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[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "So, the universe is ever expanding. Does that also mean that the distance between our planets in our solar system will also slowly drift apart?\n\n(I'm not exactly sure what to put in here that would have any relevance. Sorry.)"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The answer is no. That's because the rate of expansion is too small to affect such closely gravitationally bound objects. The expansion can have an effect on the maximum size of a galaxy, but for a solar system the effect is way too small.\n\nHere are some numbers. Hubble's law for the expansion is that v=d*H. v being the velocity the two objects are moving away from one another, d their separation, and H Hubble's constant. H is ~70 km/s/Mpc (Mpc = Megaparsec = 3.26 million light years). The Earth is about 93 million miles from the Sun, that's only 4.85x10^-12 Mpc. Using Hubble's law that gives a velocity of ~1.2x10^-6 km/h = 1.2 mm/h. And that's if expansion of the universe is the only factor. Which it isn't. This expansion is dwarfed by the gravitational attraction."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: Where did our time keeping system come from? How did it become so popular?\n\nFrom which Civilization does the idea of having 24 hours a day, and 60 minutes in an hour come from? How did it become the global standard for time keeping? What were some alternatives that were used before?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The Egyptians divided the day in 24 parts, allegedly because they used a numerical system that used 12 as a base (Egyptians used to count joints on each finger with their thumb, so they could count to twelve using one hand). Also, they used a set of 36 stars, 12 which were only visible in complete darkness.\n\nGreek astronomers used different influences from different cultures. Whereas the 24-hours division of the day came from Egyptians, the Greeks used techniques from the Babylonians, who had a sexagesimal system (a numerical system with the base of 60). \n\nHipparchus later divided the map of the world in sections of 360 degrees. Ptolemy (Claudius) would later expand on his work and divided each degree in 60 parts (partes minutae primae, or first minute) and each of these parts in 60 more parts (partes minutae secondae), or second minute, or second. It was not until the 16th century that this system was introduced in actual time-keeping."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[ELI5] What is whole grain?\n\nWhat is whole grain and what does it mean?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "When most companies make bread flour, they usually use just one small part of the wheat grain, called the endosperm, because that makes bread feel softer and look whiter. \"Whole grain\" means they use most of the rest of the wheat grain (not just the endosperm, but the germ and the bran, too), so you get more nutrients and fiber."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "CMV: European countries shouldnt have any obligation to invite refugees\n\n1. US and Russia dont participate in this \"humanitarian\" campaign even though their doings in Syria are the main cause of the ongoing war. So why should EU be the one to invite refugees?\n\n2. Refugees draw in terrorists. Now, I dont mean that they ARE terrorists. The problem is that every country which houses refugees gets targeted by ISIS. Thats because ISIS wants to increase the already high tension between European citizens and refugees. But whatever the cause, the equation still stands true: where there are refugees, there are terrorist acts.\n\n3. Refugees are no longer good for the economy. They used to be, for a brief while, due to aging society in e.g. Germany. But now they're just straining the social system that is already in a pretty bad state (e.g. in Poland)\n\nNow, I know of the whole humanitarian rhetoric of helping people whose country is getting torn apart by war. But I also know that every single person who says \"Refugees welcome!\", would be deathly afraid of terrorist attacks if a large number of refugees lived in their city.\n\nHence why its hard for me not to see people that are very welcoming of refugees as hypocrites or just plain ignorant.\n\nI'd like to note that Im actually left wing in terms of political and social views (free healthcare, equality, tolerance of other sexualities etc.), but the refugees are the one issue in which I support the stance of right wing parties."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "They have an obligation because they played a major part in destablising these areas. France, Germany, Britian, and the Netherlands especially played massive roles throughout Africa and the Middle East in what is one of the biggest causes of the destablisation. \n\nAlso, nearly every terror attack that has occured in Europe or in Britian has been done by a second generation legal immigrant (not refugee as of yet). That means their whole life they were brought up in their country of residence and were born there."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Belief in Hell is incompatible with that of an all-loving God. CMV.\n\nI believe this because I cannot conceive of any act or crime that would warrant eternal torture. I believe that the idea of a physical place where a human being/soul experiences *infinite pain* is the most horrifying concept imaginable. I do not believe that you can defend the omnibenevolence of a God who would consider this a just punishment in any case. \n\nEDIT: Since many people have offered the argument that Hell is not a physical place, I should clarify that for the sake of this argument we are assuming that it is. \n\nEDIT 2: Thanks for all the comments :) I'm glad that of all the colourful definitions of Hell, the idea of a physical place is not widely-accepted. I was simply curious when I posed the question whether anyone supported this view and felt they could justify it."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It should be noted that no one has to go to hell. Christian teaching states everyone can go to heaven if they truly repent before God. Only those who refuse to do so, and ergo want to go to hell, go there.\n\nIt is also not a place of eternal torture. That belief is severely outdated amongst the modern church. It is simply a state of being meaning a complete separation from God."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "CMV: Economics is a failed science\n\n**Science** is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.\n\n**Economics** is the social science that studies how people interact with value; in particular, the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.\n\nI contend that whilst Keynesian and the Chicago school had some enlightening value during the 20th century, recent macroeconomics have \n\n1. had no predictive value in this century\n2. failed to provide any useful post-mortem analyses of financial crises\n3. created no concrete tools to ensure economic stability\n\nand thus have failed as a science. \n\nThe strongest support for this position is economists' continued conviction that quantitative easing, low interest rates and helicopter money will stimulate growth and provide an ideal inflation of \\~2%. This has been consistently proven false for nigh-on two decades and yet they continue to prescribe the same medecine. Einstein once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result; QED.\n\nI believe that the explanation is that 20th-century economics worked fairly well when limited to a single country or culture but are no longer applicable in a globalised world. The free-market has severely constrained governments' ability to control the flow of goods and exchange rates, resulting in a system that borders on the chaotic. Perhaps the only economist who has tried to address this is Wallerstein, unfortunately his World-Systems theory asks many questions but provides few answers.\n\nThus, current macroecomics and the economists that preach them have no further value."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It’s seems to me you are only saying that the current theory of economics which you present is failing, rather than the actual science of it. Just because astronomers got the sun and planets revolve around the earth theory wrong doesn’t mean that the science of astronomy is fundamentally wrong. \n \nEvery single field of science is a work in progress, and by definition is a trial and error (experimental) process. Same thing applies to the science of economics."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: How does a router decide what inbound packets should be routed to which machine?\n\nWell, let's assume Alice and Bob are both browsing the Internet on devices connected to the same router within the local network and they are both communication with the same external server. (I don't know if that matters, but the router can't distinguish traffic based on server's IP in this case.) How does the router know what inbound packets should be delivered to which machine?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "By port number. When the router rewrites the source IP address, it also assigns a random port number (and remembers it). When the packets come back, they're addressed to the the port the router assigned so the router can then look up which device on its network it used that port for."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What is Gravitational Wave and why is it so important?\n\nI am curious, not scientist... And my mind tries to conceive the idea of empty space being fabric that ripples like water. Anyhow, what is it? What would it mean if it is proven to exist?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Gravitational waves are a prediction of Einstein's theory of gravitation, called general relativity. In a gravitational waves, space gets distorted in a particular pattern (a circle would deform into an ellipse, alternately elongated horizontally and compressed vertically and then compressed horizontally and elongated vertically).\n\nThere have been indirect measurements to confirm their existence, but a direct measurement would be significant for several reasons:\n\n(1) We would get explicit confirmation of a key aspect of general relativity. \n\n(2) The kinds of events that produce sufficiently large gravitational waves are dramatic things -- black holes or neutron stars merging or colliding, for example. We would be able to test general relativity and how it works in these situations.\n\n(3) Probably more important, the ability to detect gravitational waves opens up a new means of observing the universe. For example, how often do black hole mergers occur? Historically, new means of observing the universe have enabled us to find new phenomena that we had not anticipated and to give us new ways to examine previously known phenomena.\n\nStay tuned -- there is an official announcement at 10:30am EST (15:30GMT) on 11 February, at which point we will all know whether the rumors are true that gravitational waves have been observed and, if so, exactly what has been seen."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Eli5, How was number e discovered?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Jacob Bernoulli was thinking how much money ultimately could be made from compound interest. He figured that if you put $1 in a deposit with 100% interest per year then you would get $2 in a year. Now if you put $1 in a deposit with 50% interest per 6 months and then reinvest it in 6 months in the same way, then at the end of the year you would get not $2 but $2.25 back, despite the fact that the interest rate is “the same” (50% times two equals 100%). Now if you keep dividing the interest periods in smaller and smaller units and reinvesting every time, you would be getting higher and higher returns. It turns out that making the interest payment continuous (that is, if the money gets reinvested constantly), $1 would become approximately $2.72 in a year, that is, the number e."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[A Song of Ice and Fire] Who is the majority stakeholder of the Iron Bank of Braavos?\n\nSo the Iron Bank has some serious cash to throw around, and it's an institution that will exist long after the people who currently run it die, but surely there must be somebody who has the final say in decisions?\n\nWho has the most share in the wealth of the Iron Bank, and who would be most affected if it were to shut down?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Members of the Bravosi Elite. There are thousands of keyholders in Bravos who own some share technically but most of them inherited that right and don't have controlling say. There is an actual \"board\" of sorts that is not publicly known made up of the major contributors who don't even necessarily count as keyholders (don't wear an iron key around there neck even) but who actual make the decisions and own most of the Bank's wealth. \n\nThey would suffer the most if the Bank were somehow to fall but the chances of that are incredibly small, the Iron bank is one of the strongest most robust organizations on Planetos."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Given how cold the outer Solar System (planets and satellites beyond Jupiter) is, how is it possible for Enceladus to have liquid water oceans? Shouldn't they be frigid ice instead?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Gravity from Jupiter and Saturn could cause flexing in the mantle, generating heat and allowing a zone that could keep water liquid. \n\nInternal composition of the cores of the planets could also contribute heat."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What's the fastest \"big\" thing in the universe?\n\nSomething on astronomical level, like a comet, planet, star, etc\n\nSomewhere I've read there are stars orbiting the center of our galaxy at about 1% speed of light. Is that true and is there anything faster?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The fastest moving macroscopic object that we know of, in some reasonable reference frame, is the S-2 star orbiting the supermassive black hole at the galactic centre. It can reach 2% the speed of light at the closest part of its orbit."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "CMV: it is entirely acceptable to discriminate on grounds of ideology.\n\nIn another CMV i was discussing with someone about the difference between discriminating against a racist and a homosexual, their point was that both were examples of discriminating against behaviours that people don't like, my retort was that one was an ideology and the other was a state of being and weren't comparable.\n\nHowever, this set a ball rolling in my head; if it's OK to discriminate against a racist and racism is an ideology should it be OK to discriminate against any ideology? This was troubling, I consider myself a liberal, I don't think discrimination is to be encouraged but logically I believe I should be able to discriminate against anyone I disagree with. If I was an employer and a job applicant came in who voted for a different party than me or had different social values, would it be OK for me to discriminate against them on those grounds. Real world examples would be discriminating against someone wearing a MAGA hat for example.\n\nSo, is discriminating against an ideology ok or do I need a better explanation for why it's OK to discriminate against a racist?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I feel like you are dancing around the idea of the paradox of tolerance. \n\nWe want to tolerate everything, but if we tolerate intolerance, then society overall becomes intolerant, which is the opposite. \n\nThe solution to this problem, is to tolerate everything, except intolerance. You don't have clearance to discriminate any ideology you don't happen to personally like or support, but only have clearance to discriminate against intolerant beliefs: sexist, racist, homophobic, etc. \n\nDon't discriminate based on ideology in general, only discriminate against intolerance."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: How are movies dubbed into a second language while maintaining other background audio?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The background audio and voice audio are separate tracks. They are laid over each other to create the illusion of a single track. For other languages, the native voice track is removed and the second language added over the background track."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: Why do magnets \"die\" after a while of being used?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Imagine the atoms in a magnet as little arrows. When manufacturing magnets, all of the arrows are arranged In one direction. This is done because it makes the arrows useful.\n\n⬅️⬅️\n\n⬅️⬅️\n\n\nThese arrows don't like to all go in the same, linear direction. This is because they don't like their tips touching, or even getting near each other. As you can see, when they are all going in one direction, the arrow tips are very close the ones above. The arrows don't like this, and only want to be near the end of another arrow. This makes the arrows unhappy, so they become unstable and want to move.\n\n When the arrows are in a position they enjoy, they become happy. When they are happy they are stable and don't want to move.\n\n↙️ ↖️\n\n↘️↗️\n\nBecause the arrows are so closely packed it is hard for them to rearrange in a way that makes them happy. \nOne thing that makes this easier is when they are hot. This gives the arrows the energy and wiggle room they need to point at something they like."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: The difference between deductive reasoning and making inferences?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Nothing. Deductive logic involves starting with a set of premises/axioms/assumptions and then, using logical *rules of inference* deriving a conclusion from those starting points such that, if those premises are true, the conclusion is necessarily true."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: why does your mouth water before you throw up?\n\nI recently had food poisoning, and every time I threw up, I had the obvious I'm-about-to-throw-up-and-I-know-it feeling, my mouth started to water an extreme amount about a minute before I threw up. It was an easy giveaway to get to the trash can, but why does it happen?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The stomach acid that is about to pass through your mouth could damage your teeth. Your body knows it's about to throw up. So in order to protect your teeth, your mouth produces some saliva to help protect your teeth. It will help dilute the acid, and cover your teeth to make sure the acid doesn't stick to it."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Is there any recorded evidence of ancient Indian philosophers interacting with the pre-Socratic Greek and Italian philosophers?\n\nHi! I am from India and I started reading Anthony Kenny's The New History of Western Philosophy. I am reading about the pre-Socratic philosophers as of now and it seems that a few things are very similar to what we have in Indian mythology and philosophy. Like, the concept of atomism in Indian philosophy predates Democritus' atomism. Similarly, Pythagoras' theory of metempsychosis sounds similar to the idea of reincarnation of soul that we have in Hinduism. I know that it's entirely possible that two different civilizations might have come up with these ideas on their own but do we have any recorded evidence where the philosophers of these civilizations ever interacted with each other?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "> do we have any recorded evidence where the philosophers of these civilizations ever interacted with each other?\n\nNope. The earliest record of such contact comes with the expeditions of Alexander the Great, some time later than the period you're asking about -- and the details of even this record are sketchy enough that scholars are divided on its significance.\n\nThis isn't to say that there wasn't contact, of course. But assertions of such contact remain speculative."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[40k] If Big E was around for millennia, why did he allow mankind to follow such meek spiritual figures as Jesus, Buddha, etc? Not to mention idiotic political leaders."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "We don't actually know with certainty that he was around for that long, all we know for certain is that he ended the age of strife by unifying earth and pascifying Mars. There are theories however that he *was* all those people. Of note is that they existed sequentially in different(-ish) parts of the world. His disapproval of religion would be a result of seeing what men will do with the power of religion in the absence of his direct guidance.\n\nThere is another theory that he preferred to lead from the shadows, ancillary to power but never in direct control; an apostle but not Christ himself. This could explain why he s not mentioned at all, no stories of a magnificent psyker saving people during the age of strife or during the dark age of technology.\n\nAnd of course it's possible he was a perpetual but didn't have his immense psychic powers until he made a deal with the chaos gods sometime before records begin. He would have been northing more than a man who could not die until he was able to access the knowledge discovered during man's zenith."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: Why do cars have those random tap/tick noises under the hood after you turn it off?\n\nIt sorta sounds like tiny pieces of sand hitting the inside of the hood or something. Since I was a kid I never understood, and I passed a car today that was making the noise after the guy had gotten out. I'm so curious!"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Well, son, when things get hot they usually get bigger too. When the car is running, it gets pretty hot. So when the car stops, it gets to cooling down. As it cools down, it's also shrinking back down to size some too. Those sounds you hear are the metal cooling down. If you listen really hard, you can hear those sounds other places too. Like the flat panel TV in the living room. Some of those make sounds you can hear when you turn those off too."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Star Wars] Why did master Sifo-Dyas order a clone army at least 10 years before the Clone Wars even came close to starting?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Sifo-Dyas only foresaw that a war was coming, he didn't know anything else. A clone army takes years to grow, so he contacted the Kaminoans as soon as possible. By the time the project was up and running the Sith had killed him and taken his place, and they could afford to be patient, especially since they needed to create an enemy for the clones to fight."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "eli5: what heroin withdrawals feel like\n\nBecause I just watched Gene Hackman writhing all over the floor of a Marsielles jail cell and it looks awful. But what does it feel like exactly? Is it pain? Is it an itch? \n\nedit: wow this blew up! Thanks for all the insightful answers, it sounds absolutely fucking awful. With that knowledge, I think Gene Hackman really did a killer job!"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Constant alterations in temperature, one moment you're overheating and sweating, 10 seconds later you're freezing cold plus the sweat. No appetite, pain, sneezing and general increase in fluid production like tears and nose drip. Diarrhea. Nausea. Insomnia. Irritability. \n\nsource: currently living it!\n\n**edit:** these \"supportive comments\" are all annoying and stupid."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Star Wars] The Republic decides against becoming an Empire. What does Palpatine do now?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "There's nothing for the Senate to decide. Palpatine got the emergency executive powers. It's like the old Roman law. He is dictator, the supreme ruler. \n\nDisagree and he'll execute you for whatever reason he likes and it will be legal."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Is there any scientific basis to the old trick of rubbing your hands on stainless steel to remove garlic/onion odors?\n\nI've heard that a good trick to remove the strong garlic or onion odor from your fingers after cutting vegetables is to rub your hands with a stainless steel spoon or other utensil. Is there any scientific basis to this theory? And if so, what is the chemistry behind how it works?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Transition metal elements are useful as catalysts, and they may favour the decomposition of certain organic molecules. If the molecule happens to have a very strong odour, it may be broken down into less odorous molecules. Therefore, if you rub a metal well against something strong-smelling, there's a reasonable chance the odorous substances present will be broken down and the smell abated. Not all metals work, however, and some may be better than others in different occasions.\n\nA related curiosity is the origin of the \"smell of metal\". A compound must be suspended in air to be smelled, and for most metals it's difficult to imagine that enough of their atoms manage to become airborne at room temperature, because most metals have very low vapour pressures (basically they have high boiling points). It turns out that the smell of metal is actually due to compounds present in the oils produced by the skin. When a metal is touched, oils are left on its surface, and they start decomposing into other organic substances to which we have associated the smell of metal."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Legend of Zelda] What is Ganondorf's ultimate motivation? Say we all just give up and let him have Hyrule - it's all dark and creepy - now what? What's his tax plan look like?\n\nWhat's the point? Why does he try so damned hard?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The short version is that a long time ago, an incredibly ancient evil put on the first Hero and the Descendant of the Goddess \"the curse of the Demon Tribe.\"\n\nGanondorf is the result of that curse; He is a man/Gerudo/Beast born over and over again, with a lust for power that can never be satiated, and a deep malice for Link and Zelda in all of their incarnations. The true curse though, is that Ganondorf cannot win. No matter how close he gets to ultimate power, the hero will always rise to stop him, and the princess will always be there to keep him at bay. \n\nNo wonder he's always so friggin' pissed."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: Are men who get a sex change and become women able to retire earlier?\n\nIn the UK, at least up until recently, women and men retired at different ages. What would happen here?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That also raises the question of, in the US, do women who become men have to register for selective service? Do men who become women? What about conscription in other countries, or service in combat jobs reserved for men?\n\nCan a man who becomes a woman then marry a man (in a jurisdiction where gay marriage is illegal)?"
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Stat Wars] Why didn't the two stormtroopers shove Luke when he walked into the bridge's elevator after meeting Vader on Endor?\n\nThey usually shove prisoners or revels when they have arrested them, so why did they keep a respectable distance to Luke when they were walking back to the elevator on the Endor bridge?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Well when a guy peacefully talks to Vader who says \"it is too late for me... Son\" and \"the emperor will show you the true nature of the force. He is your master now.\" That's usually a dead give away that this guy is VIP."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[LA Noire] Why the hell is Roy Earle giving a eulogy for [spoiler]\n\nCole? They hated each other, and Roy was a dirty cop. Shouldn’t they have gotten Biggs or Galloway to give the speech?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "What the hell are you talking about!? Detective Earl is a one of our finest. Earl gave the Eulogy for Detective Phelps because they were former partners and friends. Before the whole scandal happened they were solving cases left and right, those two! Cole was lucky that he had a friend like Roy.\n\n*This is what the public and the average member of the police force believed, so that's why he was giving the eulogy. Roy gave the eulogy because to everyone else it made sense for him to do so. Only the upper administration, the other crooked cops, and Phelps & co. knew what was going on.*"
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Eli5: Why do we study Limits in Calculus?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Calculus, both integral and differential calculus, is based upon limits. We don't actually reach our answers but we get infinitely close to it. You can't calculate instantaneous rate of change (the value of the derivative) without using two infinitely close points. Well, you *do*, but not without using limits to derive that ability. The rules of differentiation can be derived (no pun intended) by taking the limit as delta approaches zero blahblahblah you know the rest. Similarly, when calculating area, you're actually calculating the sum of an infinite number of rectangles. As you approach an infinite number of rectangles, you approach the actual area under a curve."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: Why do the majority of terrorist attack (at least those in the media) in Europe happen in France?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "France colonized North Africa a long time ago. Many North Africans are muslim. Their great grandparents moved to France because it's a better place to live in vs North Africa, plus they speak French. They moved there poor though, so they had to live in poor areas. The poor areas have bad education, so the parents teach their kids that all of their problems can be solved by doing everthing the Quran says and the kids believe them. Cycle repeats itself, then you're stuck with large ghettos with extremely religious uneducated poor people who also believe that joining terrorist organizations will make their lives better."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: Why do trees’ leaves move towards the red end of the spectrum Why not the violet end?\n\nObviously this answer will have something to do with the original colour, green, which is interestingly in the middle of the light spectrum."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Chlorophyll is the green pigment that you see in leaves and it comes in two varieties: chlorophyll alpha and chlorophyll beta. Chlorophyll alpha absorbs more red light whereas chlorophyll beta absorbs more of the blue light (and a bit of red), but they both reflect green light giving you the green color of the leaf. However, during the fall when trees no longer produce chlorophyll, you see carotenoids, which are another group of pigments that absorb blue and purple light, but reflect green to red light. Depending on the the type of tree and its leaves, it'll leave you colors between and including: green, yellow, and red that you see so often during the fall."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Why do most animals have their eyes, nose, and mouth clustered together in roughly the same way as other species?\n\nWhy are the eyes usually horizontally aligned, with a nose centered on the face and a mouth slightly below? What are the benefits of this over say having the eyes and the mouth on opposite ends of the body?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "This doesn't answer ALL the factors you asked about but:\n\n* you want your nose close to the mouth to smell your food (for safety reasons)\n* you want your eyes as far forward and as high up as possible for seeing things\n* You want your mouth far from the waste-hole\n* You want all three of those sensory organs as close to the brain as possible (faster processing AND shorter wires are less likely to get injured. This latter one is actually a big deal. If your eyes were away from your brain, breaking your neck would blind you! If your mouth was away from your head, breaking your back means you physically cant eat because you can't swallow).\n\nYou're right, the typical configuration isn't the ONLY solution to the above (and other) requirements riddle, but it's a pretty darn good solution - and evolution is *very* much a fan of \"if it's good enough, that's good enough\"."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "CMV: reddit could be doing an excellent job with the way they handled letting go of Victoria\n\nReddit execs have been taking a bit image hit over the last few days. The issues are numerous but it seems like the catalyst for the blackout was the way they let go of Victoria without involving the reddit community or communicating with them, and seemingly having no plan of action on how to fill the gap in her responsibilities. \n\nI believe that perfectly acceptable reasons could have caused this course of action and to not accept that possibility and start a blackout and/or reddit exodus is irrational. \n\nFor example - a few years ago my company fired a VP quickly without having a real good plan on how to bridge the gap before we found a replacement. This individual had referred to another manager(semi-openly gay) as \"the faggot\" in a small meeting. We simply could not tolerate that behavior so we fired him the next day. It wasn't what was best for our bottom line, but it was best for the environment and culture that our company believes in. We didn't feel it was in the best interest of telling the whole company the reasoning for termination and several on that team were very upset by the clearly abrupt and unplanned separation - for several people their impression was \"management doesn't have their shit together\". \n\nI could imagine several scenarios where Victoria should be terminated quickly and it would not be appropriate to give a reason publicly. I would even say that reddit has been incredibly professional by continuing to remain silent on her termination even when facing the vastly damaging public backlash."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It's unlikely, but possible, that she sexually harassed someone, and had to be let go immediately. And yes, it would be professional to not comment on that publicly.\n\nBut even if it was due to sexual harassment or another HR violation, they could have quickly contacted the mods of AMA and other people that are about to be hugely impacted by the layoff. They didn't do so, which suggests they didn't know or didn't care about that impact."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Any economics teachers here?\n\nI'm a high school social studies teacher who only recently started teaching economics. My students are considered high-risk, and don't always do well with the theoretical and conceptual parts of economics. My question is simple: How do you make economics relevant and applicable to this population? Any and all suggestions are welcome and greatly appreciated!"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "You can make the class almost entirely experiment driven. Take a look at the textbook by Bergstrom (not the principles text with Frank, but on teaching experiments). Virtually every concept can be done through a classroom game, like the double oral auction. The journal of economic education also has a number of experiments. Just google around. For example, with younger classes, the diminishing returns experiment has students make 'widgets' out of paper, scissors and a stapler. After about three participants, returns diminish. \n\nTry to steer clear of those awful tables, like the textbook treatment of cost curves. In fact, steer clear of 'consumer choice' and 'production' chapters. Though central to intermediate and higher, it provides little intuition and understanding for intro. Focus simply on marginal cost and marginal value. \n\nIf you can get them engaged, try Frank's \"economic naturalist\" assignment. \n\nSorry, no links. But should pop up on google. PM me if you need help."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Hunger Games] Does District 12 get double the rations after the winning of the first book?\n\nSince, you know, two victors... \n\n\nOr did they skimp out on district 12 and only give the normal winnings share as punishment for their evil, evil act of defying the Capitol?\n\n\nI know they both got houses and personal payments, I just don't know about the rations given to the districts."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Negative, the district receives the rations, not the winners who then gift it to the district. If Peter had been from district 5 but they came up with the same plan, district 12 and 5 would each receive rations making the government give out double, but one district won the year, regardless of other odd circumstances regarding the number of winners."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Star Wars] In between Anakin becoming Vader and Vader killing Sideous, what did Vader and Sideous secretly think and feel about each other?\n\nThis includes film and EU. I would assume Vader hated Sideous in every way. In turn, I think Sideous thought rather low of Vader but liked Anakin. Just my thoughts. \n*Edit: Sidious."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "After a few years Sidious began to loathe Vader as he did not act like a true Sith. He had no aspirations on supplanting Palpatine. This would continue until shortly after the Battle of Yavin when Vader discovered Luke Skywalker. But Palpatine had been intending to replace Vader for years by this time.\n\nVader genuinely thought of Palpatine as his friend and advisor as well as his Master. He knew his place and became obedient to the letter. But the Death Star disaster, to which Vader is nearly entirely personally to blame, he discovered Palpatine's burning distaste for him."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Could we detect strong force waves and weak force waves just like we detect gravity waves and electromagnetic waves?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "There can't be \"strong waves\" or \"weak waves\". Just like EM waves are coherent states of photons, and gravitational waves are coherent states of gravitons, your strong waves or weak waves would be coherent states of gluons or W/Z bosons.\n\nHowever, gluons don't really exist. That is, there is a gluon field, but it cannot have waves, and you really cannot create a state with a gluon. This has to do with a property of Yang-Mills theories (of which quantum chromodynamics is an example), namely that they have a negative beta function - rougly, the higher the energy scale, the smaller the strength of the force. (EM does exactly the opposite).\n\nThis means two obvious things: 1) in the limit of very high energies, the colour force becomes weak. This is asymptotic freedom. 2) in the limit of very low energies (such as room temperature) the colour force is extremely strong. This is confinement.\n\nConfinement is what is important to us. This effect makes sure the force between coloured states is so large that they cannot ever be seen. Taking a meson and trying to pull the quark and antiquark apart does not allow you to see the bare colour of the quarks - you just get more mesons.\n\nSo confinement is commonly formulated at: there exist only colourless, or white, states. Indeed hadronic physics has a very rich spectrum of thousands of states bound by the strong force, baryons and mesons (and more exotic beasts apparently), all rigorously white.\n\nNow in Yang-Mills theory (and so also in QCD) the gauge bosons themselves (the carrier particles) are also charged under the interaction they mediate. (Precisely, they're in the adjoint representation). So if there was such a thing as an actual gluon, which is coloured, you could change reference frame to get it to an arbitrarily low energy (you can do this only because the gluon is massless). As the energy is very low, confinement applies and you get a contradiction.\n\nMore practically gluons interact with other virtual gluons constantly, in such a strong way that a clean state with a single gluon does not simply exist, let alone coherent states of gluons in macroscopic waves. It just cannot be created. If you give energy to the vacuum, all you'll be able to do is create colourless states. No gluons, and no quarks either. The lightest particle possible in QCD (the mass gap) is the pion.\n\nPeople often say the colour force is short-ranged, and so this would be a very easy argument against colour waves. This is incorrect, since the range of the strong force is infinite as the gluon is massless. Instead, the actual reason is QCD is confining, and all of the above.\n\nFor the weak force, the mediating bosons are very massive and very unstable. W bosons decay to quark-antiquark or lepton-antineutrino, and they do so in the general order of 10^(-25) seconds. So that immediately kills the idea of a \"weak wave\"."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[General Sci Fi] What happens to all the paved roads after the flying car is invented?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Hey, just because it exists don't mean everyone got one, buddy. Us average Joes gotta get around somehow too, an' them fancy-schmancy hovercars ain't none too cheap, ya know? Even a hover-conversion job'll cost a guy a pretty penny, 'course not as much as buyin' a car with the hover-dealie built right in. 'Course there's this guy down in Hill Valley talkin' 'bout makin' it more cheap to produce, an' maybe more affordable to the whaddayacallit, 'everyman'."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: What is the purpose of adding -eth to the ending of some verbs in older writings?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "In Middle English, you'd conjugate the verb \"to think\" like so:\n\nSingular | Plural\n---------|----------\n(I) think | (we) think\n(thou) thinkest | (you) think\n(he) thinketh | (they) think\n\nPeople just started using 'thinks' instead of 'thinketh' and dropped the 'thinkest' altogether."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: When you cube integers 1-10, the ones digit is unique for each integer (and 11-20 and 21-30...). Is there a mathematical explanation?\n\nFun with numbers:\n\nInt | Cubed\n-:|-:\n1 | **1**\n2 | **8**\n3 | 2**7**\n4 | 6**4**\n5 | 12**5**\n6 | 21**6**\n7 | 34**3**\n8 | 51**2**\n9 | 72**9**\n10 | 100**0**\n\n\nIn the ones digit that I bolded, you have \n\n 1, 8, 7, 4, 5, 6, 3, 2, 9, 0 \n\nNo repeats.\n\nCoincidence? Mathematical explanation? Evidence of intelligent alien gods transplanting a code into the mathematical language of our universe (please be that one, please be that one)?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Any integer can be written as follows \n\n x=(10a+b) s.t. 0<=b<=9\n\n\"b\" is the one's digit, and \"a\" is all the others. (So if x=4, then a=0 and b=4, and if x=1842, then a=184 and b=2)\n\nSo, \n\n x^3 =(10a+b)^3 =1000a^3 + 200^2 a^2 b+10ab^2 +100a^2 b + 20 ab^2 +b^3 = 10(100a^3 + 20^2 a^2 b+1ab^2 +10a^2 b + 2 ab^2) +b^3\n\nMore importantly x^3 = 10*[some integer]+b^3. That is, the ones digit of x^3 is the same as the ones digit of the cube of the ones digit of x (i.e. the ones digit of b^3). \n\nYou've verified that a particular property holds for 1-10. The above proof generalizes it for all numbers.\n\nThe cube of an integer ending in 1 will always end in 1 \nThe cube of an integer ending in 2 will always end in 8 \nThe cube of an integer ending in 3 will always end in 7 \netc..."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: Why do some children's disappearances spark nationwide news coverage while some only get talked about locally?\n\nFor example, there's a boy in my local area who has been missing nearly two weeks (feared abducted). Why hasn't this been shown on national news like other disappearances?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The editors in the national media will only run something if there is something special about the story. This can be some weird twist, or attractiveness of the abductor or whatever. People go missing all the time and it wouldn't be possible for the national media to report on every case."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: How did x and y become the primary letters used as variables in math?\n\nFor cartesian plans, for functions, why are x and y the letters we use as variables?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Descartes was the mathematician who proposed and formalized the coordinate system that was subsequently named after him (cartesian).\n\nHe used the first letters of the alphabet to signify known quantities and the last few letters to signify unknowns. The tradition started from there. (this might be apocryphal since x and y were probably already used before his time)\n\nVery generally speaking, this developed into an informal 'system'. \n\na,b,c are used for scalar (or real number) constants. (e isn't typically used because it refers to euler's constant. In physics, c, is usually reserved for the speed of light)\n\nf,g,h are used for function names typically. In kinematics physics, g is usually reserved for the acceleration due to earth's gravity \n\ni,j (and sometimes k) is used as subscripts, indices or with a \"hat\" to denote unit vectors.\n\nk,m,n, (mostly m and n) are used to denote integer constants or integer unknowns.\n\np,q,r are also commonly used to represent vector unknowns. (a,b,c are usually scalar constants or unknowns)\n\ns,v and t are used in physics typically to denote displacement, velocity and time. (In kinematics physics, u is used for initial velocity)\n\nu,v,w are also quite often used for vector variables. \n\nx, y, z are used for variables. z is commonly used to represent complex number variables. (so if a problem states z\\^3 =1, you should assume that z refers to complex number solutions and responding with z = 1 is incomplete or incorrect.) \n\nl and o are rarely used because it too easy to mistake it for \"1\" and \"0\""
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Fallout 4] Why are the guns left-handed?\n\nI'm looking for a Watsonian *and* Doylist explanation. \n\nThis always bothered me when playing Fallout 4. I did a Google search and none of the threads (mostly on Steam forums) offered anything worthwhile. \n\nI haven't found any reason for the manual-action guns in FO4 being left-handed, either in-universe or meta. The only consistent guess I've seen is that the developers wanted players to be able to see more of the guns' operation, which is reasonable with a bolt-action rifle being used in first person. But it's such a sharp contrast with real-life firearm operation that it sticks out to me."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Watsonian:\n\nFallout weapons are made to be easily swapped to be ambidextrous. \n\nBoston always had a large post-war population but relatively few guns (low guns per capita). After centuries of intensive use, the right-handed parts have mostly broken and not been replaced. So few of these parts are left that left-handed guns became the norm at some point, meaning even newly manufactured weapons are built left-handed because that's what everyone is used to using by now."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "CMV: It doesn't make sense to have your own kid(s)\n\nHello, so my bf and I have been together close to 5 years now and he can't wait to eventually have kids. He loves kids and so do I!\n\nWhen I was a teenager, I always looked forward to eventually having kids of my own. But as I've gotten older and my opinions and views have changed, I find it unnecessary to have your own kids. Not just for me, but I believe that nobody should actually be having their own kids when adoption is an option and there are so many unwanted children. To the point that lately when I hear of a friend getting pregnant or trying to have a child, I feel a little bit of resentment (I don't express this, of course).\n\nI do love children but sometimes I wonder if I even want kids because of the amount of pressure being a parent; making sure you bring up your children to be better than yourself to improve the future generations. And let's say I come around to the idea of having children, I feel like the only thing that makes sense is adopting a child that has already been brought into this world rather than making a brand new one!\n\nI do hope my views can be changed because my boyfriend definitely wants his own children and he's just hoping that eventually when he's ready, I'd have changed my mind (I'm 25).\n\nEDIT: I'd also like to add that I find it quite narcissitic for people to feel they need a mini version of themselves.\n\nEDIT2: I wanna add that my younger brother is adopted. I was 12 and he was 9 when he came into the family. I have 2 biological siblings. I love my younger brother like my very own sibling, but I won't deny that my parents don't treat him the same as they do us. It has been a huge struggle because of how different he is to us. not just because of his genes, but how much he had gone through prior to living with us. It was free to adopt him because my mum, who's a doctor, had a patient (my brother's dad) who was very old and ill at that point and his wife (my brother's mum) found my brother to be a burden to take care of. so she had already put him in an orphanage and was just looking for someone to adopt him (she's an awful human being). However, there were fees to pay the lawyer when the adoption was made official.\n\nEDIT3: Hi, I want to point out how badly phrased my explanation was. I don't mean for no one to have kids in the sense 'if no one is having kids, who are we adopting?' lol. but that more people should really consider this to be an option over having their own. and I also don't mean this in the way to take a loved child from a loving parent(s).\n\nand in regards to taking responsibility for someone else's mistake. the issue with this is that the child that is born did not ask to be born and therefore, it is suffering from their parents' mistake. until more people are more educated in the options of contraception and abortion and also educated on pareting, we will face the issue of bad parenting or no parenting at all. I think more people should consider adoption, and before even considering adoption, think about the implications of bringing a human being into this world and how you plan on teaching/bringing up this/these child(ren).\n\nI also do not condone human trafficking and it's an interesting topic to wonder if adopting would then worsen the issue of human trafficking and that would be awful."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Adoption is not just a way to get a child. It is a very important decision that effects everyone in the family, including the adopted child. There are so many issues to deal with when adopting, that are not issues when having biological children. This doesn’t make people weak if they don’t want want to deal with these issues, it is actually better to admit you are not equipped to handle things like differences in race, adopting an older child, a child with a past of abuse, etc. These issues take a lot of preparing for, and some people cannot emotionally handle that aspect in addition to all the raising children stuff biological children come with. \n\nWanting biological children is normal and healthy. Any child brought into a family will be a challenge, no matter how they come. But saying adoption is just a way to add to the family is frankly selfish. The impact of adoption can be extremely difficult on a child, and to adopt without consideration of that is irresponsible. The most important thing should not be that a person wants a child, but if the child can be emotionally and physically taken care of, and with adopted children that is a particular challenge. \n\nI’m all for adoption, as long as people know what they are getting into and are prepared to deal with it. It is okay to want a family and know that adoption isn’t the way to have one for you. It doesn’t make you selfish, it just means you are self aware to what is the right way to have a family for you."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Avengers: Infinity War] Whatever happen to the rest of the Asgardian?\n\nIn the beginning scenes, did Thanos and his men killed them all, then destroy the ship to ensure all of them is dead? But then Thor said to the Guardian that Thanos killed half of his people, so where did the other half went? Did he captured them?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "You can see the ship was cut in half. So in theory the rest of Asgard is drifting in space, you have to think The Valkyrie and Korg are floating about on the back half of the ship with what’s left of Asgard."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Are galaxies laid out in any sort of order, or just scattered randomly?\n\nIf you look at a small section of stars they look randomly positioned, but if you zoom out far enough they are arranged in galaxies.\n\nIf we could zoom out even further would we find that galaxies are arranged in some sort of massive pattern, or are they just scattered randomly throughout the universe?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Galaxies gather in clusters, and those form superclusters. Within those clusters and superclusters the distribution is more or less randomly, but on a larger scale you can see them splitting up, forming long filaments. \n\nBetween these filaments you have huge voids with little to no galaxies in them. On the largest scale everything looks like foam, where the voids are the bubbles and the filaments are the edges between them."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "CMV: You aren’t inherently racist/sexist/whatever by voting for someone\n\nThe amount of times I see pure hate here because you didn’t vote for the right party, or even candidate in the same party, really sucks. This may be a US thing, but politics doesn’t need to be inherently divisive. You don’t need to hate your neighbor for voting different, they simply value different things.\n\nThis “my side is always right” mentality has so many consequences that are negatively affecting our democracy and stopping progress. Please, just be more open. You can disagree, but at least be respectful and understanding about it."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Your title is literally true, so not sure how we can your view on it. It is *possible* for someone to vote for a racist candidate without being racist themselves (to the extent that anyone can be not racist, of course).\n\nThat said:\n\n>This may be a US thing, but politics doesn’t need to be inherently divisive. You don’t need to hate your neighbor for voting different, they simply value different things.\n\nYou can't just brush off people's values as a bad reason to dislike someone. A person's values speak to the type of person they are. And when people vote that is an action that impacts others. Politics isn't a casual competition with no consequences. It's actual life and impacts people's rights, their livelihoods, their security.\n\n\nSay you have a candidate that supports lower taxes and restricting the right to vote to men only. You really value lower taxes so you vote for that person. That says, at the least that you support lower taxes enough to overlook sexism. Why would that not be a good reason to dislike someone?"
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Harry Potter] Do Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff have a house rivalry too?\n\nMy wife is sponsoring a Foreign Exchange Student from Hogwarts for a few months and it seems like every other word out of the little brats mouth is about how much the \"slimy Slytherins\" or some such thing (although, I did find out he *hates* being called a Gryffindork). There's obviously some sort of serious rivalry there, but he doesn't seem to know anything if I ask about other Hogwarts politics. Are the houses paired off against each other, or is it just those two and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff are above that sort of thing?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Ravenclaws generally don't care for house rivalries due to their fixation on academics. They get along well with Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Slytherin unless Slytherin or Gryffindor is acting superior.\n\nHufflepuff is a friendly house and they get along well with everyone but Slytherin."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: How is Google Fiber able to get such high speeds and why is this not standard practice?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "American infrastructure is hopelessly outdated, and the companies that are in charge of maintaining it have no incentive to upgrade since there is no other options fpr consumers. In other countries, the government is in charge of the communications infrastructure, so things get upgraded continuously."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: If the cost of hospital care is so high, why do doctors and nurses work crazy long shifts, which directly impacts the quality of care they provide? Why don't hospitals just hire more doctors and nurses?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Another point that hasnt been mentioned is that it's much cheaper for a company to pay an experienced RN or doctor double time than it is to hire another equally experienced employee.\n\nYou might double their pay for an extra 40 hours that week but you only pay for their healthcare, retirement, continuing education, etc benefits once.\n\nAlso for some places keeping the same person on shift can actually reduce errors that would occour from information loss during shift change."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What effect does the seawater brought inland by a tsunami have on local plants? Does it make the land infertile for a while?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "In Holland we don’t have tsunami’s, but the results of salt water floods have been studied pretty well. For instance, after the 1953 north sea flood.\n\nFor the Dutch soil, all salt from flooding is washed away within 1-4 years. This depends on sveral factors, such as duration of flood, dept of the groundwater level, amount of moisture in de ground above groundwater level, precipitation etc\n\nFor some recovery nature needs some help. The (NaCl) salt water also worsens the mineral structure of older clay. Even if the salt itself is already washed away. Naturally the clay could take up to 8 years to recover. Fertilizing with gypsum is enough to repair this and this pays for itself in the first year.\n\nA sweet water flood costs 1 year of production, a salt water flood generally 2-3 years.With gypsum that 3 years can be reduced to 2 years of loss. The second year some salt-resistant crops can be grown, so the economic damage could be a bit less. In fact, for weaker fields the silt from the inundation increases fertility in the long term."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What do you do when you’re burnt out?\n\nI’m at the tail end of a six month, 45 hr a week bootcamp. I also work about 30 hrs a week to pay bills. My brain is fucked. I’m powering through, but I don’t want to just mail it in for the last 5 weeks of my program. I want to give my best. How do you guys cope/get through burnout?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Don't work more than about 6 hours a day on software. Just like anything, 60 hour work weeks will burn out anyone. \n\nAlso with software, more time doesn't equal more code, sometimes you need to give your brain a rest."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[ELI5] How does charging a smartphone work? what happens after it reaches 100% and left plugged in, say, for 8 hours?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "In all batteries, there is a chemical reaction that causes electrons to flow from one terminal to the other. When batteries are recharged, electrons are forced to flow through the battery in the opposite direction, which reverses the reaction so that it can happen again.\n\nSmart phones use lithium ion batteries. Unlike some older types of batteries, these batteries can explode if they are overcharged. Because of this, phones have a built in circuit to prevent overcharging. When the battery becomes fully charged, the circuit will automatically stop the battery from charging. It is safe to leave your phone plugged in for 8+ hours thanks to that circuit."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Got invited for a phone interview for TT position! What should I prepare?\n\nI am so excited, I got my first bite from the applications I sent in for TT positions in STEM. I've been shortlisted, and invited to a phone screening on zoom for 20 minutes. The people who invited me are related to my subfield. What should I prepare? Any tips greatly appreciated!!!"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Woohoo!!!\n\nFrom an R1 / research-intensive institution perspective:\n\nPrep for the main questions:\n1) tell us about yourself\n2) tell us about your research\n3) where do you see your research going in the next 5-10 years\n4) where will your funding come from\n5) what areas/classes can you teach (bonus points if you can name course numbers at their institution); they may also ask a course you could develop to add to their offerings\n6) why this institution/dept?\n\nHave short answers for each that convey you are great and well-prepared for the job (which you likely are). They may ask other questions, but those tend to be the most common. \n\nThen strategically think about questions to ask them that convey you are intentional about launching your research program (and aren’t easily google-able)\n\nEg can you tell me about mentoring for junior faculty? how would you describe the culture in the department? How does the PhD student-advisor match work? What does a successful junior faculty member look like in this dept?\n\nDon’t: negotiate at this stage or be long-winded\n\nBest wishes!!!"
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: Why do most trash cans have a sort of taper like \\_/ ?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Imagine blowing up the garbage bag inside with that shape until it was at max capacity. You would still be able to wiggle it free. If it tapered the opposite way, you would be unable to remove it. Even a can with perfectly square sides, if it wasn't 100% rigid, the walls would bulge and create a wedge."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "How did the red fox evolve to remain largely the same species in North America as in Europe?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The same way wolves, moose, and many other species did, they walked from Eurasia across the Bering land bridge about 130,000 years ago. Too short of a time to see any real evolutionary changes and due to the similarities between climates there has been no need for too much adaptation."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: what is the ex post facto law?\n\ni tried reading it on wiki but couldnt understand."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "An *ex post facto* law is one with a retroactive effect.\n\nBasically it would be making a crime out of something that has already happened. For example, in the US no legislature can pass a law that criminalizes things that happened in the past and were legal when they happened. Laws can only affect things that happen *after* the law is enacted.\n\nThis is to prevent the government from punishing people for things that were legal when they did them but may have become illegal later."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "I believe that prison gang members harm rehabilitation objectives and should be dealt with differently. Please CMV\n\nMain claim to dispute: Due to gangs' somewhat likely negative influence on the desirable rehabilitation process, gang activities should be scrutinized and disrupted. This is perhaps idealistic so let's talk about the merit of the idea rather than challenges (costs, costs, costs) to implementing this. CMV\n\nLet's say for the sake of argument that prison gangs may exist. Where a person enters the prison population and is forced to join a gang because that's how they will avoid being harmed. Sometimes prison gangs may be established based on race and/or ethnic and/or religious backgrounds (also linguistics, places of origin, level of education, etc); let this item cover every possibility as it relates to countries other than United States of America. \n\nLet's assume that the official objectives of prisons may be for some prisoners (but not all) to rehabilitate and re-enter society with a better attitude and ability to function according to typical expectations (job, a place to live, how about not being in jail). \n\nGangs in prison may deny prisoners the opportunity to change their attitudes and instead may lead to exposure to violence and criminal activities (gambling, dealing drugs, assaults on demand) in order to gain status or be accepted by a gang. \n\nMembers of gangs should be given an opportunity to learn how to function in non-prison society, hold down a job and build healthy relationships. Gang members who fail to get with the program should be treated as dangerous and have their sentences reviewed because of their willingness to engage in violent and anti-social behavior that will likely lead to recidivism or just crime. CMV\n\nWhat I do not see as relevant to the discussion is the ex post condition: why the person went to jail (three-strikes laws, selling weed, or crimes that statistically involve vulnerable or minority populations that are over-represented in prison). Any gang activity in prison without prejudice or preference should be treated harshly by corrective authorities. \n\nEdit 1: So what do you think about gangs? do they help or hurt prisoners who want to leave prison? If you decided to complain about the system being broken and slanted, it is a valid critique but not a response to what I am asking."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "What you need to look at is why people form or join gangs in the first place. It often boils down to safety; gangs offer shelter from an otherwise fairly violent prison environment so if you're interested in protecting yourself then a gang starts to look very appealing. \n\nSomeone who may not have otherwise wanted to be part of a gang might join because he fears for his safety. Gangs that are especially powerful can even protect other inmates from guards.\n\nBy cracking down you're actually encouraging gang activity. Repression by the guards is seen as a mark of honor by a gang, \"Look at us, we're so dangerous they can't let us be together.\" There's also little evidence that I've seen to support that most of the measures taken now to undercut gang activity has much effect in reducing the gang's numbers. In fact there are whole gangs whose leadership *and* membership is in prison and they spread throughout the prison system."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "CMV, When bills are proposed in congress (state and federal levels) they should be atomic and singular, containing only the one law at a time.\n\nIt astounds me how the US system \"works.\" Basically a group of people want to pass a particular law, but other people want another completely unrelated thing passed, so they attach them together to be voted on together. Many times the laws themselves are so long and convoluted that the senators and reps voting on them don't have time to read or digest them before voting on them... that is if they vote on them at all since many abstain or are off campaigning. \n\nWhy is the current system better for society as a whole than a one law, one vote? Wouldn't removing the BS and politics from the system benefit society as a whole? And don't give me BS about not having time... they already don't have time to read the bills in front of them, and they take hella long vacations and IF they are even in session, many are not present and campaigning for the next cycle."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Most of the time when this is done, it is done to gain support for the larger \"main\" item in the bill from congresspeople or senators who otherwise would not support it or who are on the fence.\n\nIf Congress needs 50.1% of the vote to pass a bill, and they only have 48%. They can add something like \"$2M to fix a bridge in Iowa\" and get the support from those Congresspeople who now don't have to pay for the bridge with state tax dollars and they can go back to Iowa and say \"look what we did for you!\"\n\nNow, whether or not you believe this is morally right is another question. But let's say that first main bill benefited a large part of the country but it wouldn't have passed without the support of those Iowa Congresspeople. Maybe those Congresspeople promised not to vote for that kind of bill and in order to maintain their campaign promises to their constituency, they need to go back with a big \"this is why we did it, don't punish us, look at the shiny new bridge we got you that will cost you nothing.\""
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Star Wars] How did Palpatine set up Order 66 without anyone finding out?\n\nSince we saw him simply tell Cody to \"Execute Order 66\", and all the clones instantly turned on the Jedi, they must have known about it for a long time. So how did the Order's existence never get discovered by the Jedi beforehand? Why didn't Cody tell Obi-Wan about it, or any of the countless people involved tell the good guys?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It almost was revealed when ARC Trooper Fives discovered the presence of a biochip that forced the Clones into acting on the order. Tragically the Jedi beleived he had finally snapped after witnessing the death of all his brothers in Domino Squad and was killed on the orders of Palpatine. None of the Clones knew about the order itself, the phrase was kind of a Manchurian Candidate thing.\n\nKamino was also invovled in the coverup because Palpatine had given them their key to increasing their political influence, so they as well did quite a bit to hide the presence of the order."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Marvel] My mutant power is super graphic and horrifying. Will the X-Men turn me away?\n\nI don't want to be a mutant. \n\nI'm 20, my powers activated when I was being mugged two days ago. A dude's skeleton just up and exploded inside of his flesh, turning him into a steaming, smoldering pile of meat. I ran away. \n\nNow, I keep hearing Jean Luc Picard in my head and I'm worried they'll sicc Wolfmarine on me! I don't want to be a mutant!"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "You're actually the sort of mutant the Xavier Institute would want to reach out to help the most. They have experience with helping people with horrific and/or insta-death types of powers find a way to control/restrain those abilities."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Thor Ragnarok] Are the shattered pieces of Mjiolnir still enchanted or could anyone go pick them up?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Assuming it's like the comics, then yes they are still enchanted. In the comics a piece of Mjolnir is picked up by a frog who gets the power of Thor with his own tiny hammer. We see that frog in the MCU (in >!Loki episode 5!<) so it should be the same."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Spirited Away] what did the River Spirit give Chihiro and why was her first reaction to eat it?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "In a generic sense, we know it's an emetic (it forces vomiting), as even a small taste makes Chihiro nearly vomit and the portion she gives to Haku makes him even expel Yubaba's seal. The seal is magic, however, so I'd argue that the object isn't just an emetic in a medical sense, but in a magical sense. It likewise forces No Face to vomit everything he's consumed in a magical sense. \n\nI'd argue it's probably a bezoar, which alchemy holds to be able to cure any poison that you've ingested. Some traditions hold that bezoars are non-digestible food aggregates, basically solidified chunks of seeds, fruit pits, vegetable fibers, minerals, and other non-digestible matter... which is also stuff that could accumulate in a river."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Guardians of the Galaxy] Why didn't the Asgardians come to the Nova core's aid.\n\nOkay, forget the the obvious reasons and focus on the in-universe answer.\nIts been established that heimdall can see every corner of the universe. Nothing escapes his eye, normally. its also been established that the Asgardian's watch over and protect the nine realms. When Vanir were under attack by the Marauders, the Asgardians came to their rescue.\n\n Why didn't the Asgardians beam down and assist the Nova core when they were under attack by Ronan, who possessed one of the infinity stone, an artefact just as powerful and destructive as the Aether. If the Asgardian's took extra precautions dealing with the Aether, you would think they beam down and stop Ronan from wiping out an entire planet full of billions of innocent lives. Ronan was just as much of threat as Malekith and the aether."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Unfortunately in the grand scheme of the Universe, Xandar is a blip in the trillions of lives found across the universe. Asgard is unaffiliated with any of the established xenos empires. Ronan's attack on Xandar to outside observers is simply the latest conflict in the long war between the Kree and Nova Empire. Furthermore, Asgard only intervenes when there's a multidimensional invasion. For example, the Jotuns invaded Earth around the Dark Ages until Odin and the Einherjar repelled it."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Is c an arbitrary constant? Could there have been \r\nanother universe that formed where c was different? \r\nIf so, how would that universe be different?\n\nI mean, suppose there were two more universes that formed identically to our own, but one's speed of light was 1.5c, and the other's was 0.5c, what effects would that have on the composition or structure of those universes? \r\n\r\nFor example:\r\n\r\n* Would galaxies form? Or stars and planets? Black-holes? \r\n* Would atoms/molecules even be stable? \r\n* Would time behave differently? Would gravity or the strong/weak forces be different?\r\n* And finally, would the formation of complex life be possible in them?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The speed of light is like *π,* in that it's a geometric ratio. It's always going to be exactly equal to 1, as long as you describe it in terms of the ratio of a distance to the amount of time it takes light to go that distance. If you use other units for distance and duration, you'll get different numbers, but they will always reduce to 1."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: What would it be like to be in the bottom of the Mariana Trench if the ocean was drained?\n\nWould you be able to breathe easier than at sea level? Would it have an effect on your weight?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The air would be quite dense, about 4x that of sea level, and might result in a mild case of decompression sickness if an individual were returned to sea level without regular stops, but milder than an actual scuba dive. Breathing would be very efficient, though. It would be very cold, getting only a few hours of daylight depending on the orientation of the trench (I don't have any images handy). Gravity would hardly change at all, with the 7 mile depth being only a tiny fraction of Earth's overall radius."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[MCU] Thanos's flagship is called the Sanctuary II. Was there ever a Sanctuary I?\n\nIf there was, what happened to it? If there wasn't, then why add the II?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "That open \"air\" asteroid field with Thanos' chair where the Other hangs out and talks with Loki and Ronan is called Sanctuary. Not much of a ship as far as we've seen but they've at least invested some nice stair lights into it."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Dune] Why isn't Leto II known as Leto III?\n\nLeto the tyrant, known as Leto II, and his twin had an older brother who was already named Leto II. What gives?\n\nIt's even brought up as a question (iirc in Heretics of Dune) some three thousand years after the God Emperor's death, but is then immediately hushed as blasphemous."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Regnal numbers don't normally count until the actual title is assumed. Prince Charles is not called Charles III and if he died before becoming King he would never count in the numbering.\n\nI propose Leto II was only a nickname for the presumed future head of the Atreides house."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "CMV: Climate Change is the Most Important Issue Facing Humanity Today\n\nAmong all humanitarian issues in the world, I believe that climate change has the greatest change to destroy all of humanity as we know it. With an uptick in recent extreme weather events, I feel that the unprecedented destruction caused by climate change is nearing. Yet, no one seems to make a big deal about it because it is extremely difficult for humans to think about the future impacts of a present, slow moving issue. Furthermore, I think news coverage of the issue makes people believe climate change's existence and impacts is an even sided argument because there are one v. one debates, when in actuality 97% of climate scientists believe in climate change.\n\nI think this issue is extremely overlooked by the general public and lawmakers because it has become a partisan issue when it is a humanitarian problem. In my mind, this is such a grave issue because war, poverty, and disease won't be issues anymore when the earth becomes uninhabitable. Many actions by the media and government feel like childish attempts to gain money and/or power, all while the earth is slowly dying. \n\nWhat do you think? CMV!"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": ">when in actuality 97% of climate scientists believe in climate change.\n\nWhat, exactly, do you think this proves? It doesn't prove how much warming there will be. It doesn't tell you how much damage that warming will do. It says nothing about which mitigation strategies will be effective, which ones won't, and how much they will cost. Pointing it out is basically just a religious shibboleth, a way of shouting \"I Science!\" without actually bothering to think beyond a tribal signal. Have you thought about any of those other issues?"
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: What is the difference between regular exercise that is healthy, and laborious excerise(manual labor etc) that causes joint/muscle issues down the road?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "In a very general statement, not much. It is possible to overstrain and injure oneself during exercise just as it is possible to do so in manual labor. \n\nManual labor might be more prone to be repetitive (for just a few joints/muscles), last much longer at one go, require long periods at the same posture (sitting, hunching) and not allow for sufficient recovery periods - and this has a high likelihood of causing later problems. But not all manual labor is like that. And as you recognize, not all exercise is healthy either."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: It seems like \"everyone\" is getting cancer. Has is always been this way, like since the dawn of time, or is this something new, or...?\n\nI've checked *all* of the explained cancer-related ELI5s, to no avail. \nIn modern times (at the present moment), it seems that cancer cases of any/all types are growing exponentially. \n \nIs this simply because better medical technology is giving us more awareness of the subject? Or has cancer *always* been this prevalent? ...Or? \n \nP.S. I'm sorry if I'm missing the buck here in finding the answer, or if someone has already covered my ELI5 request.\n \nEDIT: I'm going to go ahead and risk a shitstorm by saying this...but, I realize that there are \"CHEMICAL ADDITIVES IN FOOD AND TODAY'S HUMANS ARE SO DUM FOR EATING THIS SHIT AND SMOKING CIGZ\". There is more to this ELI5 than your soapbox on modern man's GMO/Terrible Lifestyle."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Cancer is what kills you if nothing else gets to you first. We've made long strides in general health and treatment of many diseases, which has caused us to live longer, which makes cancer a larger percentage of total deaths than it was further back in history."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5 Why do dry-wipe pens stop permanent markers from working on a whiteboard? Bonus question: How can you counteract this effect?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The ink in dry erase pens are suspended in a solvent, and when the solvent dries it leaves behind the dry ink. This ink can just be wiped away because it's not absorbed into the dry erase board. \n\nPermanent markers work the same way, except the ink doesn't wipe away. It still doesn't get absorbed into the dry erase board but it doesn't wipe away because of its formulation.\n\nLong story short, the solvent in the dry erase marker ink also works on permanent marker ink, and then the permanent marker ink binds to the dry erase ink instead of the board. \n\nTo answer your second question, there are industrial sharpies that use different solvents that might prevent erasing on a white board."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: Can a planet without conditions similar to earth support any life at all, or have we just not found organisms that require other conditions?\n\nSo if a planet has an atmosphere of 90% hydrogen and we say it is \"uninhabitable.\" Does that mean no organism at all could survive? Or is it that we just don't know about organisms that could survive in those conditions?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It's the latter. We only know life on earth -- life as we know it. It's possible there could be exotic forms of life elsewhere, but we have no idea what it would look like or how to find it. So we focus on the life we understand, because that's what we're best at finding.\n\nTo some degree though, we know the chemicals our life is based on are probably some of the best for \"life\". Carbon has specific properties that make it very nice for replication and other life functions. Silicon is very similar to carbon, which is why you often hear about people looking for \"silicon based life\" -- it's the most likely other element that could produce organisms that follow similar mechanics as ours."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Would'nt a black holes gravity tear us apart before we get any where near it's event horizon?\n\nSo after watching interstellar i watched a couple of interviews with some physicists, and the topic of discussion always seem to be what would happen at the event horizon or inside a black hole. However something that's alluded me is, why aren't we already getting torn apart by the gravity when we get some what near it. \n\nLike the stars we see getting eaten by black holes, where this acretion disk is formed and it's ripping off matter from the star or just ripping it apart completely. Is this something that happens because of the size of the star?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": ">Is this something that happens because of the size of a star?\n\nYes. Tidal forces depend on two factors. \n\nThe first is the gradient of gravitational force, which increases the closer you are to the centre of the black hole (this is relevant because for larger black holes, the tidal forces at the event horizon are much weaker than that in smaller black holes). \n\nThe second is how large you are. For a large object like a star, the tidal forces are huge because the difference in gravitational force acting on the close and far end is large. \n\nThese two factors influence the difference in force across the object, which the phenomenon of tidal forces arise from."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "How do you avoid being a crank?\n\nWith the immense popularity of the \"What type of cranks does your discipline attract?\" thread, I am afraid that I could be a crank myself one day. I try to avoid this by trying not to have opinions about fields in which I am not an expert in or are adjacent to mine, but I could still be a crank in my very own field.\n\nThe best thing to do, it seems, is to be humble and avoid certainty. Any other suggestions?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Fundamentally, a crank is someone who disagrees with a discipline's theoretical framework and/or methodology (in a Kuhnian sense, not in an academia is a shadowy cabal of masonic Jews sense - although there are also cranks of that flavor). So the best way to avoid being a crank is to professionalize within a given discipline, do good discipline-specific work and earn a reputation as a good scientist. Then, not only are you less likely to make bad assumptions and unfounded arguments (which is what most cranks do), but you will be able to square the less orthodox ideas you have with accepted theory, which is more right than wrong in most cases, and present them in a way that gets you taken at least somewhat seriously."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5 why do space rockets take off from a upright position instead of taking off of a runway like a plane, reach 40,000 ft and entering space from there."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "A rocket has to go really fast to reach speeds fast enough to orbit, and the atmosphere is thickest close to the ground. So a rocket tries to get out of the thickest part as fast as it can to save fuel, then it turns sideways to get to orbital speeds. Basically it would waste too much fuel going through the atmosphere like a plane."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "When physicists refer to \"nothing\", what does that really mean?\n\nArguments have been made that Hawking's statements that the universe can create itself from nothing are self-contradictory, because it breaks causailty. My hunch is that those making such arguments are just not familiar with the more complex aspects of physics, but then again, neither am I. I've heard of particles \"popping in and out of existence\", but I'm not sure what that really means. Can anyone explain to the layman what physicists mean when they say something comes from nothing?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "You're probably talking about Lawrence Krauss' lecture \"A Universe from Nothing.\"\n\nWhat he means is that if you count the total energy density of the universe as positive, and the gravitational potential energy as negative, it cancels out to zero."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Pokémon] I went on an adventure, one thing led to another, and now I've tamed Arceus and captured it in a pokéball. Are there rules for this situation?\n\nIs it legal to use in gym battles? Can I breed it to make more arceuses? Arcei? If so, am I allowed to sell the eggs?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Legendaries can't breed, generally. There are exceptions, but Arceus isn't one. And why would you not be allowed to use it during Gym battles? It's your pokemon. Not everybody has the skills to capture an Arceus. Having one on your team is reflective of your skill as a trainer. They wouldn't take that away from you."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Venture Bros.] So What's the Purpose of the Guild of Calamitous Intent?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Basically they're an oversight body for supervillains-- the villains abide by a bunch of inefficient rules and stick to small-scale crimes like revenge and bank robberies rather than world domination plots, and in return organizations like the military, OSI, NSA, etc. let them have their fun with their nemeses rather than just wiping them out."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5:\"Time heals all wounds\" What exactly is happening here? Why do you feel less \"hurt\" as time passes?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It takes time to understand and process what happened, your hormones and emotional state have a chance to return to relative normalcy, and you adjust to your new existence as a slightly hurt person.\n\nImagine the string of an instrument being plucked, it strongly vibrates, and the disturbance dissipates over time.\n\nYour current emotional state is sort of the sum of all the things that have happened to you, but the more recent things have a larger effect. So over time your wound is \"healed.\"\n\nObviously, in terms of physical wounds, if it isn't permanent damage then the passage of time allows your body to repair itself. So because time allows us to adjust to emotional hurt, and to repair ourselves from physical hurt, it heals \"all\" wounds."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Did the 1918 pandemic have asymptomatic carriers as the covid 19 pandemic does?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "As far as we can tell, most if not all viruses have the potential for asymptomatic carriers. Do we know for sure that the 1918 Spanish Flu did? Not with direct evidence. That kind of testing just didn't exist back then. But we can say with a fairly high degree of confidence that yes it did."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[pokemon] It seems like all anyone wants to do is collect/battle/dress up their pokemon. Does no one in this world have a real job? Is the universe nearly post-scarcity?\n\nHear me out, I have been around 4 different regions (kanto, johto, hoenn, sinnoh) training my pokemon. Everyone and their mother has a set of pokemon, and nearly everyone i talk to only talks about pokemon. \n\nThe people that have jobs, outside of shopkeepers, usually also have pokemon ready to battle whenever. \"bird keeper\" \"cyclist\" \"fisherman\" \"psychic\" \"rock star\" \"sailor\". These seem more like hobbies than jobs. I've never battled someone named \"Sewage treatment manager\" or \"retail sales rep\". Does anyone NEED to work in this universe? I mean, pokemon centers are free and there seems to be a small army of clones keeping things together (looking at you officer jenny and nurse joy). We can digitally store our pokemon in computers and then re materialize them. We have advanced technology!\n\nSo, are people just working their jobs because they want to? No one actually needs to work, so people just do whatever they enjoy to occupy their time? Is money just a way to reward people for going beyond what is required of them? \n\n**edit:** lots of great answers in this thread! Thanks everybody. \n\nIt more or less boils down to:\n\nreduced scarcity -> more free time/money -> increase in recreational sports -> more frequent encounters with amateur pokemon trainers.\n\nreduced scarcity -> less monetary competition -> more generous patrons -> sponsored pokemon gyms/trainers/competitions -> increase in public interest of pokemon training."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I think there are a couple of ways to look at it. The Pokemon universe, while not post-scarcity, certainly benefits from reduced scarcity, what with all the magic creatures providing near-unlimited energy and work. So there probably is a smaller number of \"real\" jobs out there.\n\nBut also, the player just doesn't run into everyone in the world. While you're out catching and training Pokemon, you'll certainly run into Cyclists and Fishermen and Hikers because they're out and about. You won't come across Middle Manager Jerome because he's inside a corporate building working all day before he goes straight home to Housewife Maude who has been busy taking care of family commitments. You will, however, run into their son Joey because it's summer vacation and he's out showing off his top-percentage Rattata.\n\nBut the player's bubble of interaction certainly doesn't comprise the entire Pokeworld."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: Why do you have to wait a while before cracking your knuckles a second time?\n\nI just dont get what exactly happens during the time period of cracking your knuckles and being able to crack your knuckles again."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "When you crack your knuckles (or anything that cracks, really), you're expanding the area inside the joint, which is full of sinovial fluid (natural lube). As the volume expands, gasses in the fluid cavitate and come out of solution and make a pop sound as they rapidly expand.\n\nThe 'wait' is because you have to wait for the gasses to dissolve into the fluid again."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Why do spiders legs curl up when they die?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Their legs operate on a sort of fluid mechanic, as in, they dont have muscles contracting their legs, they have fluid sacs that move their legs like a hydraulic system of sorts. When they die, they lose control over the hydraulics and they release pressure, curling up their legs."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "How can a material remain radioactive after it has been exposed to radiation?\n\nI was watching TV today and the topic of the Fukushima nuclear accident was brought up on the news and the reporter had mentioned \"radioactive water\" which got that way from exposure to radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant. I just wanted to know how a substance, such as water, can remain radioactive just because it was exposed to either alpha/beta/gamma radiation. What is the mechanism that makes this work? For example, if I expose a glass of water to a bunch of xrays or gamma rays, why is that water no longer safe to drink? How does radiation stay within the substance?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It's important to recognize the difference between radiation, and radioactive material.\n\nRadiation is the particles and waves which are emitted, which can be ionizing or non-ionizing. \n\nRadioactive materials are atoms which are unstable and emit radiation.\n\nSome types of radiation can cause other materials to be radioactive. But in the case of Fukushima, the water itself is not what is radioactive. The water came into contact with the melted core material. The melted core material IS radioactive. Some of the melted core material dissolves in the water, and now the water carries the melted core material with it. So the water itself is clean, but it has dissolved radioactive materials and particles with it.\n\nIf you were to use ion-exchange and other types of filtration to separate the radiaoctive particles from the water, the water would come out clean and virtually non-radioactive."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: What’s the scientific term for the tingling sensation (almost like a ground) that you feel when you say “gives me the chills”, and why does it happen?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "It is technically called Piloerection! And it’s The same reason a dogs fur or spine-fur sticks out when it’s threatened, scared, or cold. The chills or goosebumps are typically a fear/excitement/body temp reaction. \n\nBack when humans used to be super hairy - when we’d be aroused, threatened, or cold, out hair follicles hardened, and continue to do so because of instinctual reaction to external stimuli. In fear or threatening situations - the hair follicles stiffen to make the hair stick and and appear bigger so that your enemy or threat will be more inclined to back off. In cold weather, your body does this to thicken the fur to disallow airflow and keep you warm. As far as excitement goes, like when you hear a good opera and you get chills - it’s because music that good can make you feel vulnerable, which circles back to fear. Your attention has become fixed on one thing for an extended amount of time, so now you’re aware or your surroundings suddenly and your hair puffs out to threaten other predators into thinking your bigger."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Star Wars] How would the Clone Wars have been different if Thrawn was the genetic template for the clone army instead of Jango?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Thrawn would have been a terrible choice for the clone army, because he's a strategist, not a foot soldier. Yes, you want your foot soldiers to have some intelligence and initiative. That's why they used Jango rather then some muscled up thug. \n\nBut Thrawn has too much ambition, and his prime skills are too strategic and big picture. An army of Thrawn's would be a million Generals and no Privates."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: How do live YouTube streams of TV shows get away with it?\n\nI've spent all day binge watching live YouTube streams of South Park, Family Guy and American Dad on my TV and it's been great\n\nBut I've been wondering how these streams survive considering that when full episodes of TV shows are uploaded to YouTube they are always quickly removed due to copyright."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Because streams cannot be easily automatically processed by Youtube's ContentID system. Someone would have to report the stream to the copyright holder, then they would have to contact Youtube to shut down the stream."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: What is actually happened when your eyes “adjust” to light?\n\nExamples: walking out of a movie theater during the day - when someone opens the blinds in a dark room."
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Two things happen: the fast response and the slow response. \n\n**Fast response to light:**\n\nYour iris dilates and makes your pupil (the hole in your eye through which light enters) larger so more light can get in. \n\n**Slow response to light:**\n\nWhen it’s dark, a chemical referred to as “visual purple” (I think its technical name is rhodopsin) gets secreted to your retina which makes the nerves more likely to fire when any photon hits it. That takes a lot of time to fade out of your eyes when it’s bright which explains why it takes so long for your eyes to adjust. \n\n**Fun factoid:**\n\n“Some historians” believe pirates are associated with eye patches not because of eye injuries but because of the need to rapidly go between the extreme Caribbean sun and the extreme dark below decks. Your eyes can adjust to light independently. So a theory is that pirates would switch the patch from one eye to the other to allow them to see well both above and below deck when fighting for control of a ship."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5 What do mosquitos do during they day?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "First of all, any individual adult mosquito only lives for about a week. During this time, mosquitoes will eat (fruits, nectar, other sweet substances), rest, and find mates. \n\nFemale mosquitoes will also find hosts from which to gather blood. They need the blood of animals to help with egg production as the blood is rich with proteins. The process by which the proteins in the blood are broken down and then reformed into eggs can take two to three days, depending on species and habitat conditions.\n\nLike many flies, mosquitoes lay their eggs in water; in doing so, the female will dip her ovipositor into the water over and over and create a \"raft\" of eggs. Eggs hatch into larvae in as little as 48 hours and become adult mosquitoes in one to two weeks.\n\nDid you have any other specific questions about mosquito behavior?"
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[40K] Can a Chaos God starve to death?\n\nLet's say everyone in the Galaxy promised to be on their best behavior and not spill any blood or fight for a few thousand millennia, would Khorne actually die after some time?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "The Cabal did have the plan to have the Horus Heresy succeed so humanity would burn out and deny a massive chunk of sustenance from Chaos, so they at least think so.\n\nAnd also in Fantasy, Slaanesh grew so bloated from consuming souls when the End Time blew up the world that s/he went into a food coma and was sealed off by surviving Aelves, so the opposite happens too apparently."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What happens to bacteria once it dies?\n\nAfter I boil water to kill bacteria, am I just drinking their corpses?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Yes, the denatured remains of proteins and other cellular components is present in any boiled water containing bacteria. The heat will denature secondary and tertiary structures of proteins, but usually not the primary structure."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: Why do we round 0.500 up to 1?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Because you have to round in one direction or the other, and we decided to pick up.\n\nNote this is not universal. In some financial accounting, you \"round towards even\". 3.5 would round to 4, but 2.5 would round to 2. The idea is to try to make the rounding errors cancel out."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: The Illuminati \n\nPeople are always talking about the 'evil' and 'secret' organisation known as the Illuminati. Whenever I look it up I find hour long YouTube documentaries on pop music videos and subliminal messaging. \n\nI don't get it. Can someone give me the gist of this whole thing?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Historically the name refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, a secret society founded in 1776. Due to it's secrerty, people have made up tons of conspiracies saying that the Illuminati secretly runs the media. No one knows for fact if it's true or not."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "[Pokemon] What have Jesse, James, and Meowth accomplished for Team Rocket?\n\nIt seems like all they ever do is chase one kid and his Pikachu and waste Team Rocket funds on elaborate machines that ultimately blow-up with nothing to show. What exactly have they done for the organization that not only warrants special communications with the Big Boss, but also special assignments to catch Pokemon in specific regions (looking at you X and Y series)?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "They're deeply loyal for one, and suck ups. No matter what mission they are offered, they will take it. Not to mention, they're quite powerful Pokemon trainers in their own right, who can contend with and sometimes beat Gym Leaders and Pokemon league levels of talent. You want to have somebody like that on your side, especially with James, who has a remarkable gift for bonding with Pokemon. \n\nAs for these machines? The three of them are some of the greatest enginners in Team Rocket, capable of constructing stealthy submarines, electrical containment systems, and all variety of contraption, all seemingly out of thin air as they almost never have money. When tested, these designs almost always have flaws, but after their initial field testing of the prototypes, the designs are sent back to Rocket Labs to be refined and produced. \n\nThey also have the knack of ending up right in the thick of things, be it gym challenges or legendary Pokemon encounters. It's valuable to have eyes on the ground, and they serve as an effective decoy. Their high visibility makes them serve in some ways as the public face of Team Rocket-which works just fine. Team Rocket is seen as a bunch of bumbling wanna-be gangsters, who don't really pose much of a serious threat, and allows the real efforts to operate in the shadows.\n\nOn their own, their schemes almost never get anywhere, but they produce valuable research and intel for the organization, and all they need is an occasional video call and someone to bail them out of jail."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: Why are dominantly slashing weapons curved? Why do some curve backwards, which some curve forwards?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Few curve forwards and those ones are usually more for special purposes. Medieval polearms with backward hooks such as bills were intended to allow you to grab onto riders and de-horse calvary, or pull shields away from their bearers, for example. \n\nFor the ones that curve backward and away from the point of impact, it's so you can cut better and reduces the chances that your weapon will get stuck. When the edge of your swinging weapon is straight and you connect, it's harder to slice the weapon out and do further damage than if it's a curved edge like a cutlass. Weapons like the longsword were largely \"hit, then pull backward from the direction you just swung to hit again\". With the cutlass or katana, you \"hit and continue slicing to pull your weapon free\" to do more damage, cut tendons and increase bleeding, you don't just pull it back."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "What is everyone's favourite philosophical quote?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "I don't know where this Deleuze quote is from (I think it's from an interview?) but it's on the back cover of one of his essay collections:\n\n>If you don't admire something, if you don't love it, you have no reason to write a word about it. Spinoza or Nietzsche are philosophers whose critical and destructive powers are without equal, but this power always springs from affirmation, from joy, from a cult of affirmation and joy, from the exigency of life against those who would mutilate and mortify life. For me, that is philosophy itself."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "Do contact with the virus work as booster shots for vaccinated/recovered people?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Kind of. The shot results in a predictable dose of antigen exposure, response, and zero risk of actual infection.\n\nAn exposure to the virus will absolutely provoke a response that will have a “booster” effect, but how much of a response will vary tremendously based on the nature of the exposure, and there’s obviously a risk of infection. Even asymptomatic infections cause tissue damage in lungs, so one would want to avoid that, if possible.\n\nThe booster effect exists in both cases, but they are not equivalent in safety, magnitude, or consistency."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "ELI5: at what point does electricity stop in water?\n\nObviously if we put live electricity in the sea, the whole ocean wouldn’t then become dangerous with it. At what point does the electricity stop? What stops it?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Depends on how you \"put electricity\" in.\n\nWhen lightning hits the ocean, it can more or less flow in any direction through the water, and the power dissipates accordingly. \n\nJust think of it expanding (hemi)spherically from the point it hits: the further it gets, the larger the area it covers becomes. The larger the area gets, the smaller the current per area becomes, until it is not noticeable any more."
}
] |
[
{
"from": "system",
"value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:"
},
{
"from": "human",
"value": "How do we get Vitamin D from the sun? Is it like photosynthesis in any way?"
},
{
"from": "gpt",
"value": "Photosynthesis is a process where photon is captured and its energy transported across a chain of molecules for the purpose of storing the said energy. This process is well-controlled at various steps, and organisms have evolved over the years to use the best spectrum of light available.\n\nIn humans the majority of Vitamin D synthesis requires sunlight at one stage, but the UV light just provides the activation energy to convert one isomeric form of provitamin D to another (i.e. there is no active storage of energy). This is a spontaneous process not requiring cellular machinery, and the effect is limited to the substrate and product."
}
] |
Subsets and Splits