[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
ELI5: Why do planes have to go so high if there isn't anything going on 2 or 3 thousand feet up?

I don't understand why planes don't just fly around about 500 or 1,000 feet up if there is nothing there to obstruct them. Why do they have to go so high? Because of the noise?

[Assistant] Many reasons. Jet engines operate most efficiently at higher altitudes, which means you use less fuel, which makes flying cheaper. If there is an emergency it is best to have as much altitude as possible underneath you, you have longer to sort out the problem or decide what to do while you are gliding. Also, ever lived near an airport? Jets are LOUD. Flying at 35,000 ft is a lot more pleasant for the people on the ground. Traffic separation is another reason, different types of aircraft tend to be much more common at different altitudes. Most people don't realize just how many aircraft there are in the sky at any given moment. You have to space them out in order to avoid collisions and keep things moving smoothly.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5 what is the difference between dry-aged meat and rotten meat?

[Assistant]
Rotten meat has been partially eaten by bacteria whose excrements are poisonous to humans.

Bacteria need a certain environment to survive; if meat is salted, smoked or dried, bacteria have a hard time surviving on and in it, and thus the meat keeps safe for human consumption for a longer time.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5: How are animal actors selected (auditioned/bred) during/for the audition process?

[Assistant]
Auditioning and breeding are two massively different things, so let's take them separately.

First, an animal breeder selects animals that have certain traits like appearance and intelligence and obedience. Generally the best acting animals had smart parents, and aren't dumb-as-a-post types like poodles or afghans, or hyperactive like irish setters.

Then training takes place to ensure the animal can follow commands. This can take years. Some individual animals train much better than others so the trainer selects those to put forward for the more challenging roles.

Finally the audition comes... and the audition is just as much about the handler/trainer as it is about the intelligence and obedience of the animal. Sure you want a gorgeous black horse when filming Black Beauty... but you might need a second no-so-gorgeous-but-smarter-or-gentler horse for some of the closer-in shots such as head-nuzzling an unconscious Aragorn or for the child-actors to ride. And they rely heavily on the reputation of the trainers and handlers to secure this.

So you're often getting a collection of animals for a specific role... and if that doesn't work out, there's always CGI to create those velociraptors or clone a few more for the dalmation puppy horde.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] [Star Trek] If I cooked a meal from scratch using entirely replicated ingredients would the end result taste the same as if I had replicated the completed dish in the first place?

[Assistant]
Well, no, there's going to be a certain alteration based on things like exactly how long you cook it.

But it probably won't taste exactly like if you actually had real chocolate chips and such, either.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5: why cant scars tan like the rest of your skin can?

[Assistant] In your skin, there are a couple different layers. In the most superficial layer, there are little cells called melanocytes that are responsible for tanning. A scar often damages the dermis and destroys these little cells and leaves a empty space that is filled in by the layer of skin just below epidermis, called the dermis. This layer of skin doesnt have these little cells and therefore cannot tan.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] [X-Men] Could Magneto use telepathy or mind control by manipulating electrical currents in the brain?

[Assistant]
While potentially he probably could affect the brainwaves through very concentrated magnetic emissions (he IS Master of Magnetism, after all), it's likely be one specific unique feat, non-replicable without certain circumstances.

Magneto can do virtually anything with magnetism, even things magnetism shouldn't be able to do, but those other things usually aren't done casually.

It's unlikely Magneto would be able to decipher brainwaves enough to count as telepathy or mind control, but he'll probably would be able to exert some crude form of influence if he has the chart on hand.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[The Village] What were the Creatures? Why did they even allow the settlers to colonize their forest? [SPOILERS]

The Creatures (also known as Those We Do Not Speak Of] were a fictional race developed by the leaders of the Village in order to keep the population frightened and under strict control.

However, I'm being "double-Watsonian":

In the story that the Elders made up, what are the creatures supposed to be?

What is their society like?

Why did they allow the settlers to colonize their forest?

What is so special about the color red (which attracts them) and the color yellow (which drives them away)?

How many of these Creatures are there? If the entire population decided to attack the Village, would they be able to overpower the humans?

[Assistant]
The Creatures were meant to be a physical embodiment of demons. The world outside the village was evil, the other towns were evil, the evil everywhere else was so palpable that you could actually see it walking in the woods. The demons were just an unnamed terror, proving that the outside world was evil and providing tangible consequences to the people who sinned or broke the rules of the village.

Basically just demons, unnamed but physical present vengeance against the wicked. Proof of the righteousness of the town.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
ELI5: How is it technically possible for a country that's billions or trillions of dollars in debt to give billions of dollars in aid?

This isn't an ideological question (as in, why should they), but more of a "how is this possible?" question.

[Assistant]
Simple, they collect taxes, spend some paying interest on loans, and spend the rest on programs and on aid.

In a simple way It's the same way you can go out to dinner even if you have a 120k mortgage you would take 30 years to pay off.

(This isn't really a great example, your personal debt is not really that similar to the national debt, so don't try to take the analogy to far, because it doesn't work).


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] If dark matter is a matter, then what would it look like if you held it in your hands?

[Assistant] Dark matter, according to the most popular theories at the moment, consists of **w**eakly **i**nteracting **m**assive **p**articles, or WIMPs. Because they interact so weakly, in particular having no electromagnetic interaction, WIMPs stream through you much like neutrinos do. Thus, you can't really hold dark matter in your hands, and if you could, somehow, it wouldn't look like anything, since it wouldn't interact with photons.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] Does brushing your teeth with a plastic toothbrush create micro and nano plastic particles? Could this be the cause of much of the plastic that turns up in our blood and stool?

[Assistant] It is one of a hundred different sources of microplastics that turn up in the body. Some microplastics are small enough to avoid the water purification process applied to tap drinking water and there are tiny amount of plastics that rub off from plastic packaging on food and drink. You are constantly exposed to it unfortuneately and its very diffcult to avoid.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[general] it seems there are a lot of different names for magic users but no difference. What is the difference and/or what separates witches, wizards, warlocks, sorcerers, mage, magician (in the real magic sense a la the magicians), and others?

I know for example necromancy is magic using souls/corpses and druids use a natural magic, but I'm confused about the more 'bland' names. What makes those I mentioned and others I might have missed different?

[Assistant]
* **Witch** = Unclear etymology. Possibly related to *Wigle*, the Old English word for Divination, or to *Wikkjaz*, a proto-Germanic word for 'One who wakes the dead' (i.e., the modern incarnation of Necromancer).
* **Wizard** = Wise (well, a prototypical version) + -Ard (an intensifier that implies constance: like Drunkard, Bastard, et c.). Could mean anything from a Philosopher to a Knower of the Future.
* **Warlock** = Old English for Traitor (Waer Leog = Covenant Denier). Started getting mixed into Magic when the term was applied to the Devil himself.
* **Sorcerer** = Sortiarius, Medieval Latin for "One who influences fate/fortune".
* **Mage** = A member of the Persian Priest caste.
* **Magician** = One who Magics. Arguably a catch-all term for the list.
* **Druid** = A member of the Celtic Priest caste.
* **Necromancer** = One who divines via communication with the dead.

* **n-mancer** = A diviner who gets their answers by "n-". Necromancers talk to the dead, Pyromancers see the future in the flames, Oneiromancers see portents in dreams, Cephalonomancers boil the head of an Ass, et c.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
ELI5 if an object accelerates in space without slowing, wouldn't it eventually reach light speed?

Morning guys! I just had a nice spacey-breakfast and read your replies! Thanks!
So for some reason I thought that objects accelerating in space would continue to accelerate, turns out this isn't the case (unless they are being propelled infinitely). Which made me think that there must be tonnes of asteroids that have been accelerating through space (without being acted upon by another object) for billions of years and must be travelling at near light speed...scary thought.

So from what I can understand from your replies, this isn't the case. For example, if debris flies out from an exploding star it's acceleration will only continue as long as that explosion, than it will stop accelerating and continue at that constant speed forever or until acted upon by something else (gravity from a nearby star or planet etc) where it then may speed up or slow down.

I also now understand that to continue accelerating it would require more and more energy as the mass of the object increases with the speed, thus the FTL ship conundrum.

Good luck explaining that to a five year old ;)

[Assistant]
Nope. Because of mass-energy equivalence, as something gains speed (kinetic energy) it actually becomes more massive. Any object will gain less and less speed per unit of force applied to it, to the point where reaching light speed (referred to in physics as *c*) requires an infinite amount of energy. Continuing to accelerate it would just add more decimal places to the end of its percentage of *c*. So something going 99% of light speed can be thrusted to 99.99999999...% until all the energy in the universe is exhausted, but never actually hit 100.

Reaching *c* is not just beyond our current ability to produce thrust. It's literally impossible to do with conventional physics.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
Will a transplanted body part keep its original DNA or slowly change to the hosts DNA as cells die and are replaced?

I've read that all the cells in your body die and are replaced over a fairly short time span.

If you have and organ transplant, will that organ always have the donors DNA because the donor heart cells, create more donor heart cells which create more donor heart cells?

Or will other systems in your body working with the organ 'infect' it with your DNA somehow?

[Assistant]
They remain the same.

Cells are not replaced, they multiply. One cell becomes two, two become 4. This is inhibited by the cells own mechanics and the mechanics of nearby cells to prevent them from infinitely multiplying. If a cell multiplies it'll first multiply it's own DNA. So if a cell from a transplanted organ multiplies it will multiply it's own DNA beforehand. Therefore the transplants DNA remains the same.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
Eli5: Genetics and DNA

I've read recently about fears of immunizations affecting DNA. I understand that this is not the case and that the injection is "Genetic Material" to give instructions to your body to replicate certain things.

What I don't understand is: Your genetics affect your future children; so by introducing genetic material aren't you changing the DNA of future humans?

If in fact this is the case isn't it possible that you won't see side effects of these injected materials until the next generation is born?

[Assistant]
DNA lives in the nucleus of your cell.  It makes mRNA, which is basically copies of the DNA (it has some structural differences), but in little snippets.  The mRNA goes out of the nucleus, and is used as a blueprint to build the proteins that particular genes code for.  mRNA does not get incorporated into the genome.  It doesn't change your DNA.  It isn't inherited.

Think of it like a library full of cookie recipes.  DNA are the actual recipe books.  We keep them locked up in the library so people don't fuck them up.  You can go in and get photocopies of specific pages and take them with you.  Those mRNA.  You use the information on those pages to make cookies (proteins) at home.  The photocopies are made out of really weak, crumbly paper, and your body will break them down over time.  The proteins they made will eventually wane too.  The library books themselves remain unchanged.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
ELI5: Why haven't we gone to the moon since 1972?

Our technology has advanced exponentially since 1972, but we have yet to go back to the moon. Is there a reason for this?

[Assistant] Technology has improved dramatically, but physics has not.  The cost of getting a kg of payload to orbit is still incredibly high.  Going to the moon is very expensive, and so far no one that can afford to do it has determined that it's worth the costs involved.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
Is it possible to create an LC oscillator circuit that emits gamma waves?

E.g. If a straight wire has am inductance, albeit a low one, and a capacitance, also low, and you cut a current to it very suddenly, wouldn't it form a LC oscillating circuit for a split second, with a frequency near the range of gamma rays?

[Assistant] No. You probably know that a LC circuit has a resonance of $\omega = 1/\sqrt{LC}$, so *in principle* you can find L, C values to make it resonate at any frequency, even at terahertz or exahertz, where the gamma rays lay. However, **this is only a model**, and is a valid approximation only for relatively low frequencies. For frequencies at the microwave range, other physical problems arise, and for frequencies even higher, the decay of your voltage is so large that for all practical purposes the circuit is a piece of wood without any conductivity. That's the reason electromagnetic waves in the visible spectrum are transmitted via fibers instead of metallic circuits, and this is even more true for gamma rays.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] [Worm] Exactly how does Lung's main power work exactly? Could someone explain to me in detail? Does it have any limits to it?

[Assistant]
His power is that he turns into a giant, fire breathing dragon with a healing factor.

He seems to simply get bigger and stronger the longer fights go on, but that's simply because he wins 99% of fights before he fully transforms.

Fully transformed and powered up he's able to trade blows with Leviathan and survive but isn't strong enough to defeat an Endbringer alone.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[HHGTTG] How does one "spend a year dead" and what is the tax incentive for doing so?

Ford meets Hotblack Desiato in Milliways and learns that he is spending a year dead "for tax purposes". How do they plan to bring him back after a year? What tax benefit will he gain as a result? Disaster Area's tax lawyers and accountants are supposed to be wizards of tax law, so I'm sure they have a plan, but I'd love to know more about it.

[Assistant]
Basically, if you are dead, you do not pay taxes.  Also, your current burdens transfer to someone else, so your previous tax debt is erased.  So, if you have a massive tax debt that is continuously building up every year, just die and it all goes away.

As for coming back afterwards, well, that takes a lot of hope and money.  Essentially, your mind is shunted to an alternate universe while your body is confirmed dead.  Think of the universe that our wonderful president visited in order to survive the TPV.  Just spend a year there and then come back.  Easy enough.  The trick is to keep your body fresh while still technically being dead.  You cannot pump blood, have brain waves, or breathe.  Very tricky and expensive to do.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] [Power Rangers] Generally (because I assume it's different team to team) what happens to a rangers body and mind when they morph?

[Assistant]
So the main thing is that the Ranger Form is sort of a template that their body "morphs" into. This can lead to odd cases where someone whose default body is very different than the template of their Ranger Form has a drastic physical change occur when they morph. Such as Anubis "Doggie" Kruger losing his snout, or Justin Stewart growing up in size to match his teammates.

The Ranger Form has enhanced strength, speed, durability, reflexes, and often in-grained combat training.  (At least some Rangers have an HUD in their helmet that guides them, others just have instincts programmed in.)

So basically, they get transformed into a superhuman wearing brightly colored material that bares a close resemblance to, but is not actually, spandex.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Room 1408] What is in Room 1408? Serious answers only, please.

Samuel Jackson's character says "it's an evil fucking room."

[Assistant]
There's nothing *in* it, per se. It's simply that it's in a bad, bad place.

Even the youngest of the Manni could tell ya about Bad Places. Lines and beams intersect and make powerful points, sure, but it cuts both ways. Sometimes good lines cross.

Sometimes the lines ain't so good, ya kennit?


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5: why after signing into some websites a screen will say "you will be redirected in 5 seconds," why not just redirect immediately and not show this?

[Assistant] Usually there are some safety checks happening in the background and instedad of showing nothing it displays this message. Also sometimes this is a feature to defend against brute force attacks as it makes you wait everytime.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5:How did scientists measure the age of the universe if spacetime is relative?

[Assistant]
Measuring the age of the universe doesn't really involve relativity because we're not comparing reference frames from different observers. If have 2 observers in 2 different reference frames, they might not agree on the age of the universe, but that's not really useful information for us.

The main way we've measured the age of the universe is by measuring it's rate of expansion and working backwards. The further away an object is, the faster it's accelerating away from us. From this, we were able to make a model of the universe's expansion, and work backwards to when it was first expanding.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
ELI5: a cup of water suspended in a pot of boiling water will reach 100C. Why won't it boil?

According to the website:

>The water in the cup does, eventually, reach approximately 100C. However, unlike the water that's near the stovetop, once the water in the cup reaches  100C, it is at the same temperature as its heat source (the surrounding water).
>
>Since there is no temperature difference, at this point, there will be no more heat flow into the cup. With no incoming heat flow, the water in the cup will never boil.

Is the answer simply that it never actually reaches 100? I find that unlikely because it seems like the information on the website contradicts itself.

[Assistant]
A gram of water at 100C still has a lot less energy than a gram of steam at 100C.

To make that final jump the water must absorb a lot more energy from somewhere, and since the boiling water surrounding it is also 100C the net heat transfer between the two bodies is zero.

The actual vaporizing is occurring at the bottom of the pot, where flames many hundreds of degrees hotter than the water continue to pump heat into the system.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[28 Weeks Later] How does an infected person tell someone is non-infected when they're over 100 yards away and sprinting?

They don't attack their own, so how do they know who to chase and who to ignore when everyone is running around?

[Assistant]
Multiple senses, most likely.  Probably mostly smell, like a shark with blood in the water.  But the non-infected also behave differently, move differently.

Once they detect some deviation from what they instinctively know is infected patterns, they go after it.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5: Why do medics keep you awake when youve had a traumatic injury? Why would being unconscious be more dangerous?

[Assistant]
Until the patient has time to get to a hospital and get good diagnosis, it is hard for anyone in the field to determine (other than gross external injuries) what actually is the most urgent issue. The patient is actually the best guide (location of pain, what happened etc) to assist them for immediate treatment. They will often want to know if the patient has any existing conditions, allergies or on medication as this informs them what they should avoid.

In the case of head injuries and internal bleeding, in particular, there might be very little external signs. But if the patient cannot maintain consciousness or follow simple instructions, it might be indicative that there could be trauma and this needs more attention.

Once a patient loses consciousness, a large part of this feedback mechanism is lost.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5: Who is the owner of all the .com domain names? When I'm paying for one, what does the company actually do in order to generate it for me? It's not like they've already have it and they'll just hand it over to me. It never existed in the first place.

[Assistant] Websites are just files on a computer somewhere. That computer has an address, just like your house. But people would rather use a word in the browser to go directly to the site, not the series of numbers which is the address of the computer. And so when someone types in the name, a computer out in the internet needs to convert the word into an address of the specific computer the relevant files are stored in. Someone needs to keep that list and allow for changes, otherwise there would be difficulties reaching the site you want. But people all over the world need the list to be available, so there are computers out there that have all the address information. And they need to be all the same, that way you know what to expect when you use a specific name, no matter where you are. And this is a complicated thing, so smart people have to make sure it always works. And they also have to make sure that if someone wants a name to correspond to their computer and no one else's computer, someone needs to make sure that there are no names used twice. And there are so many people wanting an internet lookup name for their website that it is an important job with lots of work to do, and someone has to pay those people. And if these names were free, big businesses would buy up all the possible names, and you couldn't get any names because they are all gone. Some companies figured out how to get a name registered on the list, so they help others do it, but they need to be able to buy food, so they have to be paid.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] [The Simpsons] Why does Grampa refuse to recognize Missouri as a state?

[Assistant]
Well, that story begins in 19-dickety-two. They had to say "dickety" cause that Kaiser had stolen our word "twenty". Abe Simpson chased that rascal to get it back, but was forced to give up after dickety-six miles.

This of course was the distance to the state line. Once the Kaiser had escaped across the border into Missouri, he convinced  local county deputies to arrest Abe, who in his haste to pursue the Kaiser had neglected to wear an onion on his belt.

So crudely dressed, and still enraged at the Kaiser, Abe offended the officers' courtly sensibilities and was arrested. He was issued a fine of dickety dollars, but refused to pay.

He only managed to engineer his escape by provoking a fierce fight to break out between the sheriff's pet cat and a police bloodhound, little knowing this incident would escalate into the infamous kibble massacre, commonly believed to be the starting point for the feline-canine war that troubles us to this day.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
Is there a theoretical maximum of magnification/zoom (for a telescope/microscope)?

Is there a phisycal limit of a  possible magnification/zoom? Or we could theoretically zoom to an atom in a grain of sand on a planet in a galaxy 1 billion light years away?

Thanks!

[Assistant]
Yes, there is a limit given by diffraction. A single atom in a galaxy far away, even if it would be bright enough (it is not...), would lead to spot of light of finite size in the camera/eye. An atom next to it would lead to a spot that is basically identical - the shift (from a different position) is so tiny compared to the spot size that it is impossible to tell them apart.

The limit of diffraction is given by the size of the telescope (the size of the primary mirror) and the wavelength. With 10 meters diameter you can see structures twice as fine as with 5 meters diameter. Interferometry adds light from multiple telescopes and mimics a single, larger telescope, that can improve the resolution as well, especially for radio telescopes where you can combine telescopes from all over Earth.

For microscopes, the limit of diffraction does not depend on their size, but on how much solid angle they cover around the object: ideally they collect all light emitted by the object. Then they can resolve structures roughly as large as the wavelength used. There are some clever methods to see even smaller structures, but they are much more complicated.

The brightness of the source can also limit what you can see: to get an image, you need a sufficient amount of light. Smaller structures usually emit less light.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
ELI5: When Dinosaurs went extinct, how can scientist say that they evolved into birds?

I'm no expert but doesn't an E.L.E. (extinction level event, thanks Deep Impact) pretty much wipes out everything that can't survive? Wouldn't it take a really really long time for a Dinosaur to evolve into a birds as we know it today? Wouldn't they have died out long before they had a chance to?

Edit: Thank you for dropping knowledge asteroids on me!

[Assistant]
The extinction event that we describe as wiping out dinosaurs didn't kill everything. At the time there were dinosaurs that were markedly birdlike. Some of these survived, and have subsequently evolved into the modern form of what we call birds today.

If you wanted to be technical, you can in fact say that dinosaurs are not extinct, as birds would thus qualify as dinosaurs.

Likewise, small shrew like antecedents to modern day mammals survived, evolving into the mammalia we see today, including ourselves.

The extinction event did not 'reset the clock' back to the origin of life, essentially, it simply eliminated a significant amount of the existing species.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[WH40k] What do the Space Marine chapters get out of fighting for the Imperium?

So the Imperium gets an army of 8 foot tall super-soldiers and the Marines get.....to die gloriously? Do they even get paid? Why haven't some of the Chapters just followed Ultramars lead and established their own mini imperiums? Just make their own deals with the mechanicus and let the Imperium drown in a sea of tyranid and ork.

[Assistant] They are, for the most part, thoroughly indoctrinated into the imperial cult and would never question the will of the emperor.  The ones that still maintain some semblance of autonomy want to fight the enemies of the emperor anyway, even if they didn't have to.  They literally live to fight.  They have no desire to hold lands or own material trinkets.  Monetary wealth is of no value to them.  Even if a chapter did commit the unthinkable heresy of trying to carve out their own empire they would be attacked by chapters specifically created to combat traiter space marines.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
ELI5: Why is balogna pronounced Ba low knee?

Or is it just accents ?

[Assistant]
Bologna*

Bologna is the name of a town in Italy, and as an Italian word it is pronounced as "Bolonya" (where both "o" are pronounced as the "o" in "order" and the "a" is pronounced as the "a" in "father", and the "ny" is pronounced SORT OF as the "ny" in "canyon" (for a more precise equivalent, see Spanish "")

That pronunciation you say is just the one adapted to a certain English accent.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Marvel] Why is Captain America superior to Spider-Man?

I know that in Marvel canon Captain can take down Spidey. However, if you look at their abilities on paper it seems Spider-Man should be able to defeat him without breaking a sweat. So I'm curious if there's an in universe explanation for Cap's dominance.

[Assistant]
He's actually not superior to Spider-Man, except in experience and tactics. The few times that they've actually crossed paths and had to fight, Spidey is acknowledged as holding back because he's a Cap fanboy.

Whoever told you that Cap is superior to Spidey lied to you.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Hellraiser] What exactly do self mutilation and extreme BDSM have to do with order?

The Cenobites are servants of Leviathan, an ancient, all powerful god obsessed with order. So why does it allow its footsoldiers to experiment on themselves randomly in the search for newer experiences of pain and pleasure? Surely a being obsessed with order would want its followers to be orderly and uniform, not mutilating themselves in chaotic, random, and unique ways.

[Assistant]
Order? Does Pinhead look like he cares for *order*?

The Cenobites are demons to some, angels to others, centered around only one thing: the pursuit of experiencing sensation. They have taken sadomasochism to the point of seeing no difference between extreme pain and pleasure, ripping apart and tearing back together simply to feel, for to feel is all they can feel. Leviathan wants the souls the Cenobites bring from the Lament Configuration to pursue that exploration of sensation, which is why it attracts hedonists like Frank who was obsessed with seeking pleasure and couldnt handle having touched on all of Earths. And then his desire led him to the box to solve it and find that supposed pleasure, and we all know what calls the Cenobites


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
Can I become a scientist?

Hi all. So, for better or for worse, here is my background. I am 25 years old and want to change up my whole career.

Based off of my parents' choices, I went down their intended path of studying law for my Bachelor's. Unfortunately, the interest was not there. After I graduated in 2014, I wanted to pursue my dream of becoming a wildlife biologist and introduced this to my parents, whose house I stayed in. Indeed to say the least, things were thrown and words were shouted. They told me that I should go and do something with some relation to my degree, so I began a Masters in Management in Europe with a hope that I would find something I liked and could find a career in.

At the tail end of my Masters here and after getting fired from a 9-5 corporate internship, I had an epiphany that I really do want to be a scientist and don't want to do anything else. But can I change? Is it too late? After threats of disownment from my parents I have decided to break away.

My plan is to begin a BSc in Biology in October via distance learning, which would, if plans are right to become a zoologist, take me to a Masters and Ph.D. But I realize that with the time I've spent already, my CV would look very strange, something like this:

Bachelor of Laws, LL.B.

MSc in Management

Bachelor of Science, Biology

MSc Zoology

Ph.D. (Some area)

Does this look too weird to be hired? And should I leave out my previous study experience?

[Assistant]
It's never too late.  It's not too weird.  You should *not* leave out your previous studies (if anything, it makes you a more interesting candidate and shows, presumably, some maturity on your part now).  Don't forget what you learned before; it can be surprisingly useful.

Likely the most difficult thing will be resolving the upcoming family drama.  Plan ahead for that and make sure you can devote sufficient time to your studies so you do well (which then may help convince your family you are viable in your chosen field).


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Warhammer 40000] What is life like, in general, for a mid-level noble on a Hive world?

Assuming they live in the "middle" of the spires and nothing exceptional special in any way shape or form other than being a member of the upper class.

*  How privileged are they?
* What do they do day to day?
* How wealthy are they?
* How are they treated if they go off-world?
* What can they afford easily, not so easily, and very rarely?

And so on.

[Assistant]
As a noble, even a low tier one with maybe a couple of holdings and a modest compound in a relatively nice part of the hive, you're pretty well off. You don't really have to work *that* much aside from the occasional visit to your mine or factory or whatever to make sure the peasants aren't shorting you.

You can go about your day without being harassed by the local law enforcement, you've got enough money to do just about anything you want, which usually includes boozing and "studying" (read, boozing with friends in the proximity of books, unless you've got pretensions of intellectualism in which case, probably talking about *not quite heretical* texts), collecting an assortment of weird crap, and general idle rich behaviour. You probably blow more money in a day on little cheesy things on sticks than the middle class will ever see.

As a mid-level noble, you'll probably be attending the endless stream of social functions, dutifully snickering along with whoever you throw your lot in with that's higher on the social ladder and occasionally covering for their indiscretions, be they romantic, criminal or social. If you're smart, you bow out when the inquisition shows up and you get to live and possibly take their place.

If you're going off world, you may have been granted a do-nothing title by the governor due to familial or social obligations. You'll probably be wined and dined but likely condescended to by the local nobility.

If you're in a collecting mood, you'll probably have some decent copies of whatever your interest lies in. A second generation copy of a Mars Pattern duelling sword, a good print of devotional artwork of the Emperor and his Sons, what have you. If your tastes run to the more heretical, well, you're likely going to get noticed because you probably don't have enough money that, say, a Wraithbone pendant wouldn't cause a noticeable fluctuation in your finances, and boy do the Administratum and the Inquisition have some good accountants. On a more practical note, you'll probably have a decent sized household staff, likely a *quite small* warp capable vessel and probably a fairly high end Air-car.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5:Why can most super cars barely break 200 mph yet land speed records back in the 1930s are over 300 mph?

[Assistant] because cars designed to break land speed records are purpose built for doing just that and only that...i.e. go down the bonneville salt flats in a straight line.  Supercars today are designed to go around tracks, keep the driver air conditioned, alive in the event of a crash, conserve fuel and be driven on regular streets.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
What effect, if any, does repeatedly uninstalling and re-installing identical software have on devices over a period of time?

I don't like to have a lot of programs on my computer which leads to me being somewhat fickle with my program installations. I am wondering what effect this habit may have on the lifetime of a computer if repeated somewhat regularly.

[Assistant] That rather depends on the software and the installer program.  Some programs have such lousy uninstallers that they leave behind data and libraries that will take up disk space even though they are no  longer being used.  If you re-install, though, you likely delete and re create those components..  And, if you have a solid state drive, repeated installation and removal will reduce the life of the drive.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
CMV: The society in Pokmon are a bunch of assholes for capturing and confining Sentient Pokmon against their will, forcing them to fight against their own species so trainers can become rich and famous

I have never been into Pokmon even as a little kid, but it has always seemed like the entire premise of Pokmon has some really dark undertones to it. Sure, most trainers do treat their Pokmon with love and protection, but the species has had their freedom striped from them by being forced to live a life of violence and confinement.

Once they are captured they will never return to their love ones, and will be forced to spend the rest of their life fighting, not to mention a lot of these pokemon have very human like characteristics, but are unable to consent to being captured. I believe that this is no way to live, change my view.

[Assistant]
I feel like you haven't really watched the cartoon very much. In the cartoon most of the Pokemon greatly enjoy the  battles that they engage in.

The battles are much closer to boxing matches than to actual fights. There are rules and restrictions, and neither party aims to seriously injure the other. That's part of what makes Team Rocket so nefarious. They don't play by the rules. Most Pokemon are excited to compete and get great pleasure out of winning.

It's unknown what it's like inside pokeballs, but very few Pokemon ever express any type of aversion to bring placed inside them. Do they enter stasis? Do they travel to a different dimension? We don't know.

In fact, some wild Pokemon voluntarily enter the service of a trainer (bulbasaur, squirtle). Others are given every opportunity to be free but refuse it (charmander). Still other wild Pokemon are caught by force but quickly become devoted to their trainer and their new lifestyle (caterpie).


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Star Wars] When Luke gets a new mechanical hand, why does it still allow him to perceive pain?

I remember the droid attending to his hand would pinch the tips of his fingers with a needle and Luke would feel something like a jolt. I'm assuming that is just a pain receptor. But why? Why make the new bionic hand of your's feel pain?

I'm assuming he'd still want the sensation of touch, but is it not possible to 'feel' something without actually it harming you?

[Assistant]
What if he put his arm in an oven and didn't even realize it because he couldn't feel pain? He'd ruin his robot hand.

Also, having the same range of feeling helps with acclimatizing the patient to their new condition, and reduces the feeling of a "phantom limb".


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5: Why do cigarettes contain so many harmful chemicals? Why are they not just filled with pure tobacco?

[Assistant] Most of those chemicals are the resulting products from burning tobacco. There are also binding agents, preservatives, flavorants, and additives that make manufacturing easier, but tobacco is the major contributor to the carcinogenic chemicals present in smoke.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
CMV: There should be a right to repair law

Inspired by recent news that Apple will be making future devices much more difficult to work on for end users and third parties, requiring proprietary software even for basic hardware fixes. But it's not just Apple, other companies have come under fire for preventing end-users from performing their own repairs, such as John Deere tractors.

I'm actually on the fence of this one. On the one hand I realize there may be legitimate reasons for company's to want their products only serviced by them. Also, it's a matter of free-market and this kind of regulation is a pretty significant limitation on how a private company can build and sell products and services. Also, I realize the complexity of many modern products means that end-user servicing is not feasible anyway.

On the other hand, I feel like many of these practices have no legitimacy outside profit motives, and are anti-consumer because they effectively limit the customers ability to use their property freely, even when they own it outright. These practices also effectively contribute to planned obsolescence, because if the company declines to support the product anymore than it can have a shorter useful lifespan. This leads to more waste and dilutes the value of the product.

Consumers already have limited protection under the Magnuson Moss warranty act. This act clarifies that companies can't unilaterally deny warranty claims just because the product was repaired with third party parts or at a third party services center. But companies can get around this by making consumer-side repairs physically impossible (for example a phone company gluing its electronics together just to make repair impossible...forcing consumers to replace rather than fix). So my view is these consumer protections should be extended to limit these types of practices.

Because I anticipate this argument already, I think the law can have exceptions, such as for products that are leased or when there is a legitimate need for the product to be built that way.

[Assistant]
There shouldn't need to be a right to repair law.

Rather, intellectual property law needs to be weakened (specifically: Repeal the DMCA) so that it becomes impossible to abuse to strip property buyers from the right to modify their own, purchased, property.

The loss of 'right to repair' is accidental, a function of harmfully draconian enforcement of IP law. Remove that draconian intellectual property law and businesses will no longer have the power to tell people what to do with the stuff they buy.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
How good are undergraduate papers, typically?

This is a question for grad students and undergraduates who have served as a TA, as well as professors of course. I am curious what quality of paper undergraduates tend to produce, in general, excluding unusually high and low quality papers.

I would appreciate examples or excerpts if you can provide them.

[Assistant] There's a huge range. Freshmen papers often don't make much sense. Some students never get much better. Some upperclassmen are quite good. It's rare (but not impossible) for an undergraduate paper to be good enough to present a novel and convincing argument for a philosophically interesting conclusion. But many are written in a crisp, clean style; demonstrate good understanding of the material; set up the problem well; and rehearse many of the best arguments for a given view.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] [Married with Children] How could Al Bundy afford a house when he was making minimum wage?

[Assistant]
He seemingly was more successful in the beginning of his career (was salesman of the year in 1968) and likely bought the house then.  Prices and interest rates would have been lower vs the later 70s and 80s.   And a 20 year mortgage is not out of the question.

So by the late 80s and 90s maintenance, insurance, and taxes may have been all they were paying.

Changes in the shoe industry during that time could have accounted for some of that.  It is likely that early in his career he was in a well paid commission based position.   But by the 90s such positions were rarer and the commissions were lower.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
Why are random access speeds of flash memory different from their sequential access speeds?

I understand that on rotational disks, sequential reads and writes are faster than random ones because the head is already in place to read sector B after it reads sector A, and moving over to sector Z takes time. But a flash device has no moving parts. Why is reading page A followed by page B faster than reading page A followed by page Z?

[Assistant]
There are two primary factors that cause sequential and random access to have different speeds:

* Sequential access allows future activity to be predicted and acted on ahead of time. Future data can be prefetched either in parallel with the current read, or after the read is complete but before the operating system has time to process the response (so it is ready before the next request). This saves time resolving wear-leveling mappings [1] and reading the data from discontinuous blocks if a sequential request is received next. This is similar to why sequential RAM access is a big deal when designing data structures when programming, because reading sequential RAM is extremely fast due to future requests being cached ahead of time.
* An SSD has a maximum buffer size for the amount of data it can read in a single request. Random reads are often smaller than sequential reads in real-world situations. It will take more requests from the operating system to read the same amount of data in smaller segments than in a single large segment because some of the buffer space is wasted (unused) for each request if the random chunks are smaller than the buffer size.

[1] Because flash blocks can only be rewritten a limited number of times, any practical consumer SSD will implement wear leveling. This essentially means that blocks are not contiguously and permanently assigned in the order the operating system sees them in when it reads the disk. The SSD automatically remaps which physical blocks store data to avoid overusing a single block to the point of failure.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] eli5: Why are games sold in disks? Wouldn't usb drives be more efficient and save space on the console?

[Assistant]
USB drives are much more expensive. They don't seem like they're that expensive, maybe $10 or so for one with the same storage as a blu-ray. But when you're mass manufacturing, a single blu-ray disc costs pennies to produce. Shipping on USB drives would either increase the price of games or make less profit for the publishers.

Also, as we go into the next generation of consoles, USB drives won't be fast enough. The SSDs that are going to be in next gen consoles wipe the floor with the speeds of a USB drive, so you'd have to install them to the SSD anyway.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
I'm helping a student with her college app and she wants to include childhood sexual abuse. Thoughts?

She's a high school senior applying to college. I saw her first draft and she touched upon some early childhood sexual abuse while she was still in her native country. I didn't pry too much, but it wasn't anyone in her immediate family.

Should this be included or is that a bad idea? I wasn't planning on making the experience the focus of the essay, but I thought it might be important enough to include. She seems fairly well adjusted now.

Also, I know that there are mandatory reporting laws. How would that factor in this kind of scenario where the abuser is on the other side of the world?

[Assistant] Usually applications are to show the strength of the student as a good fit for the program they are applying for. If she thinks that writing about her past sexual abuse will prove to other people how strong an academic candidate she is, then she should write about it. If it does not, then she should not be writing about it.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Star Wars] Did the outside of the Death Star have its own gravity? That is, is there any reason the pilots attacking couldn't fly in the trench "upside-down" or even parallel to the sides of the trench?

EDIT: Enough of a gravitational pull to matter, I should say.

[Assistant]
Everything with mass has it's own gravity so yes, the DS does.

Nope, no reason at all they couldn't fly inverted. It wouldn't be wise though as if you need to break off your attack run and pull out of the trench, right side up will pull positive G's where as upside down will pull more dangerous negative G's.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Destiny] What is going on?

Just started playing destiny 2. Have no idea what the plot points are.

Why can't I die? What is the light? What is my goal?

[Assistant] Broadstrokes here.  The traveler (big floating orb)  showed up one day.  Accelerated humanity into a golden age of colonization and prosperity.  Terraformed most of the solar system and generally was good.  The darkness showed up centuries later to kill the traveler.  Traveler tried to run away but an ai that controls nearly every weapon in the system forced it to stay.  Big ugly battle breaks out most of humanity is wiped out.  The traveler pretty much cripples itself to save what it could.  Guardians are chosen people and machines of the traveler given a sliver of it's power to protect everything that's left.  They're nearly immortal. If their ghost dies they can't be revived.  And super powered.  They defend the last city and a few other bastions against the darkness and other monsters.  Your goal as a Guardian is to beat back the darkness and save the system.  You fight the fallen who were previously aided by the traveler but abandoned.  The vex time traveling race of machines.  The cabal conquering space turtles of doom.  And the space wizard guys that are half dead and worship worms and the darkness itself.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Star Wars] Why do the ill-equipped Rebels have superior Starfighters such as the X-wing?

The Republic had the Arc-170, which seems to be the precursor to the X-wing. So why didn't the empire use starfighters which have shields, hyperdrive, life support, better firepower, etc. In real life, the 5th gen fighters seem to belong to the countries with the biggest wallets. Surely the empire could afford these things if the rebels could.

[Assistant]
The empire's strategy was to overwhelm with sheer numbers from one large transport ship.  The average star destroyer could only carry so many ships.  They preferred light cheap tie fighers so they could field a LOT of them.

The rebellion didn't have as much funds or transport options, so they needed the most bang for their buck, hence investing in the X-Wings.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5: Why do cats paw at blankets or beds before they down?

[Assistant] Typically this is something that young kittens do to make milk flow more freely while they're with their mother. In older cats it's a sign of the cat being particularly at ease in its surroundings. Sometimes you'll even see a cat appear to lick the blanket at the same time.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5: There are never more than 4 World Cup games on a day. Why do they need 12 venues?

[Assistant] I think the healthiness of the grass is one of the major factors. If a pitch is played on constantly the grass would be destroyed. They probably wait a few days to get some good watering and a cut to get it back up to scratch.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
ELI5: Why would allowing companies to extend their intellectual property rights as long as they were using the property be a bad thing?

I've been pondering this for a while and I get the argument for the public domain but with the protections that fan created art and fiction get under fair use laws why would it be bad for Disney or any other corporation to try and retain the rights to their core IP so long as they were using it?

[Assistant]
The original concept of Intellectual Property was to grant TEMPORARY protections on an idea, with the understanding that it would eventually enter the public domain so that society could benefit from it outside of a profit-generation center.

Disney obviously wants to protect how people can use Mickey, and wants to continue making money off of things it created.  Eventually it should enter the public domain, but people are having trouble defining when that should be.  Is it more important for the public to use things creatively? Or is it more important to protect initial investments in expensive IP for as long as it's deemed useful by the investors?


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Star Wars] Is it ever explained how Palpatine achieved such great power at such a young age. Comparing with Yoda who was hundreds of years old, and Anakin a literal being chosen by the force.

Palpatine has been regarded as the strongest sith lord ever in Legends. not sure if that still holds true in current EU canon, though it does in the movies. but his power is never really explained. he's an elderly presumably human male. but has achieved power that equals the strongest ancient Jedi and force "Jesus" Where did his power come from?

[Assistant] In legends the commonly accepted theory is that he was essentially the Chosen One of the Dark Side, called the Sithari. He does pretty much fit the description and did the things the prophecy said he would. He himself also thinks this is the case.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Fantastic 4] What is the anatomy of THE THING. Like if you cut his arm does blood came out or just dirt ? Is there any circulation inside. What's his lungs look like? If his legs got amputated can what can we see?

I NEED ANSWERS!!!!!

[Assistant] The Orange Hide is rock like, but Thing can bleed.  In *Fantastic Four* \#374 , he was gashed by Wolverine and bled.  There's a couple of other instances where Thing has bled  -- fighting Thor and The Champion.  Bottom line: Thing has incredibly durable and thick (couple inches) skin that when penetrated fully will cause him to bleed.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] [Warhammer 40K] if the Tau empire dropped the dogma that bans melee, how good would they be with it?

[Assistant]
Not great- they're physically quite a bit weaker the humans, with even the fire caste being weaker then the average human. Their battlesuits can overcome that, but they don't have the resources to give every fire caste solider one (imagine giving every soldier in the army their own private army tank)

They banned melee for a good reason- it's not an area that they're very good at.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] [My Hero Academia] How would Stain judge Bakugo?

[Assistant] Bakugo is a hero because he wants to win.  He wants to be the strongest around.  There's a core of nobility in Bakugo (as evidenced by his refusal to join the League of Villains), but Stain probably wouldn't look kindly on Bakugo because his heroics are still predicated on selfish feelings.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] [Marvel] Would magneto be able to completely disable Ultron?

[Assistant]
He is made of Adamantium, so Magneto would be able to rip him apart, crush him into a ball, or basically do whatever he wants.

Ultron's circuits have been damaged by the inertia of impact before in spite of the adamantium armor being undamaged, so Magneto most likely would have very little trouble dispatching this heap of junk.

As Wolverine knows, not even the unbreakable adamantium is beyond the significant powers of the Master of Magnetism.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
What is will supposed to be free from?

I have read the FAQ looking for an answer to this question, but the questions there seem to more focused on physics than the question I have.

We often hear people talking about free will, but from what I can see will is actually very limited and constrained. I have a few examples to explain.

Napoleon never wanted to go Christmas shopping in New York. I live in Europe and Christmas shopping in New York is something people sometimes do as a vacation. Napoleon (or anyone living in his time) would rarely have wanted this since a) traveling back and forth across the Atlantic would have been to time consuming, b) Christmas shopping was not as much of a thing then as it is now, and c) if you wanted to go Christmas shopping, New York would be a very weird place to travel to to do it since it wasnt a bug city but a rather poor place.

Based on this example, will is limited by technological development (I cant want to do something if there is no reasonable technological way to achieve it or I am unfamiliar of the technological possibility). I have never considered Christmas shopping on the moon just as Napoleon most likely didnt consider doing it in New York. My grandfather never wanted a Facebook account since he died two years before Facebook was created.

Will is also limited by culture. If you are not in the cultural habit of buying a lot of things for Christmas or celebrate Christmas you probably dont even think about Christmas shopping or want to do it.

Will is limited by societal development. New York might be nice for Christmas shopping now, but there were probably better places to spend money in Napoleons time (Paris would be the obvious choice).

Will is limited by knowledge. I like to try new kinds of food but there are most certainly foods I dont want to try because I dont know they exist. There are jobs I would like to have and am qualified for, but I dont know the company is hiring or maybe even that it exists, so I dont have a want to work there.

Will is limited by physical and mental ability. I dont want to run a marathon, because my knee is busted after a skiing accident. If my knee was in good shape its possible I would have had long distance running as a hobby, but since I know it wont happen I have crossed it if my list of things I want. I actually very much want to not run due to the pain it would cause. On the other hand there are forms of exercise I have tried and like due to my injury and rehab training that I would probably not want to do if I didnt have my injury.

There is also the issue of financial limitations that shape wants and desires. Sure, just about everyone would say yes to a two week vacation at a luxurious resort if it was offered, but financial realities mean that few people actually have it as a mental possibility.

Just as will is limited, some directions of will is encouraged. Ads are the obvious example of encouraging the will to have things and certain lifestyles. Music and movies show things as desirable and creates the want for things and lifestyles, and beauty standards. Our very choice of partner is most likely influenced by the beauty standards set by ads, music, magazines and movies/TV. Friends and family encourage values and thereby will. Politicians and pundits try to make people want certain things and seem to be at least a bit successful.

A lot of things limit our will, and a lot of things pull our will in certain directions. With all these things steering will, how can will be considered free? For those who claim that will is free, what is it free from?

[Assistant] Classic incompatibilists claim that for a will to truly be free it must be free from natural causes/laws. Because most people think this is absurd, this leads to hard determinism. Others reject the idea that all phenomena can be reduced to those described in the language of natural science; i.e. social phenomena like 'person' and 'action' that make up social reality are missed by explanations strictly in terms of physical laws. This leads to the thought that freedom may be a matter of social constitution and recognition, and agency a social and historical achievement, rather than metaphysical fact.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
What causes that sensation of feeling "guilty/bad"?

When I do something that I know I shouldn't I often get a feeling that can only really be described as a very unpleasant feeling in my head. I know when we do something good the brain rewards us with dopamine. Is there something that happens when we do something that is bad?

[Assistant]
From a psychological cognitive-behavioral perspective with a background in trauma

There are two types of emotions: natural and manufactured. Natural emotions are the ones that everyone feels given a situation. For example, we feel sad when we lose someone we care about. Another example would be that we get happy when we obtain something desireable. Manufactured emotions are those that take some type of interpretation. Guilt is considered a manufactured emotion because you have to interpret personal fault for causing something. Let's say that you are on a convoy in a combat zone. You were the lead vehicle, but you had to pull-over to assess a situation. You signal to the vehicle behind you to continue forward. That vehicle ends up running over a bomb and the people inside all die. If interpreted in a certain fashion, you could make the judgement that the bomb was meant for you and since you decided to pull over, caused the others to die. This takes some cognitive tricks such as only focusing on certain aspects of an event and ignoring other evidence. You would have to avoid recognizing that someone else placed the bomb there, that you didn't know the bomb was there beforehand, or that combat environments are complicated and intense. Therefore, guilt is a result of an event and how you make sense of it.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Dead Space] Is it possible to safely contain a marker?

Hi, I've been contracted by EarthGov to design a containment facility for a red marker. We recently discovered a way to extract a ridiculous amount of electricity from them, so the plan is to start installing one at each major colony.

The problem is, when I took this job they unsealed a bunch of records for me and the general historical consensus for facilities like mine isn't good. I need help designing a containment facility that won't turn into a meaty hellscape after a few months of operation, do you guys have any ideas?

I'm particularly worried about the effect red markers have on the human mind. I need my personnel at their best to make sure the other security measures function the way they should, and I can't have that if they're scrawling insanities on the walls in blood.

[Assistant]
Attempts to control the Marker may result in it releasing a distress signal that would call upon the wrath of Brethren Moons.

The Markers cannot be controlled, they are there for the soul purpose of assimilating intelligent life and possibly even creating it to birth more moons.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
CMV: Skyrim's One-Handed Weapons are Objectively Superior to Two-Handed Ones.

Here's why:

1) They are significantly faster, making it less likely that your opponent can dodge or block your blow after you begin your swing. You can also make more hits in the same time period, essentially cancelling out the additional damage of two-handed weapons.

2) They are more versatile. If you wield your weapon in your right hand, for example, the left can: hold a shield (upping your armor rating, and making it easier to block blows), wield an additional one-handed weapon (increasing damage dealt), or use magic (opening up several possibilities for new skills and perks).

3) Characters, especially relatively small characters (elves, women, thin Nords in light armor), look awkward and cumbersome carrying them around on their back AND using them in battle. Sure, they look more intimidating, but there are plenty of other, easier ways, such as war paint, various types of armor, even intimidating-looking bows and one-handed weapons.

CMV! :)

Edit: To be clear, I mean that one-handed weapons are superior specifically from the point of view of the player, not NPC's.

[Assistant]
Two-handed weapons have superior range. With proper positioning you can walk backwards and hit your opponent without taking any damage. Additionally a higher base damage means you do more damage to heavily armored opponents. It also allows you to execute them at a much higher health. The sideways power attack perk can also allow you to easily defeat massed opponents. Bashing with a two-handed weapon is also quite energy efficient and allows you to chain together a long series of attacks while you keep staggering your opponent.

The increased ability to avoid damage entirely is especially important on the highest difficulties as all enemies hit very hard even through blocks.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
Why do scientists listen for radio waves when looking for intelligent life?

Wouldn't it stand to reason a species that has invented intergalactic travel would have something more advanced than radio waves?

[Assistant]
Why assume theyve invented intergalactic travel? We havent, but we still exist. If you were looking for us, looking for radio waves would be one way you could do it.

It wont find every possible alien civilization, and it wouldnt have found human civilization at every point of our development, but it could find us now, so it might find someone at a similar stage of development as us, and its a relatively easy thing for us to look for.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
Is having a pet engaging in animal slavery?

You buy a pet, it has no choice but to come and live with you, can we even consider a pet to be able to give consent to ownership?  Even if the pet has a better life, if it could never consent to ownership it would still be slavery?

These thoughts were kinda inspired from some of the arguments for veganism I had read where the blurry line between what we actually consider an animal/human is often used to point out hypocrisy in meat-eaters arguments.

[Assistant] One might think that for a relationship to count as slavery, the weaker party has to have an significant form of autonomy that is being denied by the relationship. But many animals just dont have that.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[X-men First Class] So Darwin's really dead?

Why couldn't he adapt to the thing? I mean being perfectly canon, in't mutations, a form of adaption? Why didn't he adapt Shaw's mutant ability?

Also, as a general X-men question, Charles Never met a mutant than can heal people?

[Assistant] He can mutate to a limited extent. He isn't like Rogue, who can absorb someone's powers. No creature on earth (without the X-gene) has ever mutated to the point of surviving a nuclear blast in their gut, and none ever will. It is absolutely incompatible with life, *to say the least.*


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5: How did lance armstrong not get caught for doping for so many years? If its that hard to get caught then should we be worried about other althletes?

[Assistant]
Armstrong hired experts at doping who not only knew about the latest and greatest drugs and how to incorporate them in a training regime but also exactly how the anti-doping agencies worked and what they were able to detect and how. So they planned the entire season including training sessions and competitions around how they were getting the best out of each drug and how to avoid getting caught.

The hard part about detecting these drugs is that most of the drugs they take are the exact same chemicals that the body makes naturally but in different quantities. In some types of doping you are even tricking the body into making its own drugs. So while you may be able to detect a certain chemical that is supposed to be there and it is hard to prove that the chemical is the process of doping rather then naturally generated by the body.

A typical regime would include injecting steroids during the off season to promote muscle growth during training. Then a period without any drugs to get them out of your system. Then taking out lots of blood from your system to be used later. For the buildup to the season you would take EPO to promote the production of more red blood cells. This can be kept up throughout the competition season. Other drugs such as pain killers and verious hormone treatments may also be taken to help restitution and to make it easier to compete. If the EPO is not enough to give you superhuman blood count then use some of the blood from the off-season and give yourself a blood transfusion.

Armstrong was not the only cyclist who were doping himself. There are few people he competed against who we can clear of doping, largely because they were losing to all the doped riders. The Tour de France have even given up trying to hand out some of their gold medals as the previous holder was found to be doping because they have to go so far down the list of competitors that there is no point any more. And cycling is not the only sport with doped athletes.

The good news is that we are actually catching the doped athletes. Sometimes years after the fact but we are getting much better at it. Samples taken at events can be stored for long times until they can be tested using new techniques. And it have become more and more common to test throughout the year so that athletes can not dope themselves during the off-season. And we will notice jumps in natural hormones.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[General Fantasy] I'm a powerful villain who plans to wait, immobile, in a throne until a hero comes along. How do I maintain my muscle mass and agility?

Hi everyone, Lord Emperor Ghalgyrax here. I'm just your average, everyday, seven-foot-tall sword-and-sorcery arch villain in peak physical condition. I've got my empire all squared away, and I have several governors tackling each province. But now I'm bored, and have nothing left to conquer, so I think I'll just lock myself in my throne room and stay completely still, slumped into this giant throne.

I figure in a few decades, a bold hero or two will make their way through my land, restoring order, and eventually break down the door to my chamber.

My question is, when these do-gooders arrive, how will I be able to deliver a lengthy monologue, launch myself up, and start swinging around my hundred-pound greatsword? I don't feel like doing anything other than sit right here until they come. Do you have advice on how I can keep up this perfect physique without getting up?

[Assistant]
>and have nothing left to conquer

What kind of powerful villain are you?  Have you conquered all the stars in the sky, are you despite your proclaimed abilities still a slave to gravity like the other mortals?  Have you sailed across the seas bringing righteous oppression?  Have you broken into parallel universes to dethrone an alternate less-evil you yet?

Let's get something straight newbie, there's always something left to conquer.

Get back out there and get to it.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
Eli5: Anesthesia but awake and telling jokes?

I had knee surgery earlier this week and in recovery I was "awake" and telling jokes but not conscious at that point? Apparently there was about a 20 minute gap of me being able to sit up and hold a conversation before I "blacked back in" if you know what I mean. How does it work that you're not "concious" of being awake but you're able to access the joke part of your brain?

[Assistant]
You were conscious.  Your brain just wasn't making memories.  Basically, you've got short term memory, which gets wiped after about 30 minutes or so, and you've got long term memory.  Stuff you think is important, or that you rehearse gets copied from short term to long term memory.  Sedation can shut off the mechanism that copies memories.  So you're awake, your memories just all get thrown out.

Sleep also does this, which is why you don't remember falling asleep.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5: why isnt there a standard size for a baseball field?

[Assistant] Baseball is really old, from an era where they had to play wherever they could. So, instead of specifying a field size and shape, they stated parameters with enough leeway to be able to fit a baseball field in uncommon places.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5: How does grease lubricate whatever it's used on but still manages to stick to the surface it's applied to?

[Assistant] Basically whenever anything touches another thing, the molecules either try to bond or repel each other. It has to do with the polarity of the molecules. Think magnetism, but on the absolute smallest scale. When you have two things move against each other they also cause friction, which generates heat energy. Lubricants create a barrier between the objects, reducing friction, and reducing heat. Lubes also feel sticky because some of the molecules bond to the surface they are coating, but because they are a liquid, they can flow freely around the object.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Harry Potter] Where did the wizarding world think that Harry went after Voldemort tried to kill him?

I know why he had to live with the Dursleys, but what did the rest of the world think? Wouldn't they question how and why the most famous wizard child ever suddenly disappeared? Or was his stay with the Dursleys and the reasoning behind it widely known?

What would the average witch or wizard know about all this?

[Assistant] That he went to live with his muggle relatives,  In PS when Ron and Harry meet Ron ask Harry if its true that he went to live with his muggle relatives.  So it was  common knowledge that Harry went to live with family but who and where exactly was a guarded secret.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5: If later school start times are found to improve sleep and daytime functioning in adolescents, why aren't school start times changed?

[Assistant]
A lot of schools I've worked for have taken the parents into consideration.  For instance, most jobs start at 9:00am so starting school at 8:00am gives the parents the time to get their kids off to school.  The same went for snow days.  In Rockford IL the school was blasted for having school on some of the worst days in the winter and the school tried to remind people that school breakfast and lunch were the only meals many students got so they stayed open for that reason.

And also tradition and bureaucracy.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] [Adventure Time] How many other beings spawned from the mother gum?

[Assistant] As far as we're aware, Princess Bubblegum and Neddy were the only ones directly spawned from the mother gum. It's possible it can spawn more, as there's dozens of faces on it, but they're the only two we know of.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[fallout] I've inherited a pip boy, and I'm now using it as I travel. Its really amazing. Best bit is that it warns me infallibly if people I'm approaching are hostile or friendly. How does it know?

Long story short I grew up in a little town in the middle of nowhere. Granddad was from a vault, and kept his pip boy until he died. But he never really talked about how it works (or much else from his vault life, bad memories I think). So I've mostly been working it out through trial and error.

So anyway, a few times I've seen people in the distance with no obvious raider markings who the machine marked in red. And, what would you know, the moment they saw me they started shooting! (Thank god for vats and stimpacks it is be dead a dozen times). This is really useful, but i don't understand how it works. It can't read minds or something can it?

[Assistant]
Starting from the Pip-Boy 2000, **RobCo Industries** intergrated a simple form of sonar and satellite tracking. While this is mostly to provide satellite coverage for mapping out the areas that your grandad and you travel, it is also quite efficient in labeling out individuals and what they're carrying. Using the ultra-modern super-deluxe graphics, plus it's high storage capacity, it is able to detect and single out potential enemies and mark them out for you in red.

For instance, if it singles out a person wearing likely raider armour and carrying a gun around areas prone to raider activity, it will mark them in red.

However, it makes mistakes sometimes. It singles out most of the mutated animals as enemies. While a lot of them are, it has a tendency of marking radstag does as enemies even though some tend to be docile or cowardly.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] Why did Kierkegaard oppose the stoics?

[Assistant] I cannot recall direct passages where Kierkegaard engages with the Stoics, but having studied both it makes sense that he would oppose them. The Stoics believe that the universe is run by a purely rational God and that all universal events are manifestations of Gods rational will. The world itself is thus perfectly rational, and religious piety can be achieved through studying and affirming the world as it is. Kierkegaard believes, on the other hand, that if the universe is ultimately rational then any divine experience will occur outside of the universe and must transcend the rational and the universal. God cannot be understood rationally by human reason. Religion begins with a leap from reason, a leap of faith. Only such a leap does justice to the difference between humanity and God, between the world and the divine. The stoics can be said to anthropomorphize God by arguing that the human intellect is capable of understanding the divine and living wholly in accordance with it. For Kierkegaard, due to our sinful nature, such a life is impossible. We live fallen from the divine unto death where, only via the grace of God, we might be saved. Such salvation is never something we could rationally comprehend.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
What happens when a muscle cramps, and what happens if it cramps for too long? Does the muscle get damaged?

If your muscle cramps for an extended period of time is there any damage to the underlying cells? Is there a lack of oxygen?

TIA!

[Assistant] A muscle cramp is caused by dehydration, muscle strain, or overuse of a muscle, among other factors. When it occurs, a sudden and involuntary contraction of the affected muscle takes place. To answer your main question, most muscle cramps are harmless, and last between 30 seconds to 15 minutes. A muscle cramp will not permanently damage the muscle tissue, but it will cause fatigue as the muscle is constantly contracted during the cramp. If you are experiencing frequent cramps, the suggested course of action to remember is RICE, which stands for Rest, Ice, and Elevation.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELIF how cutting corporate taxes can increase the number of jobs?

[Assistant]
Imagine you have ten cookies, but you have to give three to your parents (taxes). The idea behind cutting corporate taxes is that if you don't have to give away as many cookies to your parents, then you can give them to other people.

That's the principle. But everyone knows the more cookies you get to keep, the more cookies you get to eat.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Harry Potter] Are the Hogwarts Houses evenly distributed?

Are there a set number of each House at any given time? By convincing the Sorting Hat to put him in Gryffindor, did Harry inadvertently force an otherwise Gryffindor-worthy student into Slytherin? Or could you have entire years where a House is under- or non-represented?

[Assistant] They aren't evenly distributed every single year, no.  However, when you consider that there are only four houses, and seven years of students, it balances out fairly well. It's not a precise distribution, but what do you expect when your criteria for sorting is "ambition", "bravery", "wit", and "miscellaneous"?


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Mario] So when Bowser isn't off trying to kidnap Peach and is just staying home at the Koopa Kingdom looking over his subjects what is his governing style like? What is it like to live as a citizen of the Koopa Kingdom under Bowser's rule?

Is he a full-blown dictator or is living under his rule surprisingly okay?

[Assistant]
It seems pretty okay. Bowser and Jr like to bluster about being evil, but these days, it's more of a facade. The closest thing that they get to being evil is whenever they're possessed/brainwashed, or otherwise not of sound mind. Bowser himself has helped save both kingdoms before, because he views himself as being the only one who would destroy the mushroom kingdom at his own whims, whilst showing that he (privately) also cares for the well-being of the Koopa kingdom's inhabitants (he worries about them when the blorbs start attacking).

The kidnapping also doesn't seem to be much of an issue, given how often it happens, and Mario, Peach, and Bowser go off and play games and things together. At this point, it might be purely to help maintain his "evil" rep.

That said, though, you may become part of of Jr's army, and then be expected to keep up with whatever shenanigans that he has planned, which might involve a lot more work than you might have signed up for when joining the koopa army.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] If the skin is completely covered (with say, tar), can you die of asphyxiation (lack of oxygen)?

[Assistant] No as long as you can take oxygen into your airway via mouth or noise and the thorax can expand. You don't breathe through your skin but you would die from overheating because you can't perspire or regulate body temp at all.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
If evaporating sweat is the main way humans lose heat why don't we overheat dangerously in a hot bath?

Maybe the sweat from your head would be significant, but what if you were submerged in a hot bath with a snorkel? How would your body maintain a stable internal temperature?

[Assistant] Ever noticed the warnings posted for public hot tubs?  Typically something along the lines of limiting your time to 15 minutes as longer durations can be dangerous?  This is the reason for that warning; it is, in fact, possible to overheat "dangerously" in hot water.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] [Doctor Who] Harry Potter] If the Doctor was hit with the Killing Curse, would he simply regenerate or would it actually kill him?

[Assistant]
It would kill him.

If it works by merely halting all biological processes inside the body of its target, then it would prevent the regeneration process from beginning. We know it can be blocked or halted, so a total cessation of internal processes would also stop regeneration. (granted, if regeneration is kicked off by an external source as we've also seen before, it might still happen)

If it works by removing the soul from the body, then the same thing happens. We also know that the doctor has sometimes referred to regenerating as "same soul, different face". The Doctor is always the same person deep down, even if their various bodies express things in different ways. Removing the soul would remove "them" from the shell and thus prevent regeneration as we know it. Perhaps the body might still try to regenerate if biological processes continue in a soulless shell, but nothing would come of it.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] Why does sleep feel *so* good?

[Assistant]
Anything that you need to survive feels good when you need it.

Try not breathing (for just a few seconds) and see how good that first breath feels. Or try not eating for several hours past mealtime. You feel very hungry, and the food tastes *so* good. Sleep is the same way. When you need sleep, it feels very good because that's what your body needs.

This is because of evolution. Creatures that didn't enjoy eating, sleeping, or breathing wouldn't live very long, and wouldn't have much of a chance to make baby creatures like them. Creatures that did survived longer, and had little baby creatures that liked the same things.

This is part of the reason why Mommy and Daddy love each other so much, too. Creatures who *ahem* love each other are more likely to survive and have babies. You'll learn more about that when you're older. You'd just think it's yucky right now. (There's a lot of kissing.)


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Naruto] Did Konoha 11 have their own 3 gennin team as Jounin?

Aren't all Jounin supposed to have to teach 3 gennin? Did Naruto or others from konoha 11 train any kids?

[Assistant]
Not all Jounin are supposed to become a mentor for a team; for one thing, there are a lot more Jounin than there are teams to train. It's something they are assigned to do or volunteer to do and a lot of Jounin have roles or responsibilities that would prevent them from taking on a team of Genin.

To answer your question there is a sequel series called Boruto you should check out if you are interested, which takes place several years after the first series has ended and follows the kids of the original 11 for the most part.

From what I've seen none of the Konoha 11 became Jounin mentors to a team; there is a team of Genin which all dress in the style of Guy and Lee, so maybe Lee is their mentor, but then Lee's son is one of the Genin on that team so maybe he is responsible.

However they would have all had a hand in training their own children, especially those with family Jutsus to pass on, and Shino became a teacher at the academy so he is responsible for training a large number of the children who pass through the academy before they become Genin.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
What is the difference between histrionic personality disorder and borderline personality disorder?

Just tried googling and after reading several articles, there is no good distinguishing explanation. Any good links or even your own explanation would be most helpful. Thanks in advance!

[Assistant]
Histrionics feel validated from attention and tend to dress and act in ways to attract that attention. When someone stops giving them the attention they seek, they tend to take it as this person does not like me anymore and they drop that person or those people for those who will give them the validation they are looking for. Sadly by doing this, they overlook the people who may be sad or have their own struggles going on (maybe a family member died, or they got fired from work) and in return those friends will notice that they are pushed away and being ignored, which continues a cycle of attachment for the histrionic person.

Histrionic people tend to fall in the anxious-ambivalent category of attachment and feel a need to always have people around.

Boarder-lines have a subconscious level of never feeling good enough and a fear of abandonment. They tend to seek out attention, but to much attention in return overwhelms them. This is because of their abandonment issues and subconsciously they push others away because they want to prove that everyone leaves. The fact that positive attention is foreign to them it can in turn create suspicion rather than feeling loved and accepted.

Most borderlines will chase and then push away, and then go back to chasing. Whether it be with the same person, or dumping that person to chase someone new.

Borderlines often fall into the [fearful] avoidant attachment category because they find relationships stressful (mostly just romantic) and in the end tend to almost always push the other away. Unless they find help to resolve this, the pattern continues.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[Star Wars] What made the Rebels scum rather than respected enemy combatants?

Don't armed forces usually have mutual respect for one another?

[Assistant] The Empire thought they were the good guys. "Good is a point of view." To most that served the Empire, the Rebellion were just straight-up terrorists who wanted chaos and disorder. There's nothing to respect in that.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User] ELI5: Why did Drive-In theaters go out of style?

[Assistant]
There's a long list, IMO:

* Universal air conditioning -- who wants to sit in their car on a humid Tennessee night when you could watch the same film in air conditioning

* Changes in movies themselves - ordinarily drive-ins provided only mono sound, so an enclosed theatre provided a better experience

* Trend toward smaller / less comfy cars in the 70s

* Urban sprawl overcoming many locations of drive-ins

* Daylight Saving Time pushing back start times an hour

* Multiplexes -- choices of what movies to watch. Early enclosed theatres would show one movie, 4 times in a day. A drive in could only really show one per day due to sunlight. A multiplex could show 4 or 8 different movies in a day.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[DC] How many people does the Spectre Kill?

The Spectre has a burning hatred for sin and criminals, and is also a godlike being who can ignore the limitations of time casually. So how many people does he kill per year? It seems like he could just effortlessly kill every wrongdoer, but not many people in DC know who he is, and he clearly still leaves enough for Batman to have his hands full. Does he just kill a few a month, or is his crusade a daily thing?

[Assistant]
He's restricted.

His human host is there to put a limit on his violence so he doesn't hurl asteroids into the earth because of the excesses of capitalism or suchlike.

So not that many. Usually just the worst of the worst, or those unlucky enough to stumble onto him.

If he lacks a human host? Then the number rapidly becomes "everyone"


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
ELI5:What happens to seized drug money? VS What happens to seized BitCoins?

When the feds shut down Silk Road, and seize however many millions of dollars in BitCoins, is that not legitimizing the currency? Where do the BitCoins possibly go and what effect would it have?

[Assistant] It doesn't go anywhere for now. It is held as evidence. When it no longer has evidentiary value (when the cases are all closed) it gets returned to the legal owner unless it is contraband. Bitcoins aren't contraband, so the government will either have to return it or, if it can prove the property was used in or fruit of a crime, they can file a forfeiture action. If they win, it will probably be sold at auction. Since it isn't legal currency in any country, the law will treat it as any other property.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
ELI5: Why don't tattoos disappear every 5 years seeing as every atom in your body is replaced?

Seeing as approximately every 5 years, every atom in your body is replaced, why don't tattoos disappear? Also knowing that skin regenerates and sheds over time.

[Assistant]
Not all skin sheds and regenerates over time.

The ink from tattoos is deposited deeper than your outer layer of skin (the names for the layers escape me right now). Your outer layer of skin is constantly shedding and being replaced by cells replicating inside, but that second layer of skin (where the ink is) isn't replaced in the same fashion, so the ink isn't displaced.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
CMV: The left should be angrier over the Alex Jones' censorship than the right.

The recent banning of Alex Jones from Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, Spotify and even his email accounts is akin to an Orwellian memory hole purge. These bannings are clearly not for the reasons the Big tech companies say they are (breaking guidelines) and are obviously politically motivated. This is obvious if you just look at the tweet that supposedly got him banned from twitter, which did not in any way violate the twitter terms of service or guidelines.

My point about the left needing to be angrier about this than the right is this: the core philosophy of the modern day left is that people should be wary about large companies, especially monopolies who grow so powerful they are able to exploit people and strip away their basic rights. In an age where physical news is dying and virtually all information is received through the Internet, this purge is basically taking away his freedom of speech.

The left always has things to say about monopolies growing too powerful and taking away rights but are silent about, or even sometimes defending, the actions of the Big Tech companies that purged Alex Jones.

The left has every reason to use this as an example to show the right that big companies can in fact be dangerous and need to be controlled somewhat by government, and that a 100% free market is dangerous, but instead they are squandering it and allowing free speech to erode because they don't like the person who is being targeted.

[Assistant] The principal counterpoint is that much of what Jones said is sufficiently egregious sorts of speech that it is already subject to legal sanction.  E.g. right now he is facing several nonfrivolous defamation suits based on lies he has told around Sandy Hook, and the death threats that has resulted in to families of the murdered children.


[System] Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:

[User]
[LOTR] If Frodo had been turned into a Ringwraith, would he have been a very small Ringwraith?

I recall a scene in the movie where if the Witch King's blade touched Frodo's heart, he'd turn into one of them. What would happen then? Would there be nine tall Ringwraiths with a tiny one following them around?

[Assistant] He wouldn't become a full Ringwraith, since as the "Ring-" part implies the Ringwraiths are specifically those corrupted by the Nine Rings. Frodo would have become a much weaker wraith and would probably not have teamed up with the Nazgul. It's quite possible other wraiths existed at some point: how else would the effects of a Morgul blade be known? But to answer the question, his stature would not physically change. Those who fade into the unseen world still exist, they're just invisible.