did other countries *stop* insisting upon a liberal arts foundation.\n\nThe modern university system was born in the Latin (European) Middle Ages, in Paris and Bologna. The medieval curriculum was founded on the liberal arts: the *trivium* of grammar, rhetoric, logic; and the *quadrivium* of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy/astrology, and music. Only upon completion of those would a student advance to study the higher faculties: law, theology, or medicine.\n\nFor their part, the tradition of founding one's studies in the liberal arts goes back to ancient Greece.\n\nYou might be find these answers helpful:\n\n* [How did the descriptors Bachelor and Doctor come to signify a person's completed level of education?] (_URL_0_)\n\n* [Humanist vs. liberal arts education: were they different in the Renaissance?] (_URL_1_)"
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3n27cn/how_did_the_descriptors_such_as_bachelor_and/cvkf9de",
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3olhdz/humanistic_vs_liberal_arts_education_were_the_two/cvyc3yk"
]
] |
|
1zuc5z
|
why can't i goto a doctor 2x a year and just get screened for every disease and eliminate the risk of cancer/etc?
|
This goes not just for me, but someone rich like Steve Jobs.
Most diseases are not life-threatening if you catch them early enough, right? So why can't you just go get a thorough diagnosis every 6 months where you can nip anything that ever pops up in the bud before it gets out of control?
Or, can you already, and if so.. who do you go see, and how much does it cost?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1zuc5z/eli5_why_cant_i_goto_a_doctor_2x_a_year_and_just/
|
{
"a_id": [
"cfx19pe",
"cfx1d1e"
],
"score": [
3,
4
],
"text": [
"If you had the money you could. But no insurance company or universal health care would cover that. ",
"Most tests for diseases are not 100% accurate. These tests normally don't detect the actual presence of a certain virus or bacteria, but test for certain enzymes or hormones that end up in your blood as a result of the infection. However there's always a chance these are in your bloodstream because of unrelated reasons.\n\nLet's say a test is 99.99% accurate. That sounds pretty good, right? It means that there's only a false result in 1 of 10,000 tests. But what if one in a million people have the disease? That means only 1%, or 1 of every 100 \"positive\" results for this 99.99% accurate test will be a true positive. The rest will be mistakes, false positives. And often treatment for diseases can be harmful. While they're less harmful than the disease they're treating, which is why they're allowed to be administered, if you're being treated on an erroneous test result and you're actually healthy, that isn't good.\n\nIt's usually a combination of tests for diseases *plus* the presence of symptoms and other indicators that doctors use to make accurate diagnoses."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[]
] |
|
8ejhsl
|
why do you get really thirsty after eating chocolate/sweets?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/8ejhsl/eli5_why_do_you_get_really_thirsty_after_eating/
|
{
"a_id": [
"dxvte6m",
"dxvth4g",
"dxvv4cp"
],
"score": [
50,
6,
4
],
"text": [
"Your body uses tons of water to regulate blood sugar. This is also why a night of binging on candy will make you «hung over» the next morning, you are really dehydrated",
"I believe it has to do with your blood sugar being elevated. One way your body eliminates excess sugar is through urine. Diabetics experince polydipsia-increased/insatiable thirst when their sugars rise very high.",
"We are made up of cells. Our cells are fluid-filled. High concentrations of sugar attracts the fluid in our cells. Loss of fluids in our cells makes us thirsty. :) "
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
knvhh
|
As an enthusiast of astrophysics, and one who is out of the loop, I would love to know about quantum fluctuations.
|
Let's keep this in laymen's terms, but I can follow along pretty easily if it is explained with detail. I would love to know the math behind the big bang theory. I have watched a few lectures on how quantum fluctuations of energy can build up and potentially cause such an event, but how do these occur, and what is their natural starting phase.
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/knvhh/as_an_enthusiast_of_astrophysics_and_one_who_is/
|
{
"a_id": [
"c2lr2mo",
"c2lr5ag",
"c2lr2mo",
"c2lr5ag"
],
"score": [
2,
3,
2,
3
],
"text": [
"They arise from the fact that any system cannot have zero energy. The lowest state in quantum mechanics, the ground state, is a non-zero energy that due to the Uncertainty Principle has a chance to be found at higher energies than the expectation value of that energy. \n\n_URL_0_\nThe introduction is, hopefully, at the level you are asking for. ",
"How do you know you have a \"true\" vacuum? You measure the energy of a region. But uncertainty in energy measurement forms a Heisenberg pair with uncertainty in time measurement. So if you want, you can kind of think about quantum fluctuations as imprecision in knowledge of energy over very small time scales. You can't be *perfectly* sure you have nothing. ",
"They arise from the fact that any system cannot have zero energy. The lowest state in quantum mechanics, the ground state, is a non-zero energy that due to the Uncertainty Principle has a chance to be found at higher energies than the expectation value of that energy. \n\n_URL_0_\nThe introduction is, hopefully, at the level you are asking for. ",
"How do you know you have a \"true\" vacuum? You measure the energy of a region. But uncertainty in energy measurement forms a Heisenberg pair with uncertainty in time measurement. So if you want, you can kind of think about quantum fluctuations as imprecision in knowledge of energy over very small time scales. You can't be *perfectly* sure you have nothing. "
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_fluctuation"
],
[],
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_fluctuation"
],
[]
] |
|
uq90f
|
If you were locked up and only had access to 1 litre of water, how should you comsume it in order to survive the longest?
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/uq90f/if_you_were_locked_up_and_only_had_access_to_1/
|
{
"a_id": [
"c4xm1uv"
],
"score": [
12
],
"text": [
"Before drinking any of it, store your urine if it's dilute. You're probably pretty hydrated already, so you'll be losing a lot of water through there. When your urine starts to get darker(Probably only after 1 piss), stop, and start drinking small amounts of water. Concentrated urine will be very bad for you, and is counter productive for quenching thirst. When you run out of water, drink the dilute urine. It'll give you a little more emergency water.\n\nThere's not really anything you can do. Your body has you covered though. As you get dehydrated you'll begin to release hormones like ADH to help you preserve more water. \n\nBut basically, there's no magic trick to make a litre of water last you over a week. Depending on heat you'll probably dehydrate in about 4 days, provided you were properly hydrated before you started."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
||
613nkb
|
a bill was passed to remove internet privacy regulations today , what does that mean really ?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/613nkb/eli5_a_bill_was_passed_to_remove_internet_privacy/
|
{
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"dfbitls",
"dfbjmri",
"dfbn88o",
"dfbq7gy",
"dfbtlo5"
],
"score": [
4,
9,
3,
6,
2
],
"text": [
"My take on it would be to eliminate piracy, no more GBA Roms and free e-books for me. Some could say it's for the protection against terrorists but really, the TSA hasn't done anything and neither will monitoring 5 million people named Mohammad.",
"Basically, now American ISPs can sell the data they collect from you to advertisers without your permission.",
"But doesn't this really just put things back to how they were prior to the October FCC decision? I'm very confused about this and haven't found anyone that will actually explain how my life is going to change due to this ruling today.",
"Are VPNs an effective workaround?",
"Does this affect people outside of the US using websites based in the US?"
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
11qakd
|
why are some classical compositions titled like standard songs (moonlight sonata) and some are... not (overture no. 2 in b minor)
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/11qakd/why_are_some_classical_compositions_titled_like/
|
{
"a_id": [
"c6oo7ey"
],
"score": [
12
],
"text": [
"The 'modern' names are often added *after the fact*, and usually have nothing to do with the actual composer.\n\nFor example, the \"Moonlight Sonata\" **isn't** really called the \"Moonlight Sonata\" at all. It's official name is \"Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# Minor. Opus 27, No 2\".\n\n5 years after Beethoven died, a German poet thought it was reminiscent of moonlight shining on rippling water, so he named it that way, and - because it was catchy - it stuck."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
||
1wbcg6
|
For Americans in WWII, did your geographic location determine which front you were sent to? For example, were Californians sent to the Pacific while New Yorkers sent to Europe?
|
AskHistorians
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1wbcg6/for_americans_in_wwii_did_your_geographic/
|
{
"a_id": [
"cf0l85a",
"cf0ln7m"
],
"score": [
27,
9
],
"text": [
"Nisei (American of Japanese heritage) were regularly deployed to the European theater out of a fear that the troops would turn against the U.S. if deployed in the Pacific. While National Guard units were often kept together, everything else would routinely be pulled from all over the country.",
"No, perhaps to our detriment. In the German army of the same time, men in an individual infantry division were drawn from the same military area (wehrkreis). There were something like twenty of these in Germany, so they would be quite small areas. Think: recruiting men from greater Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, etc. This system may have broken down at some point during the war, but that was the ideal. The US Army dispersed draftees and wartime enlisted among units without any geographical basis. This, along with the combat replacement system, may have led to the bewilderment and isolation of new men."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[]
] |
||
eshees
|
What did happen to the Lincoln Battalion survivors when they came back home in 1939?
|
I know the FBI spied on them and the Army denied them promotions or any other kind of benefits. However, how was this put into practice? "you can't be promote to captain because you already fought Fascism somewhere else?". Did it make sense at the pre-WW2 time?
Also, how were they treated at their home towns? Were they straightforwardly out casted or did they have some recognition? How much of it reached the media and what do we know of the popular opinion back then?
Sorry for English, not my first language.
|
AskHistorians
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/eshees/what_did_happen_to_the_lincoln_battalion/
|
{
"a_id": [
"ffa4v52"
],
"score": [
26
],
"text": [
"First things first - on the question of how the volunteers were received at home, I have written [this answer previously](_URL_0_), which I think covers most of your second group of questions.\n\nThe first set of questions isn't really covered there though, and is interesting ground for me to write on because I have researched - and published for that matter - on this exact question of how low-grade discrimination actually worked, but in a British context. While I'm familiar with existing literature on the American side of things, I don't know the sources directly.\n\nThis is a problem because the available scholarship on this question in an American context is... not great. Peter Carroll is probably the best-known scholar to work on the American volunteers, and has devoted a substantial amount of his writing to documenting their treatment by the US Government in the 1940s and 1950s. Carroll, however, writes as both a scholar and as someone who has long been intimately involved in the commemoration of the American volunteers, and writes with barely-concealed disdain and fury regarding how they were treated by the government as so-called 'premature anti-fascists'. He may well be right to do so, but is to my mind a little too willing to take their version of their treatment during the Second World War at face value. Not that I think that Lincoln veterans were lying, but rather that they naturally had limited insight into how they were being discriminated against. I also suspect - and this reflects my own research in a British context - that there is an important question of source representation here. Simply put, the Lincoln veterans whose discrimination is best-known and whose stories appear most prominently in Carroll's account tend to be those who were heavily involved with the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade (VALB), and tended in turn to also be heavily involved in the Communist Party of the USA. In other words, it can be difficult to disentangle the discrimination faced by Spanish veterans with the discrimination faced by prominent communists.\n\nThe other side of the literature has its own problems. Carroll's narrative has been challenged particularly by John Haynes and Harvey Klehr, two more conservative scholars of American communism. They attacked the 'premature anti-fascist' narrative in a very literal sense - they question the origins of the phrase, arguing that rather than being a label used by the government to identify and discriminate against Lincoln veterans, it was made up by them in the 1940s as an ironic label and as a way of securing sympathy, noting that no official documents actually using the phrase in this period have ever been found. The whole thing was a ruse, according to Klehr and Haynes, to disguise the fact that between 1939 and 1941, the communist-aligned Lincoln veterans had changed tack in line with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and opposed US involvement in the Second World War, a position they equate to pro-fascism.\n\nAs noted subsequently by Carroll, the lack of documents bearing the phrase is not conclusive proof (most military personnel records were lost due to a fire in the 1970s, and the FBI and other intelligence agencies aren't exactly forthcoming with releasing these kinds of documents). However, his own rejoinder - based on some scattered allusions to the term made by sympathetic politicians and veterans in 1945 - is hardly all that convincing either. \n\nThis historiographical diversion aside, how did the discrimination actually work? Owing to the lack of records it's hard to say for certain, but like any large organisation, the military is concerned with human resources, and keeps tabs on its members. NCOs and commanders could be notified of any 'problem' soldiers under their command, and could restrict their duties and opportunities accordingly - either willingly, or as ordered to. They might not be trusted, for instance, to receive certain types of training (one reported being refused radio training, for instance) or the opportunity for promotion or field service. They might even be rejected for service or not drafted in the first place. Naturally, of course, bureaucracy is fallible - plenty of Lincoln veterans fell through the cracks and served in any number of capacities, or managed to pull strings to get reassigned where they wanted to be.\n\nHow far this made sense is an inherently subjective question. The whole 'premature anti-fascist' label became popular as it seemed to epitomise the ridiculousness of not trusting the group of people who had shown the greatest desire to confront fascism before the war. However, reality is, as ever, somewhat more complicated. Most Lincoln veterans were members of the CPUSA, who up until mid-1941, were officially against the war effort (though individual veterans naturally had their own, widely-varying views). There was a not-unreasonable suspicion that communists in the military would try to sabotage or subvert their units, or carry out espionage for the Soviet Union. Even after 1941, where communists became very keen on fighting fascism again, there was a lingering suspicion of their motives, and the institutions involved - the military and the FBI in particular - hardly needed much encouragement to view communists and communist sympathisers with suspicion. While there may have been some rational basis for the original suspicion, that it lasted so long is testament to the ingrained anti-communist cultures of certain American government agencies.\n\nInterestingly, one area where this didn't apply was in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the agency that would later become the CIA. Its founder, William Donovan, sought out Lincoln veterans with experience of guerrilla campaigns in Spain, to act as both agents and trainers, proving crucial in setting up the OSS's guerrilla warfare school. Not only were these veterans some of the only people in America with recent experience of irregular warfare, many were European immigrants who spoke relevant languages, making them ideal for the role. Moreover, as Spanish veterans were often very prominent in resistance movements in occupied Europe, their time in Spain made for some useful connections, particularly in North Africa, Italy and Yugoslavia. While those recruited by the OSS were only ever a tiny minority of the Lincoln veterans, their skills and knowledge were certainly appreciated in this context at least."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[
"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/a1xb4c/how_were_units_like_the_lafayette_escadrille_wwi/"
]
] |
|
13yi61
|
What animals have an Amygdala?
|
What animals have an amygdala in their brain? All of them? If so which have a larger one? All I could find online was that vertebrates that developed more have a more advanced one.
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/13yi61/what_animals_have_an_amygdala/
|
{
"a_id": [
"c78aw5l"
],
"score": [
7
],
"text": [
"All vertebrates have roughly the same set of cortical organs, and many vertebrate brain structures have homologs in invertebrates. \n\nThe harder part of answering your question is what you mean by \"larger.\" This gets into very complicated comparative anatomy. Do you mean \"has more cells,\" \"has more mass,\" \"has more connections,\" \"has more influence on brain processing?\" or something else? \n\nFor most animals the answer will be \"we don't know,\" good comparative brain anatomy between species is rare, and has been completed for very few species. "
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
|
1gfnye
|
What causes sunscreen to lose potency over time after application?
|
Why is it that sunscreen only lasts a limited amount of time after application? Is it that it wears away, or that more sunlight is able to break through it over time, or what?
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1gfnye/what_causes_sunscreen_to_lose_potency_over_time/
|
{
"a_id": [
"caju1gs",
"cajugai",
"cak0vy6"
],
"score": [
5,
2,
3
],
"text": [
"It has always been my understanding that over time it is washed off or worn away by water/sweat/rubbing (like wiping your eyes to get water off takes a little sunscreen with it).\nMy dad (the protective doctor) has always recommended re application every 3-4 hours if you are just outdoors and every 2 hours when swimming. Also allow 15 minutes for sunscreen to dry before swimming (duh). ",
"On /r/skincareaddiction, I read that the skin absorbs some of the sunscreen over time, so it's no longer a barrier on the surface of the skin. Apparently that's why some powder SPFs are recommended instead.",
"Chemical sunscreens react with UV light and become ineffective after they are broken down. They can also wash /wear off. Most sunscreens are chemical. "
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
|
6xt96j
|
how do astronauts travel between the earth and the iss?
|
Is a new space capsule made and used every time astronauts leave Earth or leave the ISS?
When astronauts have to leave for Earth, does a new capsule first reach the ISS to carry them?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/6xt96j/eli5_how_do_astronauts_travel_between_the_earth/
|
{
"a_id": [
"dmibrqx"
],
"score": [
8
],
"text": [
"Currently only the Russian Soyuz spacecraft transport astronauts to and from the ISS (Prior to 2011 the Space Shuttle also fulfilled this role for the US, and in the next few years SpaceX and Boeing will provide US with manned spaceflight capabilities again.) The Soyuz carries up to 3 astronauts to the ISS, and is onlt used once. After launch, it docks to the space station and stays there while the astronauts complete their roughly 6 month stay. \n\nWhen it's time to come home, they board the same Soyuz that brought them to the station and return to Earth. Only one of the three modules of the spacecraft land with the astronauts as it's the only part with the heat shield; the other 2 burn up in the atmosphere. Once the capsule has landed back on Earth, its job is over and isn't used again."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
|
27iap6
|
Artisans in the early middle ages
|
It's a fairly well established fact that the early middle ages were a period of intense deurbanization in most of Europe; the first major population recoveries did not begin until the 11th century, though they quickly built up steam. So: my question is, during a period in which cities basically do not exist, and the largest settlements in a given kingdom are a handful of towns of 1,000-10,000 individuals, and the vast majority of the population lives hand to mouth in agricultural settlements, how did skilled craftsmen function?
A sword, for instance, is a very specialized tool, requiring advanced knowledge far beyond that which a common blacksmith would possess. Would these bladesmiths cluster in the few towns, and anyone who wished to purchase one would have to make the trip in from the countryside?
|
AskHistorians
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/27iap6/artisans_in_the_early_middle_ages/
|
{
"a_id": [
"ci161t6"
],
"score": [
5
],
"text": [
"Military equipment crafting is definitely something that didn't die out because of the necessity, even in places like Britain where civilian production of what was previously common items like wheeled pottery disappeared. The increasing militarization of society in all levels in Europe and the needs of the social economy dictated the survival of particular crafted goods. The need for elites to provide for the defense of themselves and their warbands/retinues never declined though the need for say, monumental building construction did. \n\nA rough contemporary analogy can be made with Afghanistan in the aftermath of its civil wars but before the US invasion, in that there were still workshops producing and repairing AK-47s (on a rather crude but functional basis) even though they weren't manufacturing much else as a primarily agrarian economy. \n\nHowever for other artisanal manufacturing, the question is still up in the air. For example, the restart of church construction in Italy in the 8th century points to a surviving artisan community which could furnish those churches with mosaics, light fixtures, decorative work, as well the knowledge of how to build new churches in stone (most new buildings were built out of wood at this time in Italy). However the more than 100 year gap between new church construction raises the question of how exactly those artisans survived that dormancy. One possibility being they may have been imported from the eastern empire, or they may have come from merovingian france, but those are just possibilities. No one is quite sure who those artisans were or where they were from, whether they were in fact local or foreign.\n\ntl;dr - Don't assume technological decline was uniform in all things. The skills that were needed by the society of that day flourished. Those that weren't, withered.\n\nSources:\n\n* Christie, Neil. The Lombards: The Ancient Longobards. Oxford, UK: Blackwell, 1995.\n\n* Ward-Perkins, Bryan. The Fall of Rome: And the End of Civilization. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
|
3c891s
|
what happens to old crinkly dollar bills?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3c891s/eli5_what_happens_to_old_crinkly_dollar_bills/
|
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"Stores will send them to a bank. Then that bank will give old and damaged bills/coins to the mint/bill printing place. The coins and bills will get destroyed and new one will be made to replace them."
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9ae596
|
why do companies like verizon work so hard to limit customers internet usage?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/9ae596/eli5_why_do_companies_like_verizon_work_so_hard/
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"Money. They don’t want to invest in infrastructure so they throttle customers to save costs.",
"To reduce there cost and income and incrase profit.\n\nData usage in mobile networks cost money. It is not the cost to send the data as the only cost then is a small around of electricity usage. The cost is to have enough capacity. A cell tower like any other communications system have a max bandwidth So if many people use more data the max capacity is reached and you need to build add more cell towers to give the users the ability to use the network. So it cost a lot of money to increase the amount of data the network can transmit. So if you reduce data usage you can have more customers in the same network and the result in higher profit.\n\nThe other part is they like to sell more expensive contract. So even if the network is not congested if you can get people to pay more you get higher profit.\n\nYou have to compare both parts with the risk of consumers moving to another cell phone provides so increased price or reduce data can result in that you loose more customers and the result is a decreased profit so what operators do depend a lot of the competition on the market.\n",
"There are a few ways to answer this.\n\nIn the USA, the system and laws are set up a certain way. Basically, they only have so much bandwidth to go around, and they've found they make more money by telling people it's unlimited then throttling later, rather than giving an accurate assessment of how much you get. So that's what they do. By throttling, they can provide a higher average speed to everyone (who isn't getting throttled), and charge extra to people who are getting throttled. \n\nIt's basically just a way of getting the most money possible out of a finite resource, and continues to be true if we're on 1mb/s connections or 1gb/s connections. The system is set up in such a way that allows them to do it, and they make more money that way, so they do it.\n\nTo put it another way, the system is set up such that the more they screw people over, the better their company does.\n\nIn the UK, ISP's have hard, enforced limits on truth in advertising and aren't allowed to do such things, so they don't. They tried to get around it by selling \"Up to 50mb/s\", but that was recently outlawed as well, so what you see is what you get. Also the UK has a higher population density and laws again monopolies in utilities, so they have to compete against other companies.\n\nThey still try to screw people over, but the law limits the number of ways they can do that, and limits the rewards. This makes a strategy of complete screwing over less profitable, and in some cases it even provides less added value than the goodwill of acting in good faith. But that's another story.\n\nI'm simplifying here, and there are other differences besides between the countries. But the basic rule is, if a situation is set up which incentivises a certain action in a global economy, companies will take that action. ",
"Imagine you are a cell phone network provider.\n\nYou have a number of towers to service a number of customers. These towers cost money. They are assets that depreciate, they have equipment that needs maintenance, they require electricity and the upstream bandwidth needs to be paid for as well. Additionally, the FCC in the USA leases bandwidth out to network providers in an auction process, so you've paid in advance for that bit of spectrum you're going to use as well. You also have sales, general and admin costs, like any other company.\n\nThis asset of a network costs money to run, so it is your job as a cell provider to extract the maximum value from your customers for your whole network. (That's capitalism.) This is why cell providers charge extra for services like picture messaging (in the UK at least, almost everyone probably uses Whatsapp or other services nowadays.) They know the few customers still using those services will pay extra to have that.\n\nIf you have only so many customers in a given area and if all of them started using 1TB per month you'd have to install many more cell towers and bid for more bandwidth to make this viable. As a result, you'd have to charge a lot more money per customer.",
"I know the reason, but wouldn't it be wonderful if you still got a few MB/s even when you go over, and then they start the Chinese water toture of kilobytes after you double your \"data cap\" on your UNLIMITED FUCKING PLAN?!",
"Its called a contention ratio. \nThe idea is that the customer wont use 100% of their pipe 100% of the time.\n\nSo the pipe serving your area/telco isnt customer pipe x customer number, its customer pipe x customer -50% or whatever ratio they can get away with.",
"I switched to T-Mobile over 55 plan in March, and immediately both my phone and my daughter's got 100% locked out of youtube, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.\n\nEverything else works great (Pandora, Amazon Music, Spotify).\n\nEven when you got _URL_0_, it doesn't load.\n\n(and I am getting creeped out that most of the times I have posted this, I get downvotes making me think T-Mobile has people monitoring Reddit, but obviously not sure about that)\n\n\n** EDIT ** \n\n1) For those who have said that I should contact them -- > I have contacted them. I spent hours in April, gave up then this week I started again and have been on the phone for hours. They are going to call me again on Monday. \n\n2) For those who said their T-Mobile works fine, so did mine, it was amazingly good until the instant I switched to the 55 plan. Then all of a sudden both my phone AND my daughter's phone lost Youtube, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video (amazon music streams great btw)\n\n\n\nMore detail: The original call was a farce. \n\n1) Switch out the SIM card. Okay, really? Both my daughter and I lost Youtube the instant we switched. It works on Wifi. In the history of SIM cards has there ever been one single instance where the SIM card was corrupt causing just 3 APPs to not work, and on two separate phones on the same plan at the same time?\n\n2) Reinstall youtube. Really? It works amazingly well on Wifi, AND I can't even reach _URL_0_ in any of the browsers on my phone. Doesn't sound like the APP is the problem.\n\n\n",
"If you control the supply you can charge what you want - I.e debeers have loads of diamonds but only release minute amounts so they can charge more",
"What's the average limit on broadband plans in the USA? I mean, the one you can afford if you're a student or just started to live there with an average job, how much data can you afford? \n\nEDIT: Are the mobile data plans different or bundled with broadband? If different, how much mobile data can you get on average? ",
"Not sure if it's like this in America, but in my country the internet service providers have to essentially lease the amount of bandwidth they will use from the government controlled infrastructure. So they want to limit customers so they don't have to buy more bandwidth. But it's not a huge issue here, really. I have the fastest internet in my country, and unlimited, and some months I have used a lot and never had any issues. They used to say they'd throttle it during the prime times, but they never do - I think that's just a precaution.\n\n & #x200B;\n\nI am not sure, with how the communications companies split America and don't really compete, whether the infrastructure is owned by the companies or the government. So maybe this comment is pointless.",
"Why should I pay the same as someone who watches netflix every day?",
"People are forgetting Verizon and other larger cell companies sell celltower usage to smaller companies and prepaid services.\n\nSo not only are they saving costs, they're generating more revenue to allow other smaller companies piggy-back off their towers where the smaller company has no coverage.",
"**Please read this entire message**\n\n---\n\nYour submission has been removed for the following reason(s):\n\n* Questions about a business or a group's motivation are not allowed on ELI5. These are usually either straightforward, or known only to the organisations involved, leading to speculation (Rule 2). \n\n\n\n\n---\nIf you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](_URL_1_) first. If you still feel the removal should be reviewed, please [message the moderators.](_URL_0_?)"
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rkatu
|
the difference between shifting gears on an automatic and on a manual. bonus: how does it relate to bicycle gears?
|
I've driven automatic all my life. I'm woefully dumb when it comes to my own car. I only drive it to commute on highways, so I rarely need to do anything other than Drive, Reverse, Park and sometimes Neutral.
The other numbers are a mystery to me (as in D/4/3/2/etc.). I do know that when I'm going up a hill, putting it from D to 4 makes it feel zippier.
How does it differ from changing gears on a manual, and for a bonus, how does it all relate back to bicycle gears?
Don't laugh at me, please. I grew up riding the subway.
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/rkatu/eli5_the_difference_between_shifting_gears_on_an/
|
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"For automatic, going faster makes the car automatically increase gears. In manual, you increase it yourself with a gearstick as you get higher revs.\n\nThe main advantage of automatic is you only have to focus on the road really, not gear switching(althougha fter a few months of manual driving the gear changing is second nature). The main advantage of manual is that you get to decide the power of the car. This is where bike gears come in.\n\nYou know how when you ride your bike uphill, you want a lower gear? That's because lower gears have a lot more power. Forcing yourself uphill in 2nd gear is way, way easier than forcing yourself uphill in 5th gear. Similarly, holding down the accelerator in a car while you're in second gear will give you a significantly faster acceleration than when you're in third gear at the same speed. In the automatic car, the acceleration speed is pretty much fixed. In a manual, you can, for example, stay in third gear during a 20MPH zone, very rapidly accelerate to 55MPH to match traffic, then pop it in fifth to coast. You don't get that control in an automatic. ",
"Transmissions, manual or automatic are made up of a bunch different gears of varying size, hence the gears on the bike. These gears change in order to play with circular motion. Pretend you have a stick in your hand and you are swinging it in a circle. The part closest to the middle of the rotation (where your hand is) moves much slower than the end of the stick. The end of the stick covers more distance over the same amount of time as the middle. Velocity = distance/time.\n\nThe engine of a car can only rotate so fast for so long without damaging the parts. The least amount of resistance for the engine (or you on a bicycle) is on the lowest gear. In the lowest gear you can pedal as hard as you can and you will hardly move, by shifting up a gear you change the sprockets and create a different gear ratio. By making the gears become smaller and smaller as you up shift, it requires less speed and force in order to produce the same amount of rotation. Low gears are for low speeds and high gears for high speeds. For instance, starting from a stand still while your bike is in a very high gear is almost impossible. It requires much more force to get up to speed. In a car it is the same. If you have an automatic transmission, this isn't really a problem, but with a manual transmission starting from a standstill into anything after second gear requires more force.\n\nThe numbers on an automatic transmission (i.e. 4/3/2/1) simply limit the gears to which your car will shift. If you are at a standstill and you have the shifter at 1, your car will not shift past one. The same is true for the other numbers. Just remember though, the number only limit up shifting, not down shifting. So if you have it in 3 and start to slow down it will automatically downshift as necessary. D simply means your car will shift to the highest possible gear (probably 5th for your car) if applicable. Some cars have as many as 8 gears.\n\nI do not feel like proof reading this so ignore any grammatical errors."
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c343mr
|
when watching a live sports broadcast, why does radio tend to deliver audio feeds a few seconds before transmitted via television? why are they not equally quick?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/c343mr/eli5_when_watching_a_live_sports_broadcast_why/
|
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"_URL_0_\n\nGives the broadcaster time to delete nudity, profanity, or anything else they don't want going to air.\n\nWith radio, it's just the play by play guys on the microphone. Far less likely for something unwanted to go to air, so they don't need to worry about it.",
"In the old days of analog TV, the radio and TV would be in sync. With today's digital video, there are delays inherent in the compression/decompression process. The video is usually transported in compressed format and may need to go through several compression/decompression cycles. The final delivery via broadcast is the most compressed and has the longest delay. Also, TV is more likely to be sent via geosynchronous satellite which adds another quarter second. Audio-only compression has much lower latency."
]
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h37bu
|
If I have a direct line of light to a galaxy that is on the edge of our observable universe, what would I see as time progresses?
|
I understand that the farthest things we can see are slowly receding due to the expansion of the space in between them and us. What would you actually see if you observed a galaxy as it passed through the boundary of our observable universe?
Secondary related question: If a photon was emitted from a piece of matter that very very recently became too far away to ever actually reach us, where does that photon end up?
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/h37bu/if_i_have_a_direct_line_of_light_to_a_galaxy_that/
|
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"It depends on the precise expansion rate of the Universe. For some Universes (such as those dominated by matter or by radiation), we can see more and more distant objects as time goes on. For other Universes (mostly those with accelerating expansions, so this includes our present situation) closer and closer objects are at the edge, so after a certain point in time (when we say the galaxy \"leaves the horizon\") you'd just see it disappear. To be a little more realistic, you'd see it dim over many thousands of years as different pieces of the galaxy leave the horizon, since galaxies have thickness. You'd also see it get progressively redder and redder.\n\nTo address your second question, in a Universe where photons from certain galaxies will never reach us, the photons from those galaxies will always be moving, but the expansion of space will in a way \"outrun\" the photons. There is a certain distance that the photons can go, but will never reach - it will get closer and closer infinitesimally to that point, without ever actually getting there. So it never stops or \"ends up\" anywhere. It's more sort of (loosely speaking) like the paradox where you're at point A, go halfway to point B, then halfway from there to B, then halfway again, etc."
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n3x98
|
how can a 64-bit minecraft world seed create an infinite world?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/n3x98/eli5_how_can_a_64bit_minecraft_world_seed_create/
|
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"Well, for starters it isn't infinite, but it's basically infinite because you couldn't travel it in all your life.\n\nFrom Wikipedia: A 64-bit register can store 2^64 = 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 different values, a number in excess of 18 quintillion.\n\nWhich is a really big number.",
"Although as others have said the Minecraft world isnt actually infinite, there isnt actually anything stopping it from being in regards to the seed at least.\n\nA random seed is only the \"starting point\" for a random number generator, once you've started it you can get as many pseudo-random numbers as you want out of it.\n\nThe only limitation the 64 bit seed is that there are only 2^64 different possible sequences of those random numbers (and thus only 2^64 different possible minecraft worlds.)",
"its not infinite, its bounded by the hardware capabilities. The world has a rule based on the seed, this rule will generate new areas of the world as you attempt to explore them, this simply reduces the cost of starting a new world, so that you dont spend all day waiting for it to create the biggest possible world it can. However, it is limited by the programs memory space, which is pretty huge but not infinite.\n\nSo lets say that you have a computer with 8 gigs of memory, which is a finite amount of memory. And you generate a minecraft world, this world will generate a small section at a time, but you play and play until you have created 8 gigs worth of world. This world might seem huge, and might seem to extend for ever, but thats just your brain being fooled, it is finite still. In fact it is exactly 8 gigs. If you attempted to expand the world further your machine would error (depending on how minecraft handles an out of memory exception, it might just keep running and have you hit a wall, idk i didnt write the program)\n\nthe issue here is that infinite has a very very specific meaning in computer science and mathematics and most people simply do not grasp it, or assume incorrectly that big = infinite",
"Well, for starters it isn't infinite, but it's basically infinite because you couldn't travel it in all your life.\n\nFrom Wikipedia: A 64-bit register can store 2^64 = 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 different values, a number in excess of 18 quintillion.\n\nWhich is a really big number.",
"Although as others have said the Minecraft world isnt actually infinite, there isnt actually anything stopping it from being in regards to the seed at least.\n\nA random seed is only the \"starting point\" for a random number generator, once you've started it you can get as many pseudo-random numbers as you want out of it.\n\nThe only limitation the 64 bit seed is that there are only 2^64 different possible sequences of those random numbers (and thus only 2^64 different possible minecraft worlds.)",
"its not infinite, its bounded by the hardware capabilities. The world has a rule based on the seed, this rule will generate new areas of the world as you attempt to explore them, this simply reduces the cost of starting a new world, so that you dont spend all day waiting for it to create the biggest possible world it can. However, it is limited by the programs memory space, which is pretty huge but not infinite.\n\nSo lets say that you have a computer with 8 gigs of memory, which is a finite amount of memory. And you generate a minecraft world, this world will generate a small section at a time, but you play and play until you have created 8 gigs worth of world. This world might seem huge, and might seem to extend for ever, but thats just your brain being fooled, it is finite still. In fact it is exactly 8 gigs. If you attempted to expand the world further your machine would error (depending on how minecraft handles an out of memory exception, it might just keep running and have you hit a wall, idk i didnt write the program)\n\nthe issue here is that infinite has a very very specific meaning in computer science and mathematics and most people simply do not grasp it, or assume incorrectly that big = infinite"
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1bevul
|
china's ghost cities
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1bevul/eli5_chinas_ghost_cities/
|
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"[23rd Aug 2012, from this subreddit](_URL_0_)\n\n[22nd May 2011, from TIL](_URL_1_)\n\nSame video in both",
"When I visited several years ago I asked the same question and got a somewhat satisfactory answer. Basically the Chinese Government has built these modern cities for business to operate in along with all the apartments and amenities needed to live in the city. The problem is no one wants to leave their families behind to pay to live in a city with no one they know. What ends up happening is people commute in to the cities to work during the day and then go home at night leaving the city empty. \n\nThat's how my \"Courrier\" explained the cities to me. I am sure there is someone here that knows more information. ",
"I don't really understand why these prices have been set so high. $300 000 AUD for an apartment in a country where the average annual salary is $6 000? Who is deciding that that's a reasonable asking price?\n\nIt's as though they are being kept deliberately empty, but for what reason?",
"Speculation: Preparation for if/when North Korea (China's ally) crumbles and millions and millions of refugees will need a new place to live?",
"Chinese people have very limited options for investment and saving. They can't move their money between provinces easily, nor can they invest overseas. Not only this, but (correct me if I'm wrong) I don't think that they have good interest rates (or any interest at all) on bank accounts.\n\nTherefore, investment in property is one of the few options left.\n\nAdditionally, this is pushed hard by the government because it grows GDP.",
"[This 60 Minutes segment may clear things up](_URL_0_)",
"The Chinese government realizes that a great way to spur economic growth is to invest in infrastructure. It also helps keep people employed, and in a country where unrest is the last thing the government wants, giving people jobs to do is a great way to mitigate this risk. A lot of times, however, contractors who are building these projects lose their permits or funding dries up. \n\nOn top of this, it is very difficult for your average Chinese citizen to invest their money overseas. However, what better way to invest your money than to purchase an apartment or two (even three)? After all, the broad understanding is that the value of real estate will only increase over time. A lot of Chinese citizens have done it this way, buying up to three or four apartments in which they have no desire to ever live in, but hold as an asset. ",
"Not sure if this is good for a five year old but tried to keep it simplistic. \n\nChina has very few markets for regular people to invest in other than the housing market. The regular people do however have lots of saved cash and are very afraid of inflation (their money will become weaker and they'll lose money in the banks) so they dont' want it all sitting in the bank. So this led to a huge investment of money into the housing market.\n\nWith this huge investment many people became VERY rich and powerful and grew to become very good freinds with government leaders. These leaders kept the housing market going and pretended not to see the housing bubble being created for a long time because everyone was making so much money. By the time they realized it was a problem it was too late and the bubble was too big to allow it to burst. \n\nTo solve this problem the government decided to slow down construction of houses, but they couldn't stop it completely or people might panic and collapse the bubble. Plus because the construction industry is so big, it helps many other industries grow as well and shutting down the construction industry would probably collapse many other markets int he country and many people would lose money and jobs. \n\nSo what can they do? They are already rebuilding many cities around the country but they needed more and fast. Why not try to recreate the success of ShenZhen! The little fishing village that was rebuilt as a giant mega city over night? What a great idea! But where? Why not in the middle of Inner Mongolia? Becuase it's a terrible location with nothing around it you say? Good point... but let's do it anyway! So they did, and there grew Ordos, the most famous of all ghost cities. It was beautiful, brand new state of the art stadiums, government buildings, five star hotels and more! It could house a million people and it was billed as one of the new up and coming cities that anyone who was intelligent must invest in, and invest they did! People bought the appartments all over the city, but they were mostly bought by people as second or third houses for investment, nto to live in. And those who did go to live there quickly found that the streets were empty and their neighbours non-existant.\n\nOrdos is the most famous of these towns but htey exist all over, often right in the middle of another city. Many people say it's Ok because houses retain their value! But unfortunately Chinese construction methods don't last very long and many of those beautiful appartments in Ordos and other places are already starting to crack. Others say it's OK because Chinese people aren't going into debt to buy these houses so it can't lead to a housing crash like the West's, and they are right, but that doesn't mean it's not dangerous as China has a great many problems in the country and one of the main thing it needs to become stable and self sufficient is to convince their people to spend more money and buy more things to keep their economy strong without the West. But it will be hard to convince they to spend more money when they are losing their life savings in a housing bubble. \n\nNow it's not all doom and gloom, the leaders and government members have come to realize just how dangerous this situation has become, they are now bringing in new laws and regulations to try and slow, and hopefully start reversing, the bubble but the rich are very powerful and have very good friends (Friendship is everything in China) and they finding ways to get around the laws through loopholes and corruption. The new leaders have promised to solve the problem and XiJinping is said to be working hard at it, so we'll see in the coming year or two if anything is actually done or if it's more empty promises while the rich flee to the West with their savings. \n\ntl;dr: No where else to put thier money, construction industry runs the country and has a lot of friends. Lastly building these cities gives lots of opportunity to pocket cash.\n\nEdit: spelling correction",
"My question is how does a bubble burst in a state-run economy? I understand that capitalism has taken root in China, but the government is still in control. So how does the bubble burst and what would the government's reaction be? Also, can/will the government take action to keep the free-market boom-bust cycle from occurring?",
"Kyle Bass described the Chinese economy as a bug in search of a windshield.\n",
"I forgot they were called \"ghost cities\" but here is a really interesting piece from 60 Minutes. _URL_0_\n\nFor those that can't watch the piece right now, basically, the jist of it is: (paraphrasing) \"They are owned by China's emerging middle class now has enough money to invest, but with few ways to do it. They're not allowed to invest abroad, banks offer paltry returns, and the stock market is a roller coaster.\" ... \"So what they do, is invest in property because property prices have always gone up by more than inflation.\".. \"So people in the middle class have sunk every last penny in buying 5 even 10 apartments, which fuels a building bonanza\"\n",
"upvote for periwinkle!",
"I wonder if it has anything to do with this comment by the Chinese General in 2005: \n \n\"if the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition on to the target zone on China's territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons,\" and that \"we [...] will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xi'an. Of course the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds ... of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese.\" (_URL_0_) ",
"I saw a \"ghost city\" going up in 2009 just outside of Suzhou (west of Shanghai). The whole area started with roads being built, then parks, and then buildings. Some of the roads ended abruptly where a building complex would be built in the near future. That's the way the Chinese government builds new districts - the whole thing at once. A few months after the buildings are completed, people start to move in and they are no longer \"ghost towns\". Some of my relatives and family friends moved into new districts outside of Beijing this way.\n\nSometimes the government gamble doesn't pay off (like Ordos) and the city remains empty. However, photos of Ordos on the internet are all pretty old - I wonder if it's been built up yet?"
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"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Chenghu#cite_note-2"
],
[]
] |
||
1ul3k8
|
how could a world without money function.
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1ul3k8/eli5_how_could_a_world_without_money_function/
|
{
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"text": [
"Barter system. You'd trade things for other things. ",
"As our economy is built? It couldn't. But you can actually see some examples for real: generally, a standardized currency falls out even when no money is imposed. For example, Diablo II had an entirely barter-based economy, but a few valuable and fungible (interchangable) items became effective currencies.",
"Basically everyone in this thread is wrong. Don't listen to them. There have been many, many different kinds of societies without money and they have functioned many, many different ways. \n\nBarter is a spot trade of one good for another. I give you chickens, you give me a cow, and we walk away. There has never been an example of a pre-monetary society which used barter for everyday transactions in either the historical or anthropological record. It simply has never existed and there's no evidence that money emerged from this non-existent system. Barter does not lead to money.\n\nIn fact, to the extent that barter exists at all, it seems to be what happens when people who are already used to dealing with money have no access to it—as happens in prisons or POW camps. For people who have never had money before, barter only really happens between strangers (because there's really no reason for spot trades between neighbors) and is often not really a separate economic activity. Rather, barter usually takes place amid feasting, dancing, fucking, and mock-warfare (that sometimes devolves into actual warfare). \n\nAs for how non-monetary societies actually *did* function, there's really quite a range. Many societies used a system of gift-giving. If you wanted something, all you had to do was praise it. Your neighbor would simply give it to you and it would be an unspoken understanding that you'd owe them one. Usually these kinds of systems were accompanied by a hierarchy of different kinds of stuff—a cow, a canoe, or a necklace might all be roughly equal to each other but not equal to a chicken.\n\nAnother common practice was to keep everything in a common storehouse to be distributed on the authority of the village assembly, a council of women, or even the state (in the case of the Incas, a state society with no money or market).\n\nIn the 1930's, during the Spanish Civil War, the anarchists attempted to remove money from their territories as much as they could, keeping in line with their communist ethics. They did have to interact with the outside world though, so they couldn't completely abolish money. They did, however, employ aspects of both of the above-described systems as well as a form of non-circulatory vouchers and labor notes. One cool thing they did was federate the gifting process upwards, having whole communes grant goods to communes which were less well-off.\n\nThere have been so many other ways that non-monetary societies have functioned that it would take an anthropologist to do it justice. [Here's a video of one](_URL_0_). [And in print](_URL_1_)."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZIINXhGDcs&t=16m18s",
"http://libcom.org/library/invention-money-notes-sex-adventure-monomaniacal-sociopathy-true-function-economics-davi"
]
] |
||
5t62ja
|
what are the main reasons for most of the worlds population (non british colonised countries) wanting to learn english?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5t62ja/eli5_what_are_the_main_reasons_for_most_of_the/
|
{
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"A good portion of the world's largest corporations are based in English speaking countries. A good portion of the world's scientific and medical research is written in English. A majority of the most popular movies that are released world wide, are released in English. No matter where you travel in the world, airlines, and large hotels will cater to you in English, and isn't hard to find someone on the street who speaks at least passible English. There are a lot of practical reasons to learn English.",
"I think what OP means how it become a global language. Not why people wanting to learn it today because thats pretty obvious (mentioned in other comments).\n\nMean reasons are that the British Empire expanded a large portion of the world. Basically they were everywhere. America for example, a lot of people migrated there and there were many languages. Eventually English became dominant and the main language (forced by a ban on other languages).\n\nSome parts of the world the British Empire was mainly there for trade and not many people settled. Like Asia the language did not stuck.\n",
"People yearn for poetry and literature - we consume stories and narratives avidly (think if only of the billions of value that Hollywood and TV and book publishers are worth).\n\nAnd thus it is natural that people will seek the richer sources of stories and narratives. English is one of the richest such seams of all - from Homer and Chaucer to Shakespeare - even to the modern day with JK Rowling and Jon Grisham.\n\nAnd thus learning English to access such treasures is indeed a viable and worth goal of many a person across the globe."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
2pn3g1
|
why does my apple iphone require that i have at least 4.5 gb of storage available in order to update?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2pn3g1/eli5_why_does_my_apple_iphone_require_that_i_have/
|
{
"a_id": [
"cmy7b74"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"The files you download in the update must be decompressed before being permanently installed. A 500 MB download could easily decompress into a couple of gigabytes or more."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
||
1rs82k
|
How do you calculate the amount of rocket fuel needed for a specific weight?
|
The problem that I am encountering is that the more fuel (liquid or solid) I end up needing more fuel to compensate for the pervious amount of fuel added. I know the velocity of exhaust and the ISP numbers for the fuels I am using.
|
askscience
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1rs82k/how_do_you_calculate_the_amount_of_rocket_fuel/
|
{
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"text": [
" > The problem that I am encountering is that the more fuel (liquid or solid) I end up needing more fuel to compensate for the pervious amount of fuel added.\n\nThat's because that's exactly how it is. I can't remember exactly what it's described as, but it's a well known problem with rockets. \n\nYou might be able to use the [Tsiolkovsky rocket equation](_URL_0_). The difference between m_0 and m_1 (m_0-m_1) would be the fuel mass.\n\nDisclaimer: Physics student here... I have touched on this before, but it is not my area of expertise.\n\nEDIT: By \"I can't remember exactly what it's described as\", I meant that it's so well known, it has its own description. Somehting something \"The tyranny of the rocket equation\" or something, I think."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsiolkovsky_rocket_equation"
]
] |
|
3iufyr
|
Why does hot water rapidly cool when poured into a glass that contains salt?
|
Because of a mouth injury i've had to use a salt water rinse. Recently, I forgot to stir the salt and water before gargling and as the water entered my mouth I noticed that the water near the bottom with the salt was much colder than the rest of the water. What sort of reaction is occurring to cool the hot tap water?
To clarify. I am pouring hot water into a glass that has a few spoonfuls of salt in it already and it seems like a temperature change happens immediately.
I know that salt lowers the freezing point and raises the boiling point of water but i'm very confused by this reaction happening at such a seemingly average temperature.
|
askscience
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/3iufyr/why_does_hot_water_rapidly_cool_when_poured_into/
|
{
"a_id": [
"cujus84"
],
"score": [
3
],
"text": [
"Enthalpy of dissolution is the energy required to dissolve something in a solvent. This energy is taken from the surroundings thus cooling the solution. \n\nThere is also a lattice energy iirc and this releases energy so there would be a sum."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
|
53pn4r
|
Did the British paratroopers use a different helmet than regular infantry during WWII?
|
I came across [this picture](_URL_1_) of British paratroopers in Arnhem during Operation Market Garden today, and I noticed that the helmets they're wearing are different from the ones I thought the Brits normally used during World War II. That is, [these ones](_URL_0_). Did the whole British army change the helmets they used, or was that just a paratrooper thing? If it was just the paratroops, why didn't the rest of the arym follow suit?
|
AskHistorians
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/53pn4r/did_the_british_paratroopers_use_a_different/
|
{
"a_id": [
"d7vs50v"
],
"score": [
2
],
"text": [
"British airborne forces did indeed use a different helmet design, starting with a small number of [\"P\" Type helmets] (_URL_2_) in 1942 followed by the \"[Helmet, Steel, Airborne Troops Mark I] (_URL_4_)\" and [Mark II] (_URL_0_).\n\n(Photos from ParaData, which has [a page on airborne headgear] (_URL_1_) including other examples such as the 'Flash Gordon' safety helmet used in training.)\n\nThe British helmets were similar in design to the [German M1938 paratroop helmet] (_URL_3_), in both cases cut-down brimless helmets better suited to parachuting than the more cumbersome standard infantry helmets. They didn't offer quite as much protection, though, particularly around the side and the back of the head, hence not being adopted army-wide."
]
}
|
[] |
[
"http://imgur.com/a/yhpaa",
"http://imgur.com/a/Z9JK6"
] |
[
[
"https://paradata.org.uk/media/50587?mediaSection=Photos&mediaItem=50595",
"https://paradata.org.uk/content/airborne-and-para-helmets",
"https://paradata.org.uk/media/50587?mediaSection=Photos&mediaItem=50592",
"http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30100775",
"https://paradata.org.uk/media/50587?mediaSection=Photos&mediaItem=50594"
]
] |
|
21cybr
|
At the beginning of WWI, why was the German army so much more professional/organized/effective than the French or English armies?
|
AskHistorians
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/21cybr/at_the_beginning_of_wwi_why_was_the_german_army/
|
{
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"text": [
"There's no denying the efficiency of the German mobilization which is likely what you're referring to. To understand this you have to understand the Schlieffen Plan. The Schlieffen Plan was the plan created out of necessity because of Germany's position in the early 20th century. They were essentially encircled. British blockades to the North, French to the West, and Russians to the East. Their only plan, or rather their best, in the event of war was a quick strike. According to Schlieffen the German army would have to mobilize and strike out France through Belgium within 900-950 hours (~40 days) before the Russians would be mobilized and attacking East Prussia -- the heartland of German and Prussian culture and nobility.\n\nThe speedy mobilization that was organized down to the 't' was born out of necessity, basically. They were on such a tight time frame that Schlieffen, who already had quite the eye for detail, planned said mobilization and attacks to the minute. This culminates in 1.6 million soldiers of the west army -- almost 1000 infantry battalions -- rolling across the Rhine River at the rate of 560 trains of 54 cars per day. Another form of the swiftness of the mobilization was the public support. Abysmally small numbers of men dodged conscription. I do not have precise numbers for the Germans in front of me but for the French the number was 1.2% of the 1914 conscripts failed to report for duty. That gives you an idea of what I mean by \"abysmally small\". It went so well that Chancellor von Bethmann Hollweg was allowed to shelve multiple plans to arrest unpatriotic dissenters, mostly Socialists. The Social Democrat Party, one of the major anti-war parties in Germany, even voted to give large amounts of funds to the mobilization effort.\n\nThis is a bit of a loaded question though. It tries to paint that the Germans were inherently superior to the French (who I'll be focusing on particularly) during the onset of the war which is patently false. The Germans fell into the same trap as the French, believing that infantry were the primary fighting force still. Charles Repington of *The Times of London* in October 1911 said after watching German military maneuvers that *\"No other modern army displays such profound contempt for the effect of modern fire.\"*^[1].\n\nAnother glaring area of neglect was modern communications. This is something I really want to emphasize here -- the Germans had nothing short of contempt for electronic communication. During their tenures and even during the war for the latter Schlieffen and Moltke alike were content to deliver orders manually via horseback. On the outset of the war the Germans only had a planned 40 telephone companies but most were still being created so their reserve of 21,000 carrier pigeons were used in their stead. Yes, on a modern battlefield.\n\nWhere the German success' come is not in an inherent German advantage but an inherent French disadvantage -- the cult of the offensive as it is commonly called. For example, in December 1913 regulations it said *\"The artillery does not prepare attacks, it supports them.\"*^[2] Less mobile artillery was thrown out for things like the 75mm rapid firing field gun which was used because it could keep up with rapid infantry maneuvers. I do not think I can stress enough about the French's war plan of offensive first before anything else. It was ingrained in their military doctrine and as we'll see later it costs them dearly. \n\nThis was born out of General Joffre's vow to never allow the French army to be encircled and destroyed as it was in the Franco-Prussian war just decades earlier which allowed the formation of Germany. *\"The French Army, returning to its traditions,\"* he wrote in the aforementioned regulations, *\"accepts no law in the conduct of operations other than the offensive.\"*^[3] Few officers appreciated the gravity of the situation that the 120 75mm guns in the French arsenal might get outmached in an all out offensive slugfest against the Germans armed with 108 77mm guns, 36 105mm guns, and 16 150mm guns.\n\nA few days after the declaration of war, the French attacked the city of Bonneau in the Alsace-Lorraine region -- their shared border with Germany. On the 9th of August the counter attack from the Germans commenced. The orderly, shoulder to shoulder advance quickly fell into absolute chaos. Fighting ensued in a heavily wooded vineyard and fighting was close quarters. Heat and exhaustion were primary combatants. Men were dropped off in roadside ditches. Men fought in building to building fighting and many companies fired off over 15,000 rounds blindly and friendly fire among the Germans and French alike was rampant. Night warfare was something very new but something that would become very prevalent in this upcoming war. \n\nThe Germans, who were unique in that they used their reserve troops on the front lines, sent their troops in against the French at the Rhone-Rhine Canal. The French unloaded on the Baden Landwehr (reserves/militia, basically) with machine guns. Retreating got so bad that Major Otto Teschner only stemmed the tide by threatening to shoot deserters on sight. From this point on the Germans would also face a familiar foe -- francs-tiereurs. Regular people with hunting rifles firing on the Germans from concealed positions, and it ravaged them. To the point where the Germans were going around burning down villages, executing civilians, and holding priests hostage.\n\nThe German early war was one plagued with incompetence. The Southern forces on the shared border with France and Germany near Alsace-Lorraine served one purpose -- defense. They were to hold the French in place while the Hammer swung down through Belgium and surrounded the French. That was their job. Well, Von Moltke the Younger would learn that the strategy of allowing a loose command structure became less plausible on the modern field with hundreds of thousands of men over a multiple hundred kilometer wide front. \n\nGeneral Krafft and Crown Prince Rupprecht, the leaders of the Southern forces, were insistent on taking matters into their own hands. They intentionally retreated onto German territory to goad the French into a pocket and try and encircle them. When it did not work they told the central command, *\"One either lets me do as I want or one gives me concrete orders\"* in regards to their request for a direct offensive into French territory. What's even worse is that not only did they do this with their own men, the campaigns in Belgium were going so well Von Moltke even diverted troops down to the Crown Prince to assist his offensive which would only bleed and distort the German plan even more. They would be later explicitly blamed with taking Bavarian noble interests over the interests of the German people as a whole and those accusations would not be far from the truth.\n\nTheir attack disintegrated into a mess almost immediately. Although they routed the French back to their defensive fortifications at Nancy, the attack was still a blunder of epic proportions. Low level guerrilla warfare by francs-tieruers dominated German morale. Hills and vineyards and hills and fallen trees became holes for marksmen to pick off hundreds of Germans. Paul Pouradier of the 58th RID infantry brigade describes the chaos: *\"The wagons bump each other and collide. Shafts splinter. Horses spook and collapse. Oaths and agitated cries ring out into the arkness. One artillery piece even falls into the stream alongside the road. Suddenly, shots rang out. Now, the disaster is complete. Whoever has a rifle or can lay their hands on one begins to shoot about wildly.\"*^[4] It took several hours to restore order.\n\nSo basically, the Germans weren't any more inherently organized or professional than the French. Sure they were drilled and marched in lockstep but at the end of the day everyone was taken by surprise by the devastation of the First World War. The French charged into artillery with their smaller, maneuverable cannons and cavalry thinking maneuver warfare was still the key and the Germans marched shoulder to shoulder in line formation into French machine guns at Morhang-Saar, Luneville, and the Siege of Liege. \n\nWere they more organized? Well that argument can certainly be made for the *mobilization and deployment*, in the execution and the combat itself I don't think that would be a fair generalization to make. Unfortunately, for both the Germans and your claim that they were 'more effective', when you plan everything down to the minute when anything goes awry things get thrown into quite the mess right away. Fortunately for the Germans, the French were even more disillusioned about warfare because of men like Joffre and also charged headfirst into artillery and machine guns and completely ignored the idea of a German invasion through Belgium until it was too late. \n\nBy the time the Germans had rolled over Belgium and were tearing apart Northern France and Joffre realized that the German attack would not be coming through the center it was too late and the French would be forced to retreat until they reached a collection of rivers that would empty into a larger river named the Marne where they would dig in, fortify, and beat the Germans back and send the war into what we now know as \"trench warfare\".\n\n**tl;dr:** \n\nThe reasons for German effectiveness in the war was the French insistent on maneuver warfare gave them a significant disadvantage in the artillery department which would come to dominate the war. Joffre's obsession with the cult of the offensive sent the French into unnecessary meatgrinders, weakening them with their already significantly lesser manpower reserves and perhaps most importantly the General Staff's refusal to take any action against the German advance in Belgium until it was far too late.\n\nThe German being more 'professional' and organized was born out of the Schlieffen and later Schlieffen-Moltke plan which called for a rapid defeat of the French combined with Schlieffen and Moltke's obsessive attention to detail. Other than that however I do think it's unfair to classify the Germans as somehow inherently more organized, professional, or efficient than the French. \n\nIt was the Germans who sent wave after wave of Landewr militia troops against French machine guns. It was the Germans, never the French or Belgians, who responded to defeat by burning entire villages and punishing guerrilla's by slaughtering and deporting thousands of French civilians and committed what is now known as the \"Rape of Belgium.\" (for very good reasons) They were not robots of professionalism. They were human beings just like you and me and they acted on emotion and fear and anger once the bullets started flying.\n\n--------\n\nNotes:\n\n[1] Hew Strachan, *The First World War*, p.239\n\n[2] Robert Doughty, *Pyrrhic Victory: French Strategy and Operations in the Great War* p. 27\n\n[3] *Ibid* p.26\n\n[4] Deuringer, *Die Schlact in Lothringen*, p. 544\n\nEverything else: Holger Herwig, *The Marne, 1914: The Opening of World War I and the Battle that Changed the World* and the aforementioned Robert Doughty, *The Pyrrhic Victory*.\n",
"The UK Ground forces were essentially an international police force used to maintain its position in its various empires. The UK at that time spent the vast majority of its time and effort on the Navy, as dominance of the seas was pretty much mandatory due to the size of the Empire.\n\nThe UK's main fighting force was the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) which was about 200,000 strong. This was arguably more professional, more organised and more effective that the German Conscript army. There is a famous story of the Germans believing they were up against machine gun fire at the Battle of Mons due to the intensity and accuracy of the British fire, however it was just very well trained men with bolt action .303s.\n\nThe problem was the BEF was that it was much smaller than the German force, and nearly wiped out in slowing the German armies advance to Paris.\n\nIts worth remembering that the UK was not accustomed to European land wars. They were more accustomed to watching the French and Prussians kick lumps out of each other and ally with who-ever looked like losing.\n\nSource: Hobsbawm's Age of Extreme's"
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[]
] |
||
305b40
|
how much do views from services like hulu and netflix count toward helping a show stay on air?
|
I would assume that Hulu helps more if not only since they have episodes of shows sometimes the day after airing. But I just wonder if me using Hulu instead of watching shows on television help support the show.
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/305b40/eli5_how_much_do_views_from_services_like_hulu/
|
{
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],
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3
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"text": [
"It doesn't really help at all.\n\nIn order for a show to stay on the air, it has to be profitable for the network that orders the show.\n\nSo, if there's a show called \"Americas Next Top Wizard\", produced by Sony, and aired on CBS, then CBS needs to make enough money through advertising revenue to order more episodes from Sony. If they can't get good advertising revenue, they won't order new episodes (that is, cancel it), and since Sony doesn't have a customer to purchase the show, they'll stop making it.\n\nIt really doesn't matter how many people watch it later on Netflix or Hulu."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[]
] |
|
4ypi0k
|
Why was Nestorianism so readily accepted by Churches in the East, yet rejected to the West?
|
The Council of Ephesus decreed Nestor's views to be heresy, is hardly died out. What appealed about Nestorianism in the East that was rejected elsewhere, or visa versa?
Additionally, why was the duality of Jesus advocated by Nestor so controversial as to eventually be deemed heresy in the first place?
|
AskHistorians
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4ypi0k/why_was_nestorianism_so_readily_accepted_by/
|
{
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"text": [
"This is a great, but really big question! I'll attempt an answer here, but with the understanding that the acceptance and rejection of Nestorianism goes along lines both theological and political. \n\nFirstly, some background for those unfamiliar. Nestorios was installed as Patriarch of Constantinople in 428 by the Emperor Theodosius II. He had previously lived as a monk and was a student of Theodore of Mopsuestia, one of the most famous Antiochene theologians. \n\nNestorios entered into a controversy that was already live by the time he got to Constantinople (Grillmeier, *Christ in the Christian Tradition*, Vol. 1, 451). The controversy was over whether it was appropriate to call Mary the θεοτόκος (*Theotokos*, 'God-bearer' or, less literally, 'Mother of God') or the χριστοτόκος (*Christotokos* or 'Christ-bearer'). This may seem like a distinction without a difference, but it was one that had major theological implications. For one, if Jesus Christ is fully God (as the Nicene Creed of 325 affirmed) and is a single person, then we must affirm that Mary is the Theotokos, or else we sacrifice either His divinity or unity of person. Nestorios isn't so interested in defending this - though he claims he affirms both Christ's divinity and that He is not two persons - but is rather more interested, like the Antiochenes in general, in defending the Middle Platonist conception of the impassibility of God (cf. O'Keefe, \"Impassible Suffering? Divine Passion and Fifth-Century Christology,\" *Theological Studies*, 58 (1997): 39-60). But Nestorios here makes a mistake, I think, in that he forgets that the ultimate subject in a rational being is the person, not the nature. So when he wants to protect the impassibility of the Logos *in His divinity* (a perfectly orthodox statement to which all parties involved in the Nestorian controversy would agree), He makes the divinity - the nature - the ultimate subject of attribution and thus constrains his own ability to speak about Christ as a single person who is both fully God and fully man. \n\nNow, Nestorios later says later in the *Book of Heraclides*, which he wrote after his exile in 431, that he never had any issue with the term *Theotokos*, but we know this is untrue as we have a sermon of his dating from 429-430 where he explicitly takes issue with the word (cf. Loofs, *Nestoriana*, Sermon 9). \n\n\nI think what appealed to the East and not the West with respect to Nestorianism is the sort of soteriology put forward by Nestorios. Donald Fairbairn in his *Grace and Christology in the Early Church* splits Christologies up into two camps: those who see Christ as the one who comes and saves us from the muck and mire of our sins and thus stresses the presence of God with us in the person of Jesus Christ; and a Christology that sees salvation as a work of human effort in which God assists and cooperates (p. 12). The more pessimistic theological anthropology is characteristic of Western soteriology. One only needs to do a cursory read of St. Augustine's writings to see a representative example. But the East tended to have a more positive theological anthropology. Man was not thought of as so damaged and thus was more capable of virtue, even salvific virtue (for an example, look to Gregory of Nyssa's *De Hominis Opificio*). \n\nWhat's all this got to do with Nestorianism? Nestorios' Christ, according to his critics (like John Cassian), at least, is one who merits his identity. The Logos knows beforehand how virtuous the human Christ will be and thus cooperates with him in order to achieve salvation (which, again according to Nestorios' critics, is primarily by way of example - and thus verges into Pelagianism)(cf. Nestorios' teacher, Theodore of Mopsuestia, *De Incarnatione* 7 for this teaching explicitly - cited in Fairbairn 181). The West had already rejected Pelagianism, in large part due to its theological anthropology, and so a Christology which lent itself to a Pelagian soteriology was already suspect. Rather, Cyril of Alexandria (Nestorios' most prominent Eastern opponent - for a good overview, cf. John McGuckin, *St. Cyril of Alexandria and the Christological Controversy* - and the Western Fathers (Leo, Cassian, etc) stressed the fullness of God's presence in the person of Christ and the impact the Incarnation had on human nature without any prior merit or virtue. If Nestorios could not say that Mary gave birth to the mother of God, could he say that God became man (as Athanasius) or that God died on the cross? If not, then his soteriology would be radically different from that espoused by both Eastern and Western fathers up to that point.\n\nSomeone else ought to field the political side of this question, but I know the Church of the East (often dubbed 'Nestorian' erroneously, as they are considerably more Theodorean than Nestorian) thrived in the Persian Empire if only for the fact that they were anti-Roman. \n",
"To clarify some of the political dynamics that /u/GregoireDeNarek didn't (in an otherwise excellent answer).\n\nFirstly, *all* theological debates in the 4th and 5th century interacted with both political activity within the church (theology was never apolitical), as well as access to and support from the Emperor and his court. \n\nFor the Nestorian controversy, this polarised in the first half of the period with the political rivalry between Antioch (with whose theology Nestorius was associated) and Alexandria (where Cyril was a dominating influence).\n\nIt's worth nothing two things about Cyril. (1) He wasn't a very nice guy. Cyril was, in my view (and not mine alone), a belligerent bully. He utilised Egyptian monks as a form of organised mob violence, and was a repeated source of problems. (2) Cyril's theology comes very close to the opposite problem of Nestorius'. Indeed, the language Cyril used strongly suggested the combination of the divine and human natures into a new single *nature*, a *tertium quid*, which view later came to be termed Monophysitism and was itself the cause of significant fracturing in the churches of the Eastern half of the empire, and led to both ongoing controversies and schismatic churches.\n\nAs for the 'Nestorian Church'. It's widely acknowledged that this is a misnomer. To understand the political dimensions of what happened to 'Nestorianism' as a movement after its rejection, we need to keep in mind a few other facts: (1) the 'Church of the East' existed as a fairly autonomous entity *outside* the (Roman) Empire, and given the extent of the Sassanid empire, and this Church's geographical and numerical success, they were perhaps rivals in number to the church within the Roman Empire. (2) The eastern 'border' of the Roman empire shifted, and those border territories were a mixing point between Greek-speaking Christianity, and Syriac Christianity. Syiac was the dominant language of the Church of the East. (3) theological controversies in the Greek-speaking churches (in the 4th and 5th century) turned heavily upon technical theological discussions reliant upon Greek philosophy and Greek terminology. Terminological distinctions that were vitally and fiercely contested in Greek, were often difficult to translate and explain in Syriac (and Latin, for that matter).\n\nSo, the ultimate rejection of Nestorianism displaced communities and believers who were adherent to this theology. And they tended to be on the eastern edges of the empire anyway. So they went further east and found a ready acceptance in the Church of the East.\n\nThe Church of the East's own history is complicated by the fact that the Persians, in their various incarnations, were locked in a dualistic political struggle against the Roman empire that ebbed and flowed. The ascendancy of Christianity within the R. Empire caused Christians within the Sassanid territory to face greater opposition. \n\nThe perception and labelling of the CotE as 'Nestorian' is misguided because it presumes that the influx of Nestorian christians theologically determined the CotE. But, it's more accurate to understand that the CotE existed as an independent church with a long history of its own, which although it subscribed to Nicaea, didn't feel compelled to accept Ephesus in 451, and welcomed Nestorian believers as compatible with their own tradition.\n\n5th century stuff isn't my forte (4th cent. is), but I have a educated interest in CotE stuff and de-stabilising the very Greco-Roman centric version of church history that is the prevalent narrative."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[]
] |
|
5q5bj1
|
What was Nazi Art and Architecture like in the 1930's?
|
How did the totalitarian state manifest itself in the art and architecture of the period? I hear a lot about Nazi's collecting and hoarding art but I rarely hear about the art they actually produced
|
AskHistorians
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5q5bj1/what_was_nazi_art_and_architecture_like_in_the/
|
{
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"dcwm8ll"
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"score": [
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"text": [
"Architecture was an important part of the representation, with a goal to impress by ever larger plans, most of which never saw fruition due to the start of the war.\n\nHitler was especially interested in architecture and formed a close bond with Albert Speer (who would later become a cabinet member in charge of coordinating the war effort), who would design buildings in a classicist style with a dash of Renaissance whose impressions of monumental size would often be amplified by very muted, almost nonexistent, decoration of the facades. Prime examples of finished buildings can be found by googling for the Neue Reichskanzlei (New Reich Chancellory) or the (partly finished) Reichsparteitagsgelände (Party Rally Grounds). Plans for the \"Welthauptstadt Germania\" (World Capital Germania), fundamentally transforming Berlin, never went out of the planning stages; one of the few remains is a massive concrete Cylinder designed to test in situ the stability of the ground and its feasibility for monumental buildings.\n\nArchitecture was also used to represent Germany and its new political direction on the international stage. Most famous is probably the German pavilion at the World Fair 1937 in Paris (see [here](_URL_0_) to the left and [here](_URL_2_)), especially considering the striking contrast to the Weimar-era German pavilion of 1929 (see pictures of a reconstruction [here](_URL_1_) and [here](_URL_3_)).\n\nThere is ample literature available, especially about the buildings and plans designed by Speer. I'm not sure I can suggest anything in particular, but if you have a large library close by, it's probably worth a try just hitting their catalog for photobooks or heavily illustrated books on the topics of Albert Speer, any of the buildings named above, or Nazi architecture in general.\n\nI'll leave the question of other art for other people to answer who are more knowledgeable than me. I will simply point out that the favored style of sculpturing likewise followed a classically-inspired style. You can see a couple of examples in the picture of the pavilion above. Searching for works produced by Arno Breker between the mid-1930ies and 1945 will give you a rough idea."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[
"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/La_Tour_Eiffel_en_1937_contrast.png",
"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Barcelona_mies_v_d_rohe_pavillon_weltausstellung1999_03.jpg",
"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Paris-expo-1937-pavillon_de_l%27Allemagne-02.jpg",
"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Pavell%C3%B3_Mies_20.JPG"
]
] |
|
4qo68j
|
it's so dark near pluto, how was new horizons able to take a picture?
|
I'm totally serious. How could it have been a long exposure when it was moving so quickly?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/4qo68j/eli5_its_so_dark_near_pluto_how_was_new_horizons/
|
{
"a_id": [
"d4ujtgd"
],
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13
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"text": [
"Believe it or not, it's not actually that dark near Pluto. The sunlight is very weak compared to what we are used to, but in terms of brightness it's around 250 times brighter than a full moon on earth. \n \nCheck out [This Article](_URL_0_) for a run down of the basic maths involved."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[
"http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/03/15/bafact-math-how-bright-is-the-sun-from-pluto/#.V3WSSvkrLIU"
]
] |
|
5x22up
|
Had a question in Physics class; I got one answer, teacher got another. Can someone explain where I am wrong?
|
askscience
|
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/5x22up/had_a_question_in_physics_class_i_got_one_answer/
|
{
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"text": [
"You are correct.\n\nTo see this, consider the following thought experiment. Someone is standing on the riverside and as soon as the boat pass him, he throws a small rubber duck into the river right next to the boat. The river will take the rubber duck with it at the speed it is flowing.\n\n1 second later, where is the rubber duck and where is the boat? The boat is going 2 m/s north relative to the duck-throwing-observer, so it will be 2 meters further north than the observer is. The duck is flowing with the river, at 4 m/s south relative to the observer. So after 1 second, it is 4 meters further south than the observer.\n\nThat means that the distance between the boat and the duck is 6 meters. This distance was created in a period of 1 second, so the boat and duck are drifting apart with a speed of 6 m/s and you can say that the speed of the duck (or river) relative to the boat is 6 m/s, to the south.\n\n(edit: This only works when velocities are low, once boat and/or river attain velocities that are non-negligible compared to the speed of light, things get considerably more complicated)",
"You can put it very simply using just the first postulate. The boat travels at 6m/s relative to the water so the water moves at -6m/s relative to the boat.\n\nImagine you turned the engine off and just drifted. The water would be still relative to the boat. Then you start moving and you have 6m/s motion relative to the water. It is immaterial what the land is doing meanwhile.",
"Physics student here: The correct answer is 6 m/s south.\n\nthere's two examples that helped me think about your question:\na) Imagine the river to be a conveyor belt in a factory. if you put a car on the belt without turning the motor on, the car would stand still relative to the belt. if the car moved in any direction (with or against the belts direction) it would move with his speed (in your example: 6 m/s). You should completely ignore the perspective from someone who stands on the land, because the question asks about the relative speed between the boat (in my example: car) and the river (in my example: conveyor belt).\n\nb) imagine the river gets replaced with the earth on the equator, moving at some 500 m/s east. if you drive west with a car at 6 m/s, you are still moving at 6 m/s west relative to the earth.\n\nI'm quite shocked that your teacher wouldn't know this..."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
1ty8lw
|
Are battle depictions of one or two extremely skilled swordsmen that kill dozens of men, while thousands of poorly trained infantrymen that usually die true?
|
There are scenes and descriptions of battle, usually during medieval times and before, where there is one very skilled ~~swordsman~~ or fighter (that never dies or is very hard to kill) that slays dozens of men, while the rest of his comrades easily fall dead. Is this accurate?
Edit: Doesn't have to be swordsmen, but any soldier yielding any common weapon of the day, that the opponent yields as well, that mows through others.
|
AskHistorians
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1ty8lw/are_battle_depictions_of_one_or_two_extremely/
|
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"text": [
"The most important things to remember about battles is that if you're alone you're dead. Skill definitely plays a role, but so does morale, equipment and luck. The last two I think are most important - a good armour allows one to face many opponents and deal with them. And will save you when a bunch of people start hitting you at the same time. \n\nRober De Clary describes such an event in his account on the fall of Constantinople. There one of the crusader ships manages to latch on a tower and assault it. The first person over the wall is a venetian man who is quickly slaughtered by the defending Greeks. The second person however is a well armed knight. The Greeks bring him to the ground and shower him with blows. Our fella being well protected by his shield and helm manages to get up and drive the defenders away. \nOn the other hand - if you are overwhelmed and cannot make a good use of your armour and skill you get killed. Examples are the Battle of Odrin from 1204, where the Latin emperor Baldwin managed to get separated from his main forces and overwhelmed by the forces of Ioannis of Bulgaria. \n\nIt seems that the overall skill and resolve of the army is way more important. For example in the battle of Philipoppolis in 1207 the Latins managed to defeat the Bulgarian army that outnumbered them vastly. The battle of Azincourt is a famous example of what happens when you cannot make a good use of the situation - the french knights got so bunched up that they could barely fight effectively and managed to get slaughtered by the English... ",
"There is the tale of a single Norse warrior at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066 who stood alone on a bridge across the river and defended it against the entire Saxon force. \n\nThe bridge was narrow so one imagines only one Saxon could fight him at any time. Some sources claim he killed 40 Saxons before one enterprising warrior floated underneath and dispatched him with a spear rammed up through his groin. \n\nThis story is mentioned only in Scandinavian sources, and not in the English and may be more legend than fact. But it is possible that it is based in truth.",
"A lot of this is going back to earlier ideals of heroic combat. Whether or not it actually ever existed in practice, the idea of picked individuals battling for the honor of their respective armies/kings/states what have you was very much remembered. So even though Medieval warfare is really a team sport, being about 90% raiding and besieging strongpoints, 10% fighting in close formations, you still see picked champions dueling each other before the start of battles as late as the High Middle Ages.\n\nThen you have the whole other issue of some men seemingly being more able to kill at will. It's quite muddled up - a fellow named S.L.A. Marshall did a study on it, interviewing combat veterans in WWII and Korea, but he kept no documentation and his findings can't be confirmed. The study reports that only about 15% of any body of (modern) fighting men actively try to kill their enemies, but this is very disputed, as we're basically relying on the (deceased) author's word.",
"Skill and armor can only get you so far. An army depends on the cohesion of its units and their resolve. A single highly skilled warrior could do well in battle if he fights with a strong and well-organized army at his side. Battles are chaos, it's impossible to cover every angle and depending on the location in which you are fighting it could be very easy to lose you footing. A could example of this was during the 100 year war between France and England when the long bow was first introduced. The French got slaughtered partially because of the superiority of the long bow over the French crossbow but also due to the muddy terrain that tripped the soldiers and made it difficult to reload. However take a case like the battle off Thermopylae where you have a bottleneck situation and it one with skill could definitely shine ( perhaps the Thermopylae is a bad example considering the Greeks were slaughtered but in a case where the armies are more evenly sized such a situation could potentially allow for such heroics).\n\n",
"I asked a [similar question recently here](_URL_0_) concerning martial skill in combat; I do not wish to hamper further discussion, but I wanted to share some of the excellent answers already received."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[],
[],
[
"http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1st3ii/historically_how_much_did_martial_skill_in_combat/"
]
] |
|
2n653u
|
why do i never have to poop when i'm on vacation or camping, but as soon as i come home, i'm taking the biggest shit of my life within minutes?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2n653u/eli5_why_do_i_never_have_to_poop_when_im_on/
|
{
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"text": [
"I'm no poop expert but I think it's a territorial thing. Think about our evolutionary ancestors. They were comfortable and safe pooping in familiar territory. If they were on a hunt for a Wooly Mammoth or something, the act of pooping would put them in a vulnerable position.",
"I have never had this happen to me. I guess I just poop where I want",
"You're not alone, my friend. I'm really regular at home, but as soon as I step over the border to another country, BAM, backed up. \n\nIt's an actual thing, though, just google \"safe-toilet syndrome\":\n\n1. Your body is missing the comfort and the privacy of the toilet at home\n2. You're probably drinking less since you're on the move and know that you won't be able to find a toilet every hour when you're for example on a city trip\n3. You're probably eating different stuff your insides are not used to, maybe less fibre, too\n\nTake all these things together, aaand there you go (not).",
"HSA - Home Shitter Advantage. It's an inherited survival trait. ",
"Id imagine being at home has a lot of \"triggers\" that lead to your body saying this is an OK time to poop. Kind of like as soon as you get in the shower your body seems to think its time to pee?\n\nPersonally, I have to poop before I go anywhere for an extended duration, and as soon as I am back. But anywhere inbetween? Never have to poop (or even feel the urge)",
"Oh, this is the worst :( In the beginning of a new relationship I spent 5 days at her house (long distance relationship). I went poop camel. Vacation with my friends for a week? Poop camel. Pooping in peace is a beautiful thing. ",
"I don't trust people who poop in public. Just smacks of poor planning.",
"One factor: Change is stressful, and stress will cause a sympathetic response in your autonomic nervous system, which will inhibit your gastric motility. When you get home, you can finally relax. Most people know that sympathetic stimulation = fight or flight, but they forget that parasympathetic stimulation = rest and digest.",
"Vet student here.\n\nThis phenomenon has to do the activation of the sympathetic nervous system.\n\nWhen you're in a new place, with different/new people, even if the environment is supposed to be relaxing, you're a little more physiologically on-edge. Your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) is running a little higher than normal.\n\nIn order to get that poop out, your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) needs to get cranking. But for your parasympathetic nervous system to ramp up, you need to calm down. As soon as you get home, back into familiar surroundings with familiar people, your parasympathetic nervous system turns on, and you drop the kids off at the pool.\n\nIf you're on vacation for a looong time, you might even turn a corner, get used to the people you're with and the new environment, and be able to let your guard down enough to have that poop.",
"In high school I went on an ROTC weekend field training. Last shit I tooks was on a thursday night. Then next one was the following sunday night. I chalk it up to youth and health. Something like that would kill me now. \n \nI noticed new muscles emerge on my forehead and browline . Must have coincided with one of those critical periods of teen years when hormones kick in to overdrive. "
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
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[],
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[],
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||
2qyjw0
|
how can people lose consciousness when a cabin or area depressurizes? can't you hold your breath for several minutes if you need to?
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2qyjw0/eli5_how_can_people_lose_consciousness_when_a/
|
{
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"text": [
"If you hold your (pressurized) breath in a rapid depressurization, you may get an air embolism and die. Basically, the air in your lungs rapidly expands and tears your lungs and the air escaping through the tears can kill you. Unconsciousness due to low oxygen takes longer to kill you. If you don't hold your breath, the expanding air will be exhaled, no problem. But in any case depressurization may happen so fast you don't have time to think about holding your breath. \n\nI think you also have another problem. Please correct me if I'm wrong. But air gets into tissues via diffusion. The higher partial pressure of oxygen in your blood as compared to in your tissues causes oxygen to move into your tissues. But if depressurized, the partial pressure of oxygen in your blood is low and you can't get enough into your tissues, whether you hold your breath or not. That's not really an EL5 answer, though. Think of it this way: suppose you want to make your towel wet. You put it in a puddle and the towel gets wetter. But what if the towel is very wet already and instead of a puddle, you have a dry surface. If you put the towel there, the towel doesn't get wetter, it gets drier, and the dry surface gets wetter because the towel leaks water onto it. The same is true of your blood and tissues and oxygen. If your tissues have more oxygen than your blood, then the blood can't give your tissues oxygen.",
"You can hold your breath in normal air pressure, but not really in low pressure environments.",
"Most people cant hold their breaths for several minutes. \n\nThe consciousness is lost because there is so much less oxygen at altitude. So much less so that you pass out in a few seconds. "
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[],
[]
] |
||
yv67d
|
what is light, wavelengths, and how do we see colour?
|
I come from Norway and I am currently studying psychology. I've never taken biology before (we could choose subjects in high school) and I just discovered one of the books we are supposed to read (Vision and art: the biology of seeing), is in *English* and full of biology I have trouble with understanding. And if you are really smart and don't have much to do, you could also explain to me how the eye works.
|
explainlikeimfive
|
http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/yv67d/what_is_light_wavelengths_and_how_do_we_see_colour/
|
{
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"text": [
"The eye contains cells called \"rods\" and \"cones\" that sense certain wavelengths of light. The brain interprets those signals as color, depending on the wavelength determines what color you see...\n\nAn interesting thing is the colors Pink/Maroon in that area don't actually exist in nature. they are a combination of multiple wavelengths that your brain interprets as pink/maroon. if you look at a rainbow/prism you will see there is no pink....",
"Light is basically a packet of energy in the form of vibrating particles, not dissimilar to sound waves. It can oscillate at different frequencies however, which are inversely proportional (if one increases, the other decreases and vice versa) to wavelengths. The wavelength is how far along the wave travels in one oscillation. The light hits the eye and the different frequencies are converted to electrical signals which the brain interprets into an image.\n\nThis is a pretty rough explanation but I'm happy (to try ) to go into more detail if you need."
]
}
|
[] |
[] |
[
[],
[]
] |
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