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

[User]
I believe capitalism is a detriment to society as a whole. We will never be a thriving society with it in place. CMV

Capitalism is the primary reason for the lack of advancements in energy, medicine, housing, poverty, world peace, the drug war, ect... It causes a "me vs. you" mentality, resulting in crime committed by, desperate people trying to survive or the sociopaths who are allowed to use there viciousness to succeed in the corporate world. It induces insane greed in those who succeed with it, causing CEO's and others to put profits before humanity and nature. And it is so out of balance these days that small businesses, mostly, don't stand a chance of success against the marketplace titans. It is a broken system and it's literally killing us. Convince me otherwise.

Edit- I'm writing "edit" this because I guess I wasn't too clear in my argument. (forgive me, I am new to the debating type subreddits) Okay, so it would take a long long time to cite every occurrence for the detriment reaches far and wide but I will speak from my observations and cite a few things.

- We no longer have products that last a life time because disposable shit make a company more money.
- L.A., California lost it's effective subway system to oil, tire, and car companies(look at the smog problem)
- Monsanto destroys some farmers who do/and most farmers who do not buy there products.
- Walmart destroys small businesses buy providing similar product for cheaper by buying shit products from overseas.
- Most medicine (physical and psychological) is based on systematic cures rather than fixing the root of the issue.
- Hemp can solve a lot of issues and why is that not being used? (timber, oil, pharmaceutical, ect companies)
- We(the US) are constantly caught instigating conflict in other countries for profit(directly or indirectly).
- Collecting rain is illegal in some places and so is seed trading among farmers.
- ect ect ect
I believe a socialist democracy with community service based incentive programs would work. If you want more you work towards your community and receive more. It's a very raw idea. I can go more into detail if ya'll would like.

How many times throughout history have we been stifled because the rich used their power to prevent an advancement in the name of profits?(like with tesla for example) The only reason we are advancing nowadays is because humanitarians are able to put their contributions into the public without relying on mainstream media to promote it. Corporations/central banks run the world and it's because they are given the format to do so.

We have had people attempt to come up with alternatives to the whole, you need us for this, and they are snuffed out by big business. And do I really have to cite all the times big businesses have poisoned the environment because it was cheaper? The format of business is corrupt and demands a dog eat dog mentality that makes it so you have to take advantage of any one weaker than you or you don't survive.

Do you really think I have no argument? There is something very corrupt about how this system works. It always comes down to the whole idea of the strong overtaking the weak.

"Oh, but they need us." What the hell happened to self-sufficiency? It was eliminated by big business's good friend, advertising.

I may come off like I have a blind belief but I pay attention. Most everything that we have available to us today, we only have because someone found it profitable.

Edit- Also, we have more people than jobs. So much so, that we literally have to make shit up so that people can make money to feed their families. And because we can not make enough jobs for the people who need them... People starve.

Why don't we automate to stupid stuff- trash, retail, grunt level factor work, ect, and eliminate the, work or die structure. **I do not believe people will cease to be inventors, police, doctors, teachers, ect. The important jobs are mostly done by people with passion. For those who aren't, would you really want a doctor who's in it for the money to be put in charge of finding the best chance of curing your disease or or the guy(or girl) who decided at a young age that they wanted to help people? This question applies to all the important occupations.**

Capitalism does not allow humanitarianism. It defeats it. How will we have non-corrupt globalism? Please tell me how will we thrive in the future when corporations and central banks own everything?(oh wait...)

Edit- I am convinced. My issues are valid but the cause is not Capitalism as a system. And socialism certainly is not the answer. Corrupt government and lack of regulations seem to be the major issues here. Ya'll changed my view. Deltas will be appropriated later, as I am currently headed out the door.

[Assistant]
What lack of advancements in energy, medicine, housing, poverty, world peace, crime?

We have lots of advanced energy tech, houses, ways to address poverty, the world has never been more peaceful, crime is dropping.


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

[User]
Why is seemingly every ML/CS paper posted on Arxiv and published as a conference proceeding, whereas most biology papers are not on BiorXiv and are published in actual journals?

I'm trying to understand the cultural/domain differences here. They seem like very different approaches to presenting research.

[Assistant] Machine Learning and Computer Science often view the highly selective conferences as the highest impact avenues for disseminating their work, more so than journal publications. arXiv also has a far more established presence in physics and mathematics, and ML/CS are much closer culturally to these fields than biology is.


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

[User]
How Are Albums Leaked.

How do most albums get leaked?
Edit in advance: I know I forgot a question mark in the title.

[Assistant]
Lots of ways.  Advance copies of albums are sent all over the place to get reviewed, radio stations get them, record stores...and those are the more legit ways. It only takes one upload of it somewhere for it to end up on thousands of hard drives.

Honesty though, i suspect many of the "leaks" these days are done by the band.


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

[User]
How to make orange light from a red LED?

I want to know what colour filter I need to put over a red LED to make it appear orange.

I was thinking yellow, but I know that optics is different to paints :P

Thanks!!

[Assistant]
Although not perfect like a laboratory laser or anything, red LED's pretty much just pour out red light only. Therefore putting any filter over it (other than red) will just result in darkness, or a VERY VERY dim orange light from the 1% or whatever of the original output that was orange getting through.

There could be exotic ways to get orange from a red LED, such as finding some sort of fluorescent material that will absorb multiple photons of red and the fluoresce a smaller number of orange back out. Although most fluorescence (like an orange highlighter) tends to go from higher energy to lower energy which would be in the wrong direction for you.

Regardless, all of that would be immensely more expensive and time consuming than just buying an orange LED.


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

[User]
Is it hard to learn how to program on IOS/Android from scratch? How should I do it?

I have ideas but not the money to pay a programmer to create the app so I'm thinking about learning how to do it myself. How should I approach it?

[Assistant]
Programming apps is the deep end of the pool, because you'll have to deal with a lot of complexities from the very beginning. A simple "hello world" app can consist of several dozen files and there are many different ways to do even the simplest little thing.

I would most definitely start with something simpler, like java or c#, to get a feel for programming in itself before trying to understand the highly specialized environment of a modern phone OS.


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

[User]
[Harry Potter] Why is the conductor of the Hogwarts Express almost never mentioned by anybody?

In the Prisoner of Azkaban, after the dementor incident, Lupin goes to have a "word with the driver." As far as I can tell, he's not mentioned before or since.

Who the hell is this guy? The Express is likely a powerfully magical object, capable of entering and leaving pocket dimensions (Platform Nine and Three-Quarters), obscuring its seemingly obvious route from Muggle eyes, and who knows what else. The man in charge of all this is clearly a remarkable wizard; so why does he get so little mention?

[Assistant] I doubt he's the guy that's responsible for all the magic. Likely, Dumbledore or whoever was headmaster at the time placed all the charms and spells on the express and the platform, and this guy, who could even be a squib, just drives it.


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

[User]
[LotR] Did Sauruman know that Gandalf was the keeper of Narya?

I'm not sure if Gandalf could hide it from a fellow wizard, but it also seems like Sauruman would have treated Gandalf as a greater threat if he knew he had one of the Three Rings.

[Assistant]
Unfinished Tales:

> And the Grey Messenger took the Ring, and kept it ever secret; yet the White Messenger (who was skilled to uncover all secrets) after a time became aware of this gift, and begrudged it, and it was the beginning of the hidden ill-will that he bore to the Grey, which afterwards became manifest.


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

[User] [Duck Tales] Is it really possible for Dagobert to swim and dive through all the money according to our laws of physics? If not, how could the laws of physics be altered to make this possible?

[Assistant]
The reason that Scrooge McDuck lives is able to swim in a pool full of coins is that the force of friction is almost non existent in his universe. Things just slip past each other and hardly interact at all. That means he can jump into a pool and the coins slip out the way like water.

It's the same reason that he and his family don't wear anything on their lower halves - trousers etc would just slip off them too easily, so they don't bother.

Any other individuals that you see them interacting with who DO have clothing on their lower halves (e.g. Mickey) have evolved pubic hair that functions a little like Velcro and keeps their clothing up. Ducks however haven't evolved this, as they have feathers, so can't wear trousers.


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

[User]
[Spider-Verse] Why was Gwen the only one of the Spider-Gang to be sent back in time?

When Kingpin's Collider is activated for the first time, we see all the other Spider-People get blasted into New York, but for some reason Spider-Gwen also gets sent one week into the past. Why is this?

[Assistant] I think some of the others got sent back in time as well, Gwen just fell the furthest back in time. They had been in Miles' universe long enough to be found by Aunt May, we just don't know how long they'd been there.


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

[User]
ELI5 Why do babies cry? Wouldn't this be an adaptive nightmare for early humans who had to deal with predators?

Explained! Thanks for the insight!

[Assistant] Babies are cared for in the group. A group of humans is going to be loud anyway, so having a baby cry doesn't particularly add to that loudness. And very few predators would attack a group of armed humans. The crying is a good signal however that this baby needs to be attended to (and is in fact ridiculously annoying to people so we can't ignore it) and it is also a good way to help find a child should they ever get lost. Might it draw predators near in that situation? Yes, definitely. But a child without a group is pretty much dead for anyway. Better to run the small risk of being caught be a predator with the chance that someone might find you VS staying quiet, lowering the risk of predators catching you, and then starving to death.


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

[User]
[Yu-gi-oh] Why do the rules change so much?

In the documentary about Yugi and company going to Duelist Kingdom the rules don't really seem consistent. They know obscure rules like how they can attack the moon, or a specific section of a monster to destroy a "flotation ring".

Then later the rules seem more consistent, once they're in the Battle City tournament. What changed?

[Assistant]
Duelist Kingdom was Pegasus's silly attempt at making duel monsters into a more realistic battle game to go with the fancy new hologram system he bought. The rulebook for the event managed to include a full breakdown of the physics engine used (in egyptian for some reason) and errated almost every card in the game with some stupid extra situational rules, or more often than not, dozens of them, which made playing on anything other than the rules enforcing hologram arenas impossible. Said rulebooks are the size of several phonebooks and noone in their right mind could read it all so most people just looked up their deck and rolled with it. No wonder the eventual winner is rumored to have ancient egyptian game winning powers, you'd need to be superhuman to be able to understand it all, much less play with any skill.

Needless to say, it flopped HARD when they tried to export it, was a huge amount of wasted money even before the outrageous cash paid out to the winner of the event, and the only thing saving Pegasus's position of CEO was his majority stake and well timed disappearance. With the board taking over in his leave of absence things went back to normal the very next tournament, to the relief of literally everyone.


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

[User] If the Protheans were capable of recalling the experiences of objects through touch, how did they not sense the massive amount of death surrounding the Citadel?

[Assistant]
Because the Reapers built it so the Protheans and any race with similar powers wouldn't detect it.

The Reapers are very old and each was once an entire race. There's bound to be at least one other race with similar powers. Assuming the Reapers didn't figure out that ability could pose a problem themselves.

As to why the Reapers would do this, it's part of their plan. The Citadel was to attract sentient races so they would use it as a central hub. Itself was a hidden Mass Relay for the Reapers. If anything, *anything* even remotely hinted of the Citadel's true nature, then the whole plan could backfire.


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

[User]
Can it be that life is originating constantly since it first originated 3.5 billion years ago?

I understand the start of first life is a complex process. But is it possible that this is a continues process that occurs right now in some muddy pools or on the bottom of the ocean? I never hear of this possibility, does that mean this is a stupid question?

[Assistant]
There is no real way of knowing, but until we find another form of life that does not use DNA/RNA, we have no reason to believe that abiogenesis (the process of life originating) is still occurring.

I would also add that it is very very very unlikely that any life from recent abiogenesis would ever be found, if it ever did occur the resulting organisms would be incredibly simple and would likely die out in competition for resources.


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

[User]
[Mortal Kombat] What is up with the Toasty guy?

So, I've been chosen as a representative of Earthrealm for Mortal Kombat, and got into one round with Johnny Cage. I landed a nice uppercut on him, but then some guy's head popped up and said "Toasty!". What's the deal with him?

[Assistant]
Hes a god. We do our best to ignore him and not to talk about him. But hes one of the original creators of the tournament so not even the other gods can keep him out.

Hes unfortunately playful. In a mean spirited way. If you ignore him, youll just be annoyed. If you catch him or do whatever he happens to want at the moment, hell reward (read that as punish) you with having to immediately fight his own chosen champion. Just poof, the champion will appear with his blessing to try and kick your butt. Because you did a good job. Well done you. Thats what you get for being so cool youre hot. So hot youre... toasty. ... there are reasons we dont talk about *him*.


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

[User] When meat is boiled for a long period of time in soups, is there still any nutrition such as protein left in the meat or are they all in the soup?

[Assistant] If there's any meat left, then there's protein left; the basic structure of muscle is protein. Water-soluble nutrients (including some proteins such as gelatin) will enter the broth, but the insoluble protein will stay behind.


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

[User]
ELI5: why doesn't your heart ever get tired?

Isn't it just another muscle? But it works all day every day for your entire life. So why doesn't it ever need a break?

[Assistant] Cardiac muscle is different than all the muscles that you can consciously control. It's evolved to work 24/7 throughout your life. It gets a little break in between beats, so it's not like it's constantly exerting force.


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

[User]
[Superman-The Movie] If Sups can just turn back the Earth to save Lois from dying then why doesn't he continue to do this for every other death in the future that he fails to prevent?

It means anyone who dies from now on is totally on his shoulders.
Because he could and should have saved them.

[Assistant] He technically wasn't *allowed* to do that. Space-Dad basically said he wasn't supposed to interfere with humanity for personal gain, and saving Lois by rewinding time was more or less a way to atone for his guilt. He was only unable to save her in the first place because he was brainwashed.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why do some people survive massive trauma/blood loss, while others don't?

I've watched a lot of shark attack videos (we all need something, right?) and I just don't understand why some people will lose entire limbs (and therefore butt tonnes of blood) and will survive, while others will only lose a large amount of flesh/tissue from a limb, and will survive.

To give two examples:

1. Woman is swimming, shark bites off entire leg (I think halfway through the femur). She is on a ship in the middle of the ocean. She survives.

2. A woman is swimming on a beach and struggling, so life guards come to rescue her. A shark attacks her, biting off her calf. She is rescued by lifeguards within seconds. She is taken back onto the beach, where the lifeguards don't apply pressure bandages/tourniquets (therefore I'm assuming she;s already dead?) Either way woman dies.

[Assistant]
1. The human body is ridiculously inconsistent. One person can die from a fall of a meter, one survived a fall of several kilometers.

2. Previous medical issues. If girl on beach is on blood thinners, she might bleed out.

3. To use your example, when you have an entire limb severed, the muscles contract and form a makeshift torniquet for the wound, which would have probably happened for the first one, not the second.

4. Your examples are both marked '1.'


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

[User]
ELI5: The Vietnam War

I've just started studying this at school and I'd like it explained to me simply before I start analysing all the reasons it failed. I'm not American, I'm only 14 and so my only real exposure to this war is Forrest Gump, Full Metal Jacket, knowing it was about stopping the spread of communism and two history lessons.

[Assistant]
Vietnam was a country controlled by France for many years. There were popular movements against the French, and during ww2 nam was controlled by the vichy French(nazi puppet govt of France). Ho chi min led a movement and declared independence for Vietnam(using words reminiscent of USA declaration of independence) . Allies won ww2, Vichy sorta leaves, regular French govt comes back, puts down "dissidents", but is not having easy time. Appeals to Usa for $$$. USA provides a few heli's and gorilla training to local Vietnamese. France sees no victory, pulls out. USA sends in troops to "stop spread of communism", or, in some historian's opinions; to distract from attention from the civil rights and union rights movements that were growing at the time.

They'll probably try to tell you about the gulf of tonkin incident in school. Read "a peoples history of Vietnam" so you can be prepared to debunk teacher if he starts feed you bullshit.


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

[User] ELI5: What's the point of concept cars that are made but never sold to the public?

[Assistant]
Concept cars are a good way for automobile manufactures to "test the waters" with new vehicle designs and technologies. They can show the concepts at Auto shows and get useful feedback from critics and the general public. This helps them to guide their future designs, and focus on the the things that got the most positive feedback, while fixing things people didn't like so much.

Also, it's a good way to show off some of the cool shit their company has been working on :)


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

[User]
[The Martian] why would the poop bags be labeled by the person?

Rewatching the Martian with my wife and we noticed that there is a scene indicating mark watney pooped and flushed, and there was a list of names on the wall. Then he uses the poop for fertalizer and apparently knows who pooped in each bag. Why would NASA possibly want to know who pooped in each bag?

[Assistant] To check the feces for any change. Every venture into space is milked for any and all scientific discoveries possible, considering how expensive it is to send just one person, much less several. So those bags of feces are studied for inconsistencies, nourishment, and anything that could require looking into.


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

[User] ELI5: Why can't we "reboot" the human body after death?

[Assistant] Unlike a computer, a human body starts to fall apart pretty quickly after death. A few minutes with blood flow to the brain, and irreversible damage occurs. A few more minutes, and the brain damage is so severe that it doesn't work anymore. At this point, even if you got the blood flowing again, it wouldn't do any good.


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

[User] [SCP foundation] What does SCP do if one of its crew has sexural intercouse with a contain subject?

[Assistant]
Having sex with an SCP might be part of the containment procedures or a test. So, there's theoretically nothing wrong with it, as long as you get clearance from whoever that SCP is assigned to, and have a camera recording it if it's part of a test. The problem isn't sex, it's sex without paperwork.

The punishment is the same as any other case of using an SCP outside containment procedures - the staff member is monitored for any sign of anomalous effects. If the SCP's done something to them, the staff member becomes a test subject until the Foundation can figure out exactly what happened and whether it can be contained.

If nothing special happened, or after something happened but eventually wore off or was reversed, then the staff member gets a serious telling-off for misuse of SCP objects. Their punishment will depend on the severity of their actions and how important they are. Yes, someone like Dr. Clef can get away with almost anything because the Foundation might actually fall apart without him - it's unfair but that's life.

If it was just a bit of harmless fun with an SCP that doesn't mind the attention, they'd probably get a week of unpaid leave and a psych evaluation. If it put other people in danger of death, even indirectly and accidentally, then expect a swift demotion to D-class and Keter duty for the rest of your short life.


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

[User]
[MCU - Avengers] What would've happened if Natasha closed the wormhole too early and Tony didn't make it back to Earth?

In the acclaimed documentary, Tony made it in the Nick of time (heh) out of the wormhole.

But what if Cap told Natasha to close the wormhole a bit faster and Tony wouldn't have made it back to Earth (and thus died in an ego-boosting Viking funeral in outer space)?

How will the world have gone on? What about the Avengers? What about the future threats, like Hydra's infiltration of SHIELD and Ultron?

[Assistant]
The rest of the Avengers do okay.

Ultron was something that Tony let loose. Without Tony creating the Ultron project with Banner, Ultron does not exist, and by proxy, neither does Vision.

Tony had nothing to do with Hydra's infiltration of SHIELD. Cap and Nat were the ones who dealt with that.


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

[User]
If dark matter is found and proven, how much would that change physics and math?

I don't have a math background so the in depth answers will be above me, but I just wonder if a discovery like proving dark matter will have a fundamental shift in math and physics theories?

[Assistant]
Most people already work under the assumption that dark matter exists. All of cosmology just assumes it is there. The real question comes down to what is it made of, what sort of things make up dark matter. We believe it is there but currently only have guesses as to what it might be, what other properties it has and therefor how to even begin looking for it.

So the better question would be how would our understanding change if we discovered it and learned what sort of properties it has, but we jsut don't know enouhg to answer that question yet. Until we can learn more about what dark matter is, we just don't know what consequences it could have on our understanding. Maybe it turns out to be something we have already guessed, in which case maybe not much changes. Maybe it will turn out to be something completely different than anyone ever guessed which could change our understanding quite a bit.

Sorry if it isn't a great answer, but we sadly just don't know much about dark matter yet, and thats why people are trying to find it.


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

[User] [MCU] Could Killgrave have simply waltzed into Avengers Tower and become the most powerful man alive?

[Assistant]
No. His powers won't work on Vision. They *might* not work on Thor, we don't know if Kilgrave's virus works on non-humans. It won't work on Iron Man if he's in the suit, as the suit is a sealed environment. It won't work on Jarvis. Black Widow could probably figure out how to kill him without disobeying any of his orders. And if he didn't get Hawkeye *first,* he's a dead man.

There's a reason Kilgrave didn't try any big stuff like this. He knows his limits.


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

[User] What is the difference between special relativity and general relativity?

[Assistant] Special relativity is a special case where spacetime is static and globally flat (Minknowski spacetime). General relativity is a general theory describing an arbitrary spacetime. You can have curved spacetimes, expanding spacetimes, etc.


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

[User] Eli5: How did the term "Goth" go from Germanic tribes destroying Rome, to the music and fashion we know today?

[Assistant]
At first, there was Gothic architecture. This was a new style of church architecture in the High Middle Ages, and was derisively called such because it was "Germanic" and deviated from Roman canons.

Then there were Gothic novels. They were named after old medieval churches and castles where ghosts, vampires and other relics of the past threatened the new, enlightened way of life of the XIX century. So the "Gothic" was appropriated to mean "ancient, dark and spooky".

And then there was a music and fashion subculture that tended to dig the ancient, dark and spooky aesthetic.


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

[User] ELI5: What does it mean when they say the flavor of a wine or beer is "dry"?

[Assistant] When evaluating beverages, the term "dry" is the opposite (ELI5) of "sweet". In terms of taste, dry wine or beer have low level of sugars. Typically this means, during the fermentation process, most of the sugar in the product has been allowed to convert to alcohol. A semi-dry product will have the fermentation halted early to allow more residual sugar in the drink.


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

[User]
[MCU] Who knew Loki was impersonating Odin?

At the beginning of Thor: Ragnarok, Loki as Odin says, "Oh, shit" to the young woman next to him as Thor walks up, and Scourge didn't seem surprised to see Loki when he ran up. Was anyone else in on Loki's scheme?

[Assistant]
Everybody knew. You have to remember that Odin is older than dirt. He's always been a certain way, and for him to act any different (and for Loki to be curiously missing) can only mean one thing: ***Shenanigans.***

Why didn't anyone call him out? Best-case scenario, he's still Loki, and in Odin's and Thor's absence that makes him king in all but name. Worst-case scenario, it's actually Odin, and you've just offended the Allfather. Really, Thor was the only one in a position to do anything about it.

Also, Loki turned out to be pretty chill as a ruler. For example, that play of his was pretty funny. It worked because you knew he was Loki, and he *knew* you knew he was Loki.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Why didn't Vader have a better suit constructed?

Okay, before I get shouted at. I've seen a lot of posts recently that state Vader was much weaker in his suit than before, due to how cumbersome it was. Now I know my question might sound stupid, but why didn't Vader simply have a better one commissioned? If the Emperor forbade him couldn't he simply have done it in secret? I mean he is the right hand of the Emperor after all, he will have access to a lot of funds and resources, right?

For example, when Luke had his hand severed, his replacement was awesome, and unless you damaged the hand you wouldn't even be able to notice. Surely Vader could have had the same equipment commissioned? I do understand also that he required parts of his suit as life support, but he had a large amount of time to create a more agile design.

[Assistant]
Agility?  Vader can be one spry motherfucker when he wants to be!  Watch him freaking almost *teleport* around Cloud City while dueling Luke...just to fuck with him.  Sure, *at first* he was a plodding, lumbering Frankenstein monster when he walked because it took time to get used to being RoboCop In Space... but soon enough he could leap, sprint, and dance with the best of them (don't quote me on that last one).

So why move at the speed of a constipated bantha most of the time?  **Because it's intimidating as fuck, that's why.**  Like Jason Voorhees and Michael Meyers, he's not gonna run up to you, he's going to let you run away, it doesn't matter.  He's going to find you, he's going to catch you,and he's going to murder you.  It is inevitable, and it's just a matter of time.  That's **far** more terrifying than being all flippy-dippy jumpy-twirly all the time.

Add to that that his suit - in addition to being a walking iron-lung, is also a **fucking tank.**  Blaster fire?  Bitch, please, he'll stop that with a glove.  A direct hit with a lightsaber only barely pierces his shoulder-plate, and can't even make it completely through his helmet.  Vader's not trying to be a rogue, he's a goddamned tank and he likes it that way.  When he rolls DnD at the Imperial lounge, he likes +parry and he likes +dodge and +hp, and *fuck every other stat.*

Add to that the fact that his completely integrated cybernetic arms and legs make him virtually tireless.  Dude doesn't need to recharge for a standard month.  It doesn't matter how flippy-dippy drop-outs like Tano are when their muscles - however Force-enhanced - will inexorably, inevitably tire out.  Vader's in duels for the long game, he'll absorb everything a Jedi has to throw at him, power through it, and then beat the ever-living fuck out of the Light Side pansy once they've exhausted themselves.  **He's the Dark Side Rocky Balboa.**

*But it's uncomfortable/painful in there.*  So what?  That's *even better!*  Dark Siders thrive on anguish, pain, torment, fear, and anger.  Having a suit that hurts like fuck only make his rage - and thus strength - more powerful.  No cushy silks, no shock-absorbing padding, no memory foam... just anger, torment, pain, and above all **Unlimited Power.**


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

[User] ELI5: Why do radio waves pass through walls while light waves don't?

[Assistant] Waves tend to interact with things that have a similar scale to their wavelength. A solid, opaque object like a wall has microstructures that are of a similar size to the wavelength of light (i.e. very, very small - nanometre to micrometre scale) so it interacts strongly with visible light and therefore blocks it. But the wavelength of a radiowave is much greater, often measured in metres, so it doesn't interact anywhere near as much with materials that would block visible light.


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

[User]
From an economical perspective: does it make sense to make education all the way from pre-school to high-school free, but keep university private?

As far as I know, university education in the United States isn't provided freely by the government, and neither is it in England (I believe that universities in the rest of the UK are publicly funded). Are there economically sound reasons for that? Why do the postive externalities emanating from basic education justify public funding, but the postive externalities resulting from universities don't?

[Assistant]
First of all, with university the problem is more imperfect credit markets than externalities. Even forgetting about externalities there would be under-consumption, people who would like to pay for college now by borrowing at market interest rates can't do so because they're young and can't take out big enough loans without having their kneecaps broken.

Either way, just because the market would lead to sub-optimal consumption of university education doesn't mean it would be best if *everyone* purchased it. Making it totally free could lead to overconsumption: lots of people who don't benefit from it nearly enough to justify the cost might purchase it because it's free. This is less likely with pre and high school education where it's likely worth it for pretty much everyone. The solution then would be to subsidise education to the point that you get efficient consumption, or alternatively, to heavily subsidise student loans. Both of these actually happen here in the UK, student loans only pay for part of the cost of university (with the rest paid for by the government) and the loans are subsidised so that they are interest free and paid back only when you begin to earn over 10k a year.

Of course there are other considerations. If university is expensive then poorer people are likely to be put off more easily than rich people (even if loans are subsidised) so you could justify intervention on the grounds of equity. Furthermore you could see education as a right (a widespread view about pre-university education) that should be guaranteed as part of a fair society.


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

[User] Why don't emails arrive immediately like Instant Messages? Where does the email go in the time between being sent and being received?

[Assistant]
1. You hit send. Your "client" (phone app, Outlook, web app, whatever) connects to an email _server_. Prior to this your client was just sitting there letting you write the mail.

2. The mail is now sent to _your_ server. Like dropping a letter at the post office box. The server now checks to see where it's going, looks up his way to get there and connects to the other server (the recipient's mail server).

3. Assuming that's all good (it can reach that server), the recipient's server says "ok...I will take that." If something is wrong, it gets denied and either goes into a black hole or informs you or someone else of the problem depending on configuration.

4. The recipient's server now applies a bunch of checks (SPAM and virus filtering) then any rules that the server has to apply then any rules the recipient wants applied.

5. Finally this drops the message wherever it actually belongs which will usually be where you sent it.

6. Here it sits until a client (phone, Outlook, whatever) asks the post office "got anything for me?"

In the case of IM, you are directly connected to a service which is routing the information between users in "real time" because you have both agreed to use the same service to do so, skipping all those other bits.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why do so many politicians in the US want to reject the deal with Iran?

The deal was negotiated and reached by 6 countries, so I have a few questions:
* When they say they want a better deal, what is their solution to get Russia, China, the UK and Germany back to negotiating table?

* What grounds do they have to go to war with Iran when the other countries seem to be fine with the deal?

* How can the US enforce sanctions when the other countries won't?

* Do they realize that Russia, China and the UK also have veto power in the security council, meaning the no resolution will be passed either way? Are they counting on this to keep the sanctions in place?

[Assistant]
> Why do so many politicians in the US want to reject the deal with Iran?

Because they don't believe that Iran will live up to its side of the deal and once it becomes a nuclear power, it becomes impossible to confront them militarily without significant potential for casualties.

> When they say they want a better deal, what is their solution to get Russia, China, the UK and Germany back to negotiating table?

No solution to get the other countries back.  The US would just refuse to ratify the treaty and keep their own sanctions in place.

>How can the US enforce sanctions when the other countries won't?

By refusing American countries to do business with Iran.  So no IPhones, no Windows 10, no McDonald's, etc. which pisses off the general public & no commercial/industrial businesses which hurts the Iranian economy.

>Do they realize that Russia, China and the UK also have veto power in the security council, meaning the no resolution will be passed either way? Are they counting on this to keep the sanctions in place?

The US doesn't need the approval or the vote of the UN to impose its own embargo/sanctions.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do we call giving someone the middle finger. flipping the bird?

[Assistant]
bird(3)
"middle finger held up in a rude gesture," slang derived from 1860s expressiongive the big bird"to hiss someone like a goose," kept alive in vaudeville slang with sense of "to greet someone with boos, hisses, and catcalls" (1922), transferred 1960s to the "up yours" hand gesture (the rigid finger representing the hypothetical object to be inserted) on notion of defiance and contempt. Gesture itself seems to be much older (the human anatomy section of a 12c. Latin bestiary in Cambridge describes the middle finger as that "by means of which the pursuit of dishonour is indicated").


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

[User]
[Castlevania] Had our heroes failed to kill Dracula, would there have been anyone left to stop the genocide?

(Netflix Show) Lets face it they were all useless and under equipped to defeat Dracula, the only reason they won was because he let them. But considering how big and filled to the brim the world is with mythical beings, would anyone else step in to save humanity?

[Assistant]
Yes.  Trevor isn't necessarily the only Belmont left, he just believes that is the case.  Sypha isnt the only sorcerer in the world.  Alucard is probably the only "good" vampire, but we do see a fracturing of Draculas forces before the trio even invade.  Even if they failed, it's only a matter of time before Carmilla engages in all out rebellion against Dracula.

  Grant Danasty should exist, and would fight against Dracula if his curse gets broken.

Humans like Isaac and Hector who control powerful, unique magic also exist, and not all of them will be evil.  A single one on the side of good would be a powerful counterbalance against the forces of evil.

We see towards the end of S2 that a priest blessing water has a powerful effect.  Even when that priest is undead and controlled by evil.  The Church will certainly be able to fight back against Dracula, the bishop from S1 was just an idiot.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why dont AA batteries shock you?

If you hold both the + and - with your hand, why doesnt it shock you? Is it just too weak, or what?

[Assistant]
Yes, the voltage is just too weak, along with your high skin resistance.

On the other hand, if you were to put the battery in your mouth, you would definitely feel a slight shock. This is even more noticeable with a 9v battery.


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

[User]
[General Fantasy] why everybody underestimates goblin?

I mean, as monster they are intelligent and known to amass and attack in large number, even evolve to have class like wolf rider, goblin king, hobgoblin. They also known to pillage cities, and able to breed with other species.

but...every leader of the country/city just leaving them to rookie, provide low pay for it to the point they are not taken care of properly, number skyrocket...and suddenly you have a horde of thousand goblin with varied class invading and then just realized "we're fucked", if only they they nip it in the bud yeah?...

[Assistant] Because Goblins almost always suffer from incredibly poor leadership and laughable morale. Even when they outnumber an opponent by the dozen, they can break and run. They're tiny and shitty and generally not a big threat, even in giant groups. That's why they're usually paired with Orcs, because they've got complimentary skill-sets. Big brawny guys who are too stupid/stubborn to retreat backed up by sneaky little gits who stick back and chuck throwing weapons and stuff.


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

[User] [Star Wars] On Tatooine, why dont settlements like Mos Eisley have walls to protect themselves from Tusken Raiders?

[Assistant]
1. Big settlements like Mos Eisley are not in danger of raids, any raid big enough to pose a threat would be seen approaching from a large distance.

2. Walls aren't that useful in the desert. There is no real way to set a strong foundation that cant be dug under, and the constant windblown sand buildup would require you to go shovel clear the windward side of the walls regularly in order to prevent natural ramps building up.

3. Tusken Raiders prefer small hit and run attacks on travelers and households that are encroaching on their ancestral lands, they are not mindless roaming monsters looking to kill and loot whatever they can.


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

[User]
ELI5: considering that some animals, plants, and fungi have tens of thousands of species in a family who can look very similar, how do you know you've discovered a new species and it isn't just intraspecific variation?

I've been reading about people in the modern day discovering new species, with some like fungi growing in raised beds and parking lots for decades, but no one identifying that they're actually an undiscovered species.

The same with ants, more than 10,000 have been identified, but there is an estimated 22,000 species. Let's say someone stumbles upon a new species of ant, number 10,001. How would they actually verify that it's a new species and not species #6841 which looks the exact same?

[Assistant]
These days we have relatively fast and cheap genetic analysis tools to compare these species on a genetic level rather than trying to squint real hard at their mandibles to try and note physical differences.

This has had a pretty significant impact on the classification of species and subspecies, and how theyre placed on evolutionary family trees.  Lots of populations have been re-classed as unique species, and some animals that were thought to be close relatives have been moved further apart on the tree.

Actually defining a unique species when you have two adjacent populations that are genetically different but still occasionally interbreed is more complicated.  Nature doesnt always care about your attempts to classify things neatly.


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

[User] [Ben 10] If Ben posssesed two omnitrixes and hit them st the same time what would happen?

[Assistant] Bad things. Bad things would happen. The omnitrix recombined your dna to give you the form of an alien being. If you just spliced two or more aliens at random, you'd probably end up with some eldritch tumorous monstrosity.


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

[User] [The Last Airbender] What would a modern day world with benders look like?

[Assistant]
Based on the level of tech on display, they are already on a pre-electricity industrial revolution age. Mechanical engineering is clearly highly advanced in the Fire Nation, given that they seem to be able to produce fabrications using standardized interchangeable parts, the most important precursor to assembly lines. The world's biggest issues are a deficit in communications, aggressive isolationism, and a lack of electricity. If communication opens up, they could modernize within a few generations.

Thus, a modern day would look exactly like the time of Avatar Korra, since that's what it is.


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

[User]
Is all bone marrow equal?

Is all bone marrow equal?

bone marrow can be found inside bone all over the body, right?

so does it matter if it comes from your arm, leg or other places?

[Assistant] There are two kinds of bone marrow. Yellow and red. Children usually have red bone marrow in most of their bones. As we get older, red bone marrow (predominantly consisting of blood cell precursors) in long bones of arms and legs gets replaced by yellow bone marrow (has high content of fat). In adults red bone marrow can be found in flat bones like the pelvis and sternum.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Could Darth Vader survive in the wilderness?

Darth Vader is (somehow) captured and stranded on a planet that's hundreds of millions of light years away from the closest sentient creature, and there are no Force-sensitive creatures within range of his powers. The planet he's on is very Earth-like so there's food, water, atmosphere, and a solar cycle that's compatible with humans. The only technology on the planet is himself and his light saber.

Could Darth Vader survive? And if so, for how long? He clearly wouldn't have any problem procuring food and water but what about his cybernetic parts? Wouldn't his suit run out of power at some point? How much would the Force help to keep him alive?

[Assistant]
His suit is powered and aids in his breathing. He might be able to used the power from his lightsaber to extend that a bit, but eventually he'd run out and die. Also, he eats mush like baby food. His body can't handle solids so he'd eventually starve.

All in all, Vader's screwed. Depending on how long the power in his suit lasts he would either suffocate when the power ran out or simply starve to death.


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

[User]
[Marvel] Is there rivalry between superheroes based on how they got their powers?

Basically, is there a 'pecking' order among the super community when they meet up / discuss each other.

Does Iron-man look down on Spider-man for his power being an accident?

Do the Mutants resent the Avengers for flaunting their power as mutant communities are picketed by gene purists?

Are inborn powers considered 'better' than DIY powers?

Are accidental powers considered 'lesser' because they are not earned?

Hell, are gun using heroes considered hacks by the likes of Magneto?

I could not really come up with a great way to ask this question. I hope I've given enough examples for the crux of the matter to be understood. It just seems odd to me that the same people who call mutants "a danger to society" can cheer on the antics of Spider-man (who, for all they know, is a mutant).

[Assistant] Mutants get a lot of racist flak.  Ordinary humans fear them because, unlike other heroes who got their powers from external sources such as science and cosmic accidents, mutants get their powers from genetics.  They are an extreme jump in evolution that represents the end of the human race as we know it.


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

[User]
[DC] Why is nightwing not part of the main justice league?

We know he is almost as good as batman and is an great asset so my question is why is he not included that much?

[Assistant] Because he doesnt have the resources of Batman and his skill really differs depending on whos writing the comic, sometimes hes nearly equal and other times hes not even close , and runs his own team independent of Batman and the JLA.


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

[User]
CMV: The US Federal Government should institute a framework for fiscal punishment of organizations that have data breaches

The United States has a debt problem and a data security problem that I believe have a mutually beneficial solution: severe financial ramifications for companies and institutions that have data breaches. We have a systemic reoccurrence of data breaches across all sectors in the US and organizations and companies face no serious consequences for their indiscretions. Class action lawsuits ultimately amount to a slap on the wrist and offer no tangible benefits to customers whose data was stolen.

Large fines for corporations that have data breaches would increase interest in data security as a deterrent to avoid fines. It would also provide a revenue source to offset the federal deficit when fines are levied. The goal would be to reduce breaches which would eventually also reduce federal income from fines if companies took this seriously, but that is a good thing.

Here is an example: T-Mobile is currently facing a class action lawsuit for a 70+ million customer record breach. That lawsuit will drag out for years and customers who were affected will ultimately get a fat check for $2.50 while the lawyers will get a third of the settlement. No real tangible benefit to consumers, no serious ramifications to t-mobile, and data breaches continue. If the fine from the federal government was something like $700m it would be a serious deterrent to allowing data breaches in the future. Garnish T-mobiles profits. Make some money.

The same principle could apply to non-revenue generating organizations or institutions by reducing federal funding where applicable.

Im tired of sitting by and watching while our data is pilfered and not taken seriously by businesses we interact with. We as citizens have no recourse. This would provide serious consequences for lack of action and ultimately foster an information security mindset in the United States that has been lagging behind the past few years.

[Assistant]
There's 2 problems with your system.

1. There's no way to ensure you'll never have a data breach, no matter how good the security it can be cracked, smaller companies that can only afford moderate security will be fucked. Just becaues there's a data breach doesn't mean the security was negligent.

2. This will further incentivize companies to just not report data breaches and cover them up instead which is already a massive problem.

If your policy stipulated that they had to be particularly negligent in their security and further penalties for trying to cover up a data breach then maybe it could work.


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

[User]
What would be a good alternative to how today's academic jobs are handled?

I've thought about doing a PhD on numerous occasions but have always been scared off by stories of a shrinking job market for traditional academics (tenure-track). It also seems like the adjunctification/post-doctorization (are these even words?) of faculty is a huge trend that doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon.

So this got me thinking. For the academics who are already established and have tenure or tenure-track positions, and for those who are hopelessly stuck in the post-doc/adjunct glut, what would be an acceptable alternative to how universities hire faculty?

Would you want to keep the system as is, or would you rather have academic positions evolve into more of how non-academic staff are managed (perhaps less pay, but benefits)? I may be completely wrong, but it seems like the way the system is run now is not sustainable for the long run.

[Assistant]
Longterm contracts: at least 5 years so you can be enlisted in different shorter projects. It's more about constant insecurity rather than low pay. If you have a 1-year contract you have to start looking for the next one almost immediately after starting.

If a contract ends, offer bridge funding if you are working on a grant application. Why would you, as a temporary  employee, work to get a large grant to an institution that does not want to support you?

Both measures also allow you to identify with a Uni/College, rather than feeling like a mercenary who sells his/her services to the best bidder.


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

[User]
How do ants find their way back "home"?

I just noticed that there's a single ant in my elevator. What happens if I take it and bring it to the nearby garden? Will the ant ever find its nest? Do ants just join other group of ants, regardless of their origins?

[Assistant]
They track their way by scent markers. If you trace an ants journey another ant from the same colony will follow the exact same route.

To answer the second part of the question, no. Ants are INSANELY territorial. If the ant comes across another colony they will kill it. Instantly and brutally.


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

[User]
[Star Trek] Why did they have to hide the Enterprise on the bottom of the Nibiru ocean? Couldn't they have stayed in orbit and just used the transporters and/or shuttles if required?

I mean, in retrospect it was convenient that they were there to rescue Spock just in time but what was the point in taking the risk of discovery by having a huge starship hidden underwater when they could have just used the transporters or the shuttlecraft alone to do the job?

[Assistant]
There was some interference from the planet and its volcanic instability, which made transporters unreliable at long distance and shuttles risky. Sulu was a good enough pilot to avoid most of those risks, but even he and pinnacle 23rd century technology couldn't beat a volcano just about to erupt.

But on top of all that, Kirk was ARROGANT. He believed he could accomplish both the objectives of observing the natives AND saving their emerging civilization at the same time, so he chose to hide the Enterprise in the next best place when it was unsafe for an away team to go down from orbit. He believed there was absolutely no way the natives would EVER see him, his crew or his ship and no one would EVER know what he did to accomplish it. He had no idea Spock would include that detail in his report because he arrogantly assumed everyone under his command thought like him. Which was a little easy to think, considering his service on the ship up to that point had been literally spotless.

So really, it was a stupid decision, made by a captain who should have known better. And Kirk paid for it when he got caught. Only Pike's defense saved his career.


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

[User]
[Star Wars AOTC's] Dooku all but told Obi Wan that Palpatine was behind it all when he held him prisoner. Why did he tell no one or in any way follow up on this over the three years between Clones and Sith?

Like hey Yoda, Dooku said a Sith Lord was in charge of the Senate, aren't we looking for a Sith Lord? Maybe we should keep an eye on that guy from Naboo.

[Assistant] They totally did. The Jedi were distrustful of the senate the entire war, and it culminated in asking Anakin to spy on Palpatine because they could feel the dark side of the force all over the senate.


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

[User]
[super Mario] What exactly is Bowser the ruler of? How can he afford elaborate traps/minions/castles?

It seems like he spends all of his time kidnapping peach or playing games with Mario and co.

[Assistant]
He's the ruler of the Koopa Kingdom, according to most sources, which is where he gets his resources as well.

However, as revealed in Super Mario Bros. 3, they are all actors. He might still be King Koopa, but he can also afford so much because they're all props.


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

[User] ELI5: What effects do nitrites and nitrates contained in foods have on people?

[Assistant]
Too high a dose of nitrates in a human can cause nitrate toxicity.  The nitrate will oxidise the iron in hemoglobin leaving it unable to carry oxygen.  Babies are especially vulnerable,  with "blue baby syndrome" being the most common diagnosis.

Long term exposure to nitrates has been linked to some types of colon cancer,  but the effect is very weak.


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

[User]
Is human response to music cultural? All societies have some form of rhythm, but if I were to find some previously uncontacted Papua New Guinean tribe and play them Adagio For Strings would they feel sad?

Would Ode To Joy make them feel happy? Would Approaching Menace make them feel tense?

[Assistant] Yes. Uncontacted tribes have been shown clips of music usually associated with fear like the shrieking strings from the Psycho murder scene and they only experience joy because music is a joyous occasion in their culture.


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

[User] In artist collaborations, what's the difference between featuring, versus, and with?

[Assistant]
Versus: is usually a head to head battle. Real time call and response. A guitar head cutting duel or quite simply a mashup remix.

Featuring: Usually involves song composed and recorded by one artist and they call out to a friend to do a bit of sessions. If the artist good enough its a feature. Or while giving young ones a chance.

With: means collaboration. Artists may have composed a bit together. Or maybe performing together on stage.

all of these can also be used great for publicity reasons.


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

[User]
[Fallout] What would it take to go back to functional society?

If I'm ever so lucky to meet Wanderers I often hear about other settlements. Even in the East there are groups running their own towns with their own leaders.

I know there are threats outside the walls, I just wonder what would be needed to get back to what it would have been like before the war. Back when you still had enemies but settlements weren't few and far between, with different rules and authorities.

Will we ever be able to live without these walls?

[Assistant]
I hear there is a place on the west coast that have done this. They identify themselves With a "Great Bear", and instead of the short-lived despot, they have modelled themself on the democracy of old, With elected rulers, and a senate who rules their lands.

They have wiped out raiders and other threats with a great army, who are paid and equipped With set tributes gathered from the citizens of their lands, who don't have to live in fear of their life.

Rumor say they are stretching eastwards, perhaps they will Reach us here, too?


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

[User]
My professor asked me for something that should be so simple that I cant mess it up, but here we are.

Hi, all.

Ive just completed my first class toward obtaining my masters degree, and it went really well. This whole being in grad school thing is extremely new to me, so I apologize if the answer to this question should be painfully obvious and Im just not getting it.

My professor asked me if he could have a titled copy of my annotated bibliography from a presentation I did so he can use it for reference in future classes.

Does this mean he literally wants it just the way it is except I should change the title to something more fitting than Annotated Bibliography, or does he want me to add a bit of context surrounding the project as well? Maybe something resembling an abstract?

I would email him and ask, but hes busy wrapping up our final grades, and I dont want to deter that whole process.
Thanks in advance for any answers!

[Assistant]
Put the title of the presentation at the top along with your name and then paste in the annotated bibliography. Easy and done.

(A helpful way to start answering these questions on your own is to anticipate what the person wants it for. In this case, Im guessing your professor wants a copy for his files, but doesnt want 1,000 files on the desktop, all with the unhelpful name Annotated Bibliography. How would you want it titled if _you_ were looking for it?)


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

[User]
Are there cubic energy formulas?

Like potential energy is m*g*h, a linear function, movement energy is 0.5mv^2, a squared function.

Is there a function for energy that grows faster? Maybe  a cubic or an exponential one?

[Assistant]
Yes, many. You don't see them often as textbooks like to pick simple examples.

Here's an example:

Potential energy of a charge distribution in a dielectric material is:

U = 1/2  Integral\[ rho (x,y,z) \* phi (x,y,z) dV\]

where rho (x,y,z) is the net charge density at each point (units C m^(-3)), phi  is the electric potential at each point (units V) and the integral is over the whole volume (so dV = dx \* dy \* dz and it is a triple integral).

The two functions rho (x,y,z) and phi (x,y,z) can be any function depending on your system in question.

Let say you have a box with area A in dimensions y and z and the functions only vary along X with a length of L. with rho (x,y,z) = e^(Bx) and phi (x,y,z) = Ce^(Dx) with A B C and D being constants

Then the electrostatic potential energy would be

Integral\[ e^(Bx) Ce^(Dx) dx dy dz\] = A\*C / (B + D)  e^(Bx)e^(Dx))  evaluated from 0 to L

or A\*C \* (e^(B\*L)e^(D\*L) \- 1) /  (B + D)

which has an exponential dependence on the length L

**You can probably see why this does not show up in intro textbooks often.**

Edit: intro physics textbooks (like 101 and 102). As the comments pointed out, that equation is in every intro E&M textbook.


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

[User]
[StarWars] What Happened to the Jedi Holocrons in Revenge of the Sith?

So in Revenge of the Sith we see Yoda and Obi-Wan in the temple. Both of which Jedi masters and have the ability to open the Vault in the Library and take them for safe keeping. Did the do this or just hope that the newly appointed Emperor doesn't destroy them and the Chosen One would be able to find them and restore the Jedi Order? Seriously, all the Jedi's secrets are kept in them, where did they go?

[Assistant] Much of the Jedi Archives were destroyed during Vader's raid on the Jedi Temple at the beginning of the Great Purge. Surprisingly, this was not done by Vader or the 501st, but by the Jedi, who wanted to keep as much information as possible from falling into the Empire's hands. It is likely that many of the holocrons hidden in the temple received the same treatment. The information that survived was turned over to Palpatine, who from what I've heard made frequent trips to the Archives. Any holocrons that weren't destroyed were likely either smuggled out by the few Jedi that escaped or ended up in Palpatine's clutches.


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

[User] ELI5: Why/how does it matter if your oven is warm or not before placing your Pizza or other foods inside? Does food end up different if you wait until the oven is fully warm first?

[Assistant]
Mostly it's to standardize the baking time.  One oven may heat from 70-350 in 5 minutes, another might take 10 minutes, it might be 90 degrees in your kitchen one day and 65 another so it takes a different amount of time to heat.

So if a pizza takes 10 minutes to bake at 400, and you put it in without preheating, after 10 minutes it probably won't be done.  And it might take another 2 minutes or another 15 depending on how slowly the oven preheated.

With cakes and bread this is especially important because opening the oven to check if it's done will blast it with cooler air and it will sink and flatten out if it isn't cooked enough to stay fluffy.


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

[User]
ELI5: What kills during a plane crash? is it the heat/explosions, force of impact, or something else?

idk, im sitting here and thought maybe some fire blankets or like covers could help survive the heats during that moment, or would it be too hot for that?

[Assistant]
In this order it's the actual impact, flying debris from the impact, explosion, fire, smoke, injuries sustained from surviving the initial crash.

For this reason the more survivable seats are located toward the back of the plane where the impact has already been absorbed by the front.


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

[User] [W40K] What were Human-Eldar interactions like during the Dark Age of Technology and up until Slaanesh?

[Assistant]
The events of the Fall began in earnest about M15, at the same time the that Humanity was beginning to expand. Before this, however, the Eldar were becoming increasingly insular as they turned more towards indulgence. Typically, this causes a shrinking of borders as Imperial citizens move back towards the core.

The most likely sequence of events has the Eldar slowly migrating back towards the core of their Empire (now the Eye of Terror) as early as 10,000 BCE (considering the leisurely pace the Eldar prior to the birth of Slaanesh) though this would have been well progressed by the time of M15, with the majority of the Eldar population concentrated in the Eye.

Their increasingly insular nature and self indulgent behaviour would have left the Eldar littler consideration of anything beyond their core, but we do know that there was some sporadic contact. The Eldar are described as one of the earliest races Humanity came into contact with, though it is unclear exactly how amiable that contact was. We are also told that, during the Age of Technology, humanities various empires made frequent treaties with alien races. Considering the proximity of the Eldar core, i think it's reasonable to say there was some kind treaty established.

Anyway... we know the Eldar, at their height, dominated the galaxy, with colonies from one end to the other. At the time of the Age of Technology, they seem to be located almost entirely in the core of their Empire, supporting a the mass migration theory. Likewise, the increasing density of their population explains why Slaanesh caused the Eye of Terror when no other Chaos God did the same.

TL:DR

The Eldar had abandoned most of the Galaxy, and probably ignored Humanity for the most part by M15. What little contact they may have had would have been a nuisance at worst, a curiosity at best.


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

[User]
ELI5: What is the fourth dimension?

We have gotten several answers like space and time. So how can it be both? Can someone explain this to me?

[Assistant]
Dimensions are simply a way of specifying where things are. The number of dimensions we exist in can be figured out easily by asking yourself how many different pieces of information are required to determine your location. Four dimensions means we need four specific pieces of information - latitude, longitude, height, and time.

For example, let's say you live in an apartment building and you're throwing a party. If you wanted to tell people how to get to the party, you'd have to tell them the two streets that your building is at the corner of (first and second dimension of space), the floor your building is on (third dimension of space), and the TIME your party is happening at (fourth dimension).


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

[User]
ELI5: Why does so much commercial real estate sit empty for years? Why not lower the rent to attract tenants/stores?

Hi,

Please explain why landlords/owners of commercial real estate leave properties vacant for so long?

Sometimes I see properties for least/rent for ages and I just wonder "why don't they lower the rent and get someone, ANYONE in there?? to open a business/storefront??, why let it be empty with a "For Lease" sign up for months if not years?

Obviously lowering the rent to attract a new tenant isn't ideal, but surely getting some rent is better than no rent?

[Assistant]
Low commercial rent doesn't attract retail / storefronts nearly as much as low residential rent attracts tenants.

What business would want to save $1000/month on rent but move from an upscale shopping plaza to a run-down strip mall a mile away? They could easily lose more than $1000/month in business.


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

[User]
Altruism does not exist, CMV

If you jump in front of a bus to save your grandmother and are killed, you are doing it for yourself.

You made a split second decision to alleviate the negative feeling of knowing your grandmother was about to die when you had the ability to stop it.

If you donate all your money to charity anonymously, you are selfish.

You either did it to alleviate the guilt of having money when others did not, or you gain a positive feeling from helping others and achieved that by giving your money. Thus you got something out of it.

If being selfless did not make you feel good, or relieve a feeling of guilt, you would have not committed the act.

If you attempt to defy this, by doing something selfless even when it does NOT make you feel good, you are still selfish, because you gain a positive feeling from defying my statement (or alleviate the negative feeling of realizing that you are selfish no matter what you do).

Bottom line, every "selfless" action can be traced to an end result of either alleviating a bad feeling or gaining a positive feeling.

I challenge you to give me a selfless act that is not actually selfish.

I supposed if you unconciously did something selfless, but if it isn't a conscious decision it shouldn't count.

[Assistant]
This again?

> If you jump in front of a bus to save your grandmother and are killed, you are doing it for yourself.

Because an awareness of someone else's pain, and the conscious decision to suffer in their stead is selfish?

Please explain why you're making up new definitions for the word? Selfish, is defined as making decisions that negatively impact others, for your own reward. An awareness of the emotions/rewards you're giving someone else, through unselfish behavior, is called empathy. It's leaving behind the limitations of the self.

Also, you're assuming brief emotional rewards are the only reason one can do a good deed. There are diseases which destroy the ability to feel any emotion, and the victims are still capable of acting unselfishly out of purely logical reason or unconscious instinct.


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

[User] ELI5: Why is it quieter when it snows?

[Assistant] Sound travels in waves yeah? Well sound bounces off of structures to get to places. Off of the ground, buildings, etc. When it snows it adds a layer of snow, which usually isn't packed tightly, so it doesn't reflect a lot of that wave back as well. It's like hitting a baseball with a wooden bat verses a pool noodle.


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

[User]
ELI5: If the original settlers of America came from England, how come current Americans don't speak with the same English accent? Where did we get our American accent and words?

For instance: In the UK, they say flat or lift where we say apartment or elevator. Where did we come up with our own words? And if the original settlers had an English accent. They would pass their accent down to their children because that is how their kids would learn to talk, and so on. So, when did the English accent drop off?

[Assistant]
The English spoken today in England differs as much from the English of the 17th century as American English. Accents change over time even without people moving around.

Also depending on how you define 'America' the Spanish or French were first.


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

[User] Why does my computer drastically slow down after a couple years?

[Assistant]
Think of the computer as analogous to a human body:

1. Every time you install something (a program, a game, a toolbar, etc), you are essentially giving it a piece of 'food'. *Unlike* a human body, though, your computer doesn't "burn calories". It just lets the food sit there, and it continues to grow as more and more stuff is installed. You are essentially adding an endless amount of "fat" that is being consumed, and so your computer slowly becomes less and less healthy. Not all programs are bad, but they *do* take up space and memory, both of which are vital.

2. *Uninstalling* software isn't the same thing as "getting rid of it completely". When you un-install something, it leaves behind tiny 'artifacts' that affect the way the computer runs. So even though you *think* you're giving it a good clean, there are lots of nooks and crannies that get left behind.

3. Computers 'age', just like humans. We often leave our computers and other devices running 24/7 - which isn't inherently *bad* - but, the more you use something, the more it starts to wear down. This has a direct impact on its ability to perform.

4. Another big consideration here is *perception*. We live in an amazing age where technology is *doubling* in performance every few years. It's not unusual to **think** that your computer has become a lot slower, simply because everything else around it has become a lot *quicker*.


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

[User] ELI5: How are RFID tags read with antennas and readers, and how is the information sent back and analysed by a computer?

[Assistant]
An RFID tag is really two parts - a small chip and an antenna.

When a reader scans the tag, it supplies a small amount of power over the air.  The antenna picks up that power and it is _just_ enough to activate the chip.  The chip then broadcasts a message, which the reader receives and stores.  It then takes that message and compares it to a database to achieve the desired output, be that firing a command, pulling up a record, etc.


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

[User] ELI5: Doesn't water need to be over 100 degrees celsius to become steam? Why is there water vapour in our hot showers?

[Assistant]
The simple explanation:

Water *boils* at 100 Centigrade. That's the temperature at which it is *definitely* becoming a gas. However

Water molecules can, and do, get enough thermal energy to pop off the surface of water *all the time*, no matter *what* temperature the water mass is at. It even happens with ice! You can have a block of ice sitting in a mass of dry air, and water molecules will pop off the surface into the air. This is titled *sublimation*.

This all happens because the deciding factor of whether water molecules pop off the surface of a mass of water is determined by the *vapour pressure*  a comparison of how energetically the molecule wants to pop off versus how capable the surrounding space is to allowing that.

Ice, even at ridiculously low temperatures, still has some vapour pressure  it's just much lower than the atmosphere around it.

Water, at room temperature, even at 35C, has a vapour pressure roughly equal to the surrounding room-temperature air, or a somewhat more. This can lead to humid shower rooms and fogged mirrors.

When you push the warm water through a showerhead, though, you're applying a *very* large amount of kinetic energy to the molecules and *greatly* increasing the surface are of the mass of water.

This *skyrockets* the vapor pressure on the surface of the water streams, causing a huge push of vapour into the atmosphere, saturating it.


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

[User] [MCU Dr. Strange] Dr. S takes a bite of an apple and then uses the time stone to restore the apple to an unbitten condition. Is there still a piece of apple in his stomach? If so, then did he just find a way to end world hunger?

[Assistant] We don't know for sure, but given that when he uses the time stone at the end to restore the sanctorum and it re-assembles itself and debris is all gone makes me think that the apple piece that he swallowed is gone.


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

[User]
Suppose I firmly place my palm against the wall. What dos this hand-wall interface look like at the atomic level?

Is there 'overlap'? Do some atoms from the wall penetrate into the atoms of my hand and vice versa? In other words, is the boundary well defined or 'fuzzy'?

[Assistant] It would look a lot like putting a bunch of really small magnets against each other.  The reason that you do not go through a surface when you touch it is because of electro-magnetic repulsion.  Trying to  touch a wall with your hand is just like trying to touch two oppositely charged magnets.  And yes, this means that when you think you are "touching" something you actually are not, but just feeling its magnetic repulsion.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why do humans take to music so well?

Unlike good food, socializing, and so on, I can't really see the immediate biological links between humans and music. Just to clarify, I know some variations have been posted about 2 years ago, but none of the answers really satisfactory. New explanations would be great! Thank you so much in advance.

[Assistant] I think it takes a scientific research to tell why we first get interested in music. However, after the deed is done, our need for more is probably psychological, because sounds will have the meaning we assign to them - and most of us like to revisit certain emotions which can only be brought about by these associations we have made.


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

[User]
Why has only 10% of the ocean floor been mapped? Surely ships go nearly everywhere now. Don't they have RADAR?

What is the biggest type of geographic feature which could have examples waiting to be discovered?

[Assistant]
RADAR doesn't work under water. Water is incredibly effective at absorbing electromagnetic radiation. That includes visible light, microwaves, radio waves, etc. You can only penetrate a few to a few dozen meters through water with various different useful and not dangerous forms of electromagnetic radiation.

Vessels will often use Sonar to get an idea if there's anything in their path, but even that can only penetrate so far.

Long story short, it's incredibly difficult to probe the depths of the oceans with anything like Radar or Sonar. We have to literally send a submarine down to the bottom to bring the information back up to us.


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

[User] ELI5: How does an atomic clock work? How does it start telling extremely precise time?

[Assistant] An atomic uses a clump of atoms of a pure element.  When excited, these atoms vibrate at a specific frequency that depends on the element's electron alignments.  By counting the vibrations, you can get a very precise clock that's stable over a long time period.


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

[User] Small pox was eliminated years ago, but does it or can it still be possible that it is somewhere in nature waiting to make a return?

[Assistant]
The only known samples of smallpox are at the CDC and in a Russian bio bank.

The top comment mentions an old sample in a freezer - worrying. More worrying though, is that chances are pretty good theres a corpse somewhere in the permafrost in the north with preserved smallpox on it. Ice cores taken from ancient ice have yielded active viruses, though the paper Im thinking of used amoeba as bait not human cells.

If you find a frozen body dont pick its scabs.


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

[User]
[MCU] Would Odin have participated in Endgame's final battle had he still been alive?

Just curious if Hannibal...err...Odin would have bifrosted over to Earth and played a role in that final battle.  If so, how would things have changed?

[Assistant]
Why do you think Thanos waited until Odin was dead before he really got to work collecting the Stones?

As far as we know, there were only a handful of beings in the universe who posed an actual, significant threat to Thanos' plans:

* Odin
* Hella
* Ego
* The Ancient One

And by *Infinity War*, all of them were, coincidentally, dead.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why is it more efficient for large ships to be powered by Diesel-Electric or similar two stage powerplants? I thought changing energy types and systems always involved losses.

For example, aren't you losing a small % of energy converting the diesel in your car into power to move your car?
So then, wouldn't you lose more % if you used diesel to then make electricity and THEN power a ship?
IE: The longer the chain of conversions, the less efficient your energy transfer will have. But I know large ships use an extra step compared to cars or a regular engine, why is that better for large ships?

[Assistant]
Because the alternative would be hooking the diesel engine directly to the motor of the ship which is less efficient and leaves you without a source of power for anything electric on the ship.

ICEs and diesel engines have an optimal performance window for RPMs. You can make a diesel engine really efficient by running it at one set rpm and powering a generator and using the electricity to actually do the work you need done.

This is the reasoning behind diesel electric locomotives as well.


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

[User]
[logic] Please ELI5 the pairwise distinctions between tautologies, truisms, analytic truths, and vacuous truths.

...and any other relevant concepts, if they are relevant.

[Assistant]
Tautology: True because of its structure. Ex: The moon is made of cheese or it isn't made of cheese.

Truism: Trivially true statement not worth stating. Example: People exist.

Analytic Truth: True because of the meanings of the terms. Example: All bachelors are unmarried.

Vacuous Truth: True because the empty set has been assigned a property. Example: All of the elephants in this room are wearing fedoras.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Why didn't Yoda and Obi-Wan try again?

I've heard that in the first few days of the Empire Yoda basically fought Palpatine to a draw and Kenobi outright defeated Darth Vader... surely they could have planned another fight(s) to finish  the job right? Why exile yourselves and pin all your hopes on a couple of babies when you were so close to taking out both Sith already?

[Assistant]
The damage would be done anyway. They had one chance only, Yoda failed and Palpatine lived, he went to the Senate and blamed the Jedi for everything (the war, his scars, treason against the Republic) and most of the Senate believed it. It was too late.

Their only allies were under surveillance or were crushed... Obi Wan did hit hard Palpatine plans by mutilating Vader.

Besides, at that point the Dark Side of the Force was stronger than ever.


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

[User] Can you refract light in a circle with the right materials?

[Assistant]
No.

One way to see this is because the equations that describe the motion light can be reversed in time.  If you have a setup that somehow causes light to travel in an un-ending cycle, you should be able to reverse time and watch the light going in an un-ending backwards cycle.  And that right there is the conflict: "un-ending cycle".  If you have a perfect loop such that light can never get _out_ when the system is run backwards in time, it means that light will never be able to get _in_ to a perfect loop when the system is run forwards in time.

It can't be done.

You can build a perfect loop (use mirrors, it's easier), but you can't insert any light into it.


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

[User]
What is the purpose of philosophy in relation to this world?

Aside from philosophy being described as the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom, what purpose do you feel the field of philosophy has in general. It has sometimes been described as useless, and although it holds a lot of power in changing our perspective on reality at times and inspiring ideas outside of the field of philosophy, I often wonder, what is philosophy meant to do for the world exactly? Is it just about asking questions and seeking answers that may or may not be useful? Is there any tangible implications that philosophy should be seeking to create?

[Assistant]
The 'no use' accusation at philosophy comes from a society who view themselves as strictly post-ideological and post-philosophical, there is a Fukuyamaist political conscious since the 1990s. This has obscured the fact that material relations are tied to the theoretical as much as ever.

This modern man is observed by Zizek to be post-ideological on a psychological level, and yet operates as if a thoroughly ideological subject at the level of concrete action (the psychoanalytic level wherein 'belief' can be transferred beyond the mind of the individual). This applies to Keynes' "practical man" who while believing himself to be "quite exempt from intellectual influences" is usually the "slave of some defunct economist [philosopher]".

So if we take on the Zizekian reimagining of Marx's definition of ideology as "that which they do, but do not know" into "that which they know but do anyway", then we can see that theory (and, for the purposes of your question, philosophy) even though it is kept at an ironic distance, dictates every day of our lives.

Philosophy's purpose then is omni-competent and concerns uncovering man's existence in the world. It has no complete answers, and this repels the "practical man", but we can here realize that this is a necessary condition for the development of thought over time.


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

[User]
ELI5: why passwords made on websites with requirements (i.e. EXACTLY 8 characters) make a password 'more secure' if it decreases the total amount of possible combinations.

And if it doesn't make it more secure, why do websites still do it?

Edit: Well, that escalated quickly...

Edit 2: Ok, I think I've found some good explanations. Thanks, guys!

[Assistant]
They don't make it more secure, and you can use the rules to narrow down the possible combinations. Forcing people to use special characters may however be advantageous because it vastly increases the search space.

These requirements are usually implemented because there are a large number of people who would choose 'password1' or '123456' if you let them, and the restrictions are designed to force them to choose something more secure.


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

[User]
Why is the oxygen to hydrogen mass ratio on the shuttle's external tank 6:1 instead of 8:1?

Wouldn't a mass ratio of 8:1 be optimal?

[Assistant]
An optimal reaction is indeed a 1:8 ratio, but having unburnt hydrogen in the exhaust produces a higher specific impulse.

That is to say the fuel is more efficient in producing thrust when in a 1:6 ratio, even though energetically it is more efficient at 1:8.


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

[User]
Why does time symmetry imply conservation of energy?

I've been getting into relativity and QM and i was just wondering why Noether's theorem says that symmetry accross time implies energy is conserved? I get that symmetry across space conserves momentum, and symmetry of rotation conserves angular momentum (and i think symmetry of phase is what causes conservation of charge?? Please correct me on that), but why does time relate to energy? Is it to do with work done? Please help!

[Assistant]
A way to think about it is that in relativity energy is the time component of the 4d momentum vector.

 So energy is conserved with time translation symmetry for the same reason momentum is conserved with space translation symmetry.


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

[User] ELI5: How do they remove caffeine from drinks like coffee or tea? Are they not naturally caffeinated?

[Assistant]
No they are naturally caffeinated. There are four different ways to decaffeinate a drink.

Methylene chloride processing - the chemical is a solvent for caffeine

Ethyl acetate - this is called 'naturally decaffeinated' because the chemical is found in many fruits, same as above it is a solvent.

CO2 - at very high temps and pressure the co2 reaches a supercritical state where it acts as both a fluid and gas and the smaller non polar caffeine molecules bond with the co2, this leave most of the flavor molecules as such having more flavor.

Water processing - this is basically steeping the drink (typically coffee) and then is passed through a carbon filter to remove the caffeine in the liquid.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why does nature like square roots and cube numers?

Late bloomer when it comes to physics here but I wonder why nature is first of all describable in such a precise way with numers and letters and why nature even "obeys" to square roots and cube numbers.
Take for example Newton's law of universal gravitation:
F=GMm/R

As far as I know, the idea of square roots and cube numbers were invented some time BC, so way earlier than any serious physical discoveries regarding gravitation. It would make sense to me if we invented square roots and cuber numbers AFTER we observed nature and tried to create formulas that gave us precise output, but the fact that it happened the other way around is astonishing to me (not that we came up with the mathematical concept, but that nature "likes" these concepts so much).

It almost feels like a discovery of the "code" of nature that seems almost too simple to be good enough for reality.

[Assistant]
The answer is dimensions. Things that scale in two or three dimensions tend to use square and cube numbers respectively.

To take the law of universal gravitation as an example - when talking about gravity, you have a massive object with a nonzero volume (usually a sphere) that has gravity. The surface of this object is essentially two-dimensional. As you move away from the object (increasing R) gravity "spreads out" in these two dimensions, which results in the force of gravity decreasing with the square of distance.

Light works the same way, light coming from a spherical source (like the sun) spreads out in two dimensions, which means the amount of sunlight you get decreases with the square of distance from the sun.


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

[User]
[The Venture Bros.] How do I join the Guild of Calamitous Intent?

I am a rather...new member of the Super Science community, but my expertise do not dabble in the heroic side of the spectrum. Even better, after my father was killed by his latest Arch, I have inherited his wealth and technology. So...who should I contact to join up with the baddies?

[Assistant] You have to put in an application. They will send out someone to give you an assessment of your current skills, equipment and henchmen status and then they will accept you at what level they feel you belong, and give you a choice of Arches at that level.


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

[User]
ELI5: why does it hurt to hold your breath but you can die in your sleep from carbon monoxide poisoning?

Wow folks, thanks for all the solid answers! I went to workout and came back to more information than I could have ever asked for!

[Assistant]
Your body doesn't actually know how much oxygen is in your blood stream! That's plentiful in our normal environment and not something worth the expense of monitoring, evolutionary speaking. It actually measures the CO2 your body is trying to get rid of and preventing blood toxicity caused by excess CO2 which is an actual daily threat.

CO binds like O2 in your blood, but it's hundreds of times "stickier" and doesn't let go so O2 can't stick. It slowly decreases the amount of O2 your blood can grab until it can't grab any O2, all the while your body thinks everything is great because your CO2 levels are not exceeding dangerous levels. By this point you pass out/die without realizing what is happening.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why isn't water a super conductor?

I have a general understanding of super conductors, but is it possible for water to behave like a superconductor given certain circumstances?

[Assistant] pure water isn't even a conductor, why would it be superconducting? At absolute zero perhaps where the definition of atoms and molecules break down, or the opposite, as a plasma, can you make water-plasma??


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

[User] [One Punch Man/Marvel/DC] How would Saitama be regarded by both the public and other powered heroes and villains if he existed in a more serious universe such as the Marvel or DC continuities?

[Assistant]
Depends on his power.

Does he just have his current feats?

Then sorta meh, he is a flying brick of significant but not surprising or even particularly strong one.

So he would end up kinda a joke, a hero who doesn't wanna be a hero, doesn't have any aspirations and just wants to fight strong opponents.

If he scales to the universe (as in he is able to beat anybody in the universe like he can in his)

Then he would end up well ... controlled by Batman pretty much.

He will basically be fed information so that he shows up and hits whatever needs hitting.

The rest of the time he will live his normal life, but he won't be allowed to fight crime because he will kill everything.

Batman would probably arrange for him got et a stipend so that he is available to lunch when needed.


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

[User] ELI5: How can a judge request a jury not take into account certain pieces of evidence in a trial, and have their ever been unashamedly where a jury refuses to do so?

[Assistant]
A judge does this by making jury instructions to not consider it.

Of course, the jury can't "unhear" something, and it's not always possible for someone to completely disregard something that is disturbing, but legally inadmissible. If the jury hears or sees something that is ruled inadmissible, it could be ground for a mistrial if the judge feels that it's so prejudicial that the jury won't be able to ignore it.