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

[User]
What are 5 essential books or textbooks every software engineer should read?

Title

Edit: Wow!  Thank you for all the suggestions!

[Assistant]
1. The Field Guide to Understanding Human Error. Not a software book, and you'll get the idea within the first half of skimming. Still very useful and important, and doubly so when you need to tell your boss's bosses why your boss is being a counterproductive asshat that's tanking the project, not saving it. The Mythical Man Month gets an honorable mention here, for correctly identifying problems in project management, but loses on having a rather uncompelling answer to them.
2. Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach. This is the literal bible on processor and computer architecture. You want to actually understand how your software actually executes? This is it. This is stuff that once you learn will continue to apply for decades.
3. C Programming Language. Short and to the point, and a bit dated, but the most simple and direct introduction to both c and posix, which have largely set the framework modern computing exists within.

Past that I'd say pick two good books in a topic area that interests you. Make sure they're books that will challenge you a bit and that also offer exercises/quizs/something that lets you validate you're actually learning.


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

[User] [Mass Effect] Can someone explain The Reapers to me in simple terms? Like who 'built' them, if that question makes sense? What are they harvesting? Are they getting stronger, weaker or staying the same over time? Are there more of them/less/same? Just "what" are they?

[Assistant]
A long, long, long time ago there was an alien race that had made huge advances in AI/synthetic life/robots. They were worried about the possibility of a robot revolution so they put one of their AI (named "Catalyst") to work calculating a good way to prevent it.

Catalyst's solution was... not ideal. It created the Reapers, a fleet of sentient starships, each one made from a substance that was literally processed from thousands of slagged down organic life forms.

Then, because it was what they were programmed for and all they knew how to do, the Reapers decided to do that across the galaxy. When they were done they hibernated for eons and waited for the re-emergence of intelligent life with its own AI buddies; then they did the whole thing over again. And again. And again. And again.

They got really clever about it, building the Mass Relays and the Citadel to lure sentient life into one concentrated place to make their work easy. By the time Shepard comes around a countless number of cycles have already been carried out.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Why is R2-D2 so savvy?

Is it just from having a ton of experience in the field? It seems like R2 is far more self-sufficient than most other astromech droids. It seems to me like they should all have the same programming, thus leading to similar job performance. What makes R2 special?

[Assistant] R2 has never had his memory wiped.  He's basically become self aware and extremely intelligent because of it at the risk of becoming more unreliable and moody.  Anakin and later Luke have made dozens of modifications to him to increase his effectiveness but avoided wiping his memories since it improved his response time to emergencies and improvisational problem solving.  Most astromech models are recommended to be wiped every standard year to avoid developing quirks and for the grand army of the republic this was supposed to be done after every mission to keep Intel out of enemy hands.  By the time of new Hope C-3po is around 19 years old mentally but r2 is closer to 40 with former republic military programming and Jedi programs.


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

[User]
How does Yersina Pestis cause three separate, all fatal diseases?

I used to think that bubonic, pneumonic and septicemic plague are caused by three different pathogens. Today I found out they're all caused by the same bacteria - how does it infect either lungs, blood or lymph nodes, and how does one kill you from bleeding out internally, and the other by destroying you lymph nodes? Are those different molecular mechanisms or the same mechanism, manifesting in different ways?

[Assistant]
It's very much related to route of exposure. Same can be said for some of the other zoobotic/biowarfare bacteria - tularemia, anthrax, glanders.

Bubonic plague is commonly a result of peripheral exposure - flea bites, handling a dead animal, etc. (the other agents have cutaneous or lymphatic forms as well, through peripheral exposure)

Pneumonic plague is typically a result of aerosol exposure - another person or animal with pneumonic plague coughing and aerosolizing the bacteria. (the others can be aerosolized and result in severe pulmonary infections)

Septicemic plague - buboes rupture, pulmonary infection escapes into the blood steam, or an otherwise high dose of the bacterium into the bloodstream via cut, etc. (same as above for the others)


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

[User]
[Dragon Ball] How far is Goku willing to go to get a good fight? Would he intentionally harm innocent bystanders?

So Goku really likes himself a good fight. He will straight up order an hit on himself just so he has an excuse to fight the assassin. But how far exactly is he willing to go to get a good fight?

Say he comes across a powerful superhero who only fights out of necessity in saving people, and who genuinely dislikes fighting. Would Goku be willing to threaten/actually start to kill people just so the guy would fight him?

[Assistant] Nah. Sounds like something Vegeta would do. Goku at best is willing to insult someone's mom so that they get the will to fight him (while they're already in the fighting ring), but he's not a bully. He won't go just hurting people for the thrill.


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

[User]
ELI5: What exactly are surveyors doing when they're looking through those tripods??

I see them all over the place, with their yellow jackets looking through those tripods and I have no idea what the hell they're measuring or why they're measuring it. HELP!

[Assistant] They're looking at a stick through a little telescope to measure the angle at which they can see the mark on it. They do this lots and lots of times in lots and lots of places and use the results of this triangulation to create a height map.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Unlike Kylo Ren, was Vader a "chill" guy to be working under?

Kylo is impulsive, childish, emotionally unstable and overall just a dangerous person to be around. I mean, once he gets those tantrums going you know someone is gonna get hurt or injured. Vader on the other hand comes off as cool and collected and will only lash out if you disappoint him. Vader is like that strict teacher who grades harshly but fairly, Kylo is that substitute teacher who flips off for no reason.

So, was Vader someone you as an imperial would LIKE to work with? Was he a chill dude if you were doing your job properly?

[Assistant]
I guarantee you nobody was comfortable around Vader. Working under him was probably more intimidating and stressful than working under Kylo. *ESB* has enough evidence of that.

You disappoint Kylo, you'll probably be yelled at, witness some equipment get slashed around and such, be thrown around with the force, but that's about it. It's just a tantrum.

You disappoint *Vader*, on the other hand, even if you are completely transparent with him about your failure like Captain Needa, you risk being strangled and dragged away into a crematorium.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Why didn't the trade federation recognize that Palpatine and Sidious had the same voice?

Wouldn't this have made it obvious that they were the same person. They heard both voices.

[Assistant]
Sidious was a master manipulator. He could talk right to your face about some deep dark secret, and you would walk away thinking of the opera that he *just* told you about. The force let him effect it to an even greater extent.

Also, by the point that you were able to realize that they were the same voice, you'd be already in pretty deep. At that point, they probably knew, but were wise enough not to say anything.


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

[User] Is there a limit to how fast matter can accelerate?

[Assistant]
Just some napkin math until someone better qualified can come in here and comment:

First of all lets get rid of the word matter, and replace it with a particle that has rest mass.

The maximum speed a particle with mass can travel is slightly less than 2.99 *10^8 m/s (speed of light rounded)

Based off of what we can actually use with working theories, we are limited to the smallest time frame being a plank second which is 5.39 * 10^-44 s (rounded) Anything less than this and physics *as we currently understand it* breaks down, so I'd rather not hypothesize how that would work.

So putting these together we have a particle that accelerates from a 0 m/s in your reference frame to 2.99 \*10^8 m/s in 5.39\*10^-44 s.

2.99 \* 10^8 / 1 / 5.39\*10^-44 =

**5.56\*10^51 m/s^2** This is the limit, the actual acceleration will be slightly less than this.

edit: Double this number because you can go from - 5.56\*10^51 m/s^2 to + 5.56\*10^51 m/s^2. Knew I'd forget something, just didn't think it would be that obvious.


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

[User]
[Avatar: Legend of Korra] In S4, why was the United Forces during the invasion of the United Republic/Battle of Republic City so small?

Towards the end of Season 4, the Battle of Republic City is about to began, with the United Forces (UF) and Earth Empire Army (EEA) (as Ill now refer them) facing each other.

Problem was, **why was the United Forces in that battle so small?**

If the capital city of the United Republic was about to be invaded by an imperialistic dictatorship, youd imagine the ocean being filled with warships, planes and airships patrolling the skies, along with thousands of mecha-suits and soldiers/Marines on the ground preparing to fight for their countrys freedom.
Instead, it looked like at best a **battalion** or so of soldiers was tasked with defending the city that housed (presumably) millions of people, while less than like 10 battleships showed up. Its almost like having one or two battalions of the 3rd Infantry Regiment tasked with defending Washington, D.C. from an entire division or two of the Russian Army or something.
While were on the topic of troops, why didnt the United Forces entrench themselves? I guess the barbed wire/crude No Mans Land was sort of alright, but why didnt some Earth bending combat engineers rig up defensive barriers or trenches or foxholes? If you dont have the numbers advantage, then at the very least dig some foxholes and erect some makeshift walls.

Did I forget to mention that it appeared that the UF had *no* air superiority during the battle compared to the EEA? Why is that? They clearly have biplanes in their aerial fleet and they obviously have airships. But where were they? To win a battle, air superiority over the enemy plays a crucial role. Youre going to have a hard time fighting when your enemy is dropping lead from possibly thousands of feet above in the air where your bending cant touch them.
Speaking of planes, why didnt the EEA bring along some biplanes as well? Oh, we can bring along a multi-story mecha-giant that can fire a laser made up of pure energy that can slice buildings to bits a la Shin Godzilla, but ***no***, biplanes are too much? Again, **air superiority**.

Lastly, despite all the flaws of the battle, would Iroh and the United Forces had stood a chance against Kuvira if she didnt have her mecha-giant?

[Assistant]
We dont know if they had other people hiding in the mountains or planes waiting for a command. They also didnt expect Kuviras army to be that huge. They were one city versus the army she had amassed from the entire earth kingdom.

They probably would have won if Kuvira didnt have the mech, especially if they did have hidden airships somewhere, but mostly because they had the avatar on their side.


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

[User]
What causes people to have identity crises during PhD work (usually year 2)? How do you prevent it?

I'm excited to start my PhD next fall. However, a number of people talk about having identity crises between year 2 and 3. It's after qualifying exams and before things start working. It makes people wonder what the hell they're doing with their lives, and question their self-worth. It happens even to people who took time off to work before graduate school.

[Assistant]
For many PhD students it is the first time they don't get regular feedback in the form of exams passed or progressing in an obvious way year by year.

This can lead to a crisis where they really don't know how well they are doing, or even if they are going anywhere. This is compounded by the nature of research where often you *don't* know quite what it is you're doing. It can be further worsened by failing to take vacations and becoming burnt out.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why can i spend the entire night tossing and turning, unable to sleep, and as soon as day breaks and I need to get up, I'm exhausted?

This may or may not be extremely relevant to my life.

[Assistant]
The main reason for the sudden change is the daybreak itself. Your internal clock regularly resets/checks itself against the current level of light. In the dead of night it can't really tell between 1am and 3am for example, so when day starts to break the clock resets and realises it's actually morning and you instantly feel tired.

Have you ever been to a party/rave where you don't see the outside world all night, you get to the endm, still feel fine and as soon as you go outside or open the curtains or anything like that, you feel shattered? Same thing.


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

[User]
ELI5:How does wearing more clothes that cover more areas of skin keep you cooler when outside in the sun?

I work outside all day so I wear a long sleeve turtle neck Under Armor under my work clothes. Many people I work with who work in the offices inside ask we why I wear my attire but all I can tell them is it keeps the sun off my skin. Preventing skin cancer and keeping me cooler, but idk how to explain HOW its keeping me cooler.

[Assistant]
Because the clothing you have on is blocking the suns rays from directly affecting you and putting a barrier up that blocks them.

Clothing on your skin blocks up to 95% of the UVA/UVB radiation that the sun puts off into our atmosphere. That high intensity radiation, along with the visible and infrared radiation are all forms of energy that are easily stopped by layers of clothing.

When you wear long sleeve clothing across your body, the cloth heats up and disperses that energy before its absorbed by your skin and body, so you pick up less heat over time.


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

[User] ELI5: how does the Olympic gymnastics scoring system work?

[Assistant]
Gymnast decides on a routine and submits it to the A panel.

The A panel scores the routine with a
 set of rules.  Every legal move has a difficulty class and is assigned a specific point value.  A routine may include a move several times, but it only counts once in this part.  The second part is doing multiple moves in succession.  There's a set number of points available for connecting moves together.  There are special moves called elements that must be present in every routine (each event has different elements).  The panel then comes to a consensus for the value of the routine.

The B panel scores the performance.  Their scores start at 10.  Every fault that occurs has an amount that gets deducted.  Wrong foot position might be a 0.1 penalty.  Skipping a move in the routine is a 1.0 penalty.  Everything other error has other specific deductions.  Then the subjective dislike of the artistry is deducted.  It is theoretically possible to have a negative score.

The B panel drops the high and the low scores.  The rest are averaged.  The two panel scores are then added together.


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

[User]
[MCU] So what are Banner's Seven PHDs in?

so in Ragnarok he mentions having seven PHDs, which is a better explanation than the usual movie trope of scientists just being brilliant at everything.

So what are they in?

Nuclear Physics certainly, plus some biological or medical field given how he was treating patients in India, what else?

[Assistant]
Not flying spaceships.

The funny thing is that multiple doctorates would be redundant.  Once you've got your first one, you've earned the privilege to follow your own research.  You could theoretically write your dissertation on nuclear physics and wind up studying insect digestion.

PhD's aren't trade school certificates - they're a license to direct your own course of study.  You've proven that you know how to do research and follow through to publishing completed studies.


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

[User]
[Pokmon] What happens when a poke ball that contains a caught Pokmon is destroyed?

Lets say you have a pokeball with a caught Pokmon in it. Lets also say that you threw that pokeball with the Pokmon still inside it into a construction site for whatever reason. A gurdurr doesnt see the ball and drops 3 tons of steel 2x4s onto it and the ball has now been flattened and crushed. What happens to the Pokmon inside it?

Or another example, what if you accidentally drop your pokeball into a pool of lava and the ball disintegrates. What happens to the Pokmon inside of it assuming its not a Slugma?

Another example, lets say youre in a Pokmon battle with an Arbok and it tries to do Acid but your Pokmon dodges it. In dodging it the acid hit your Pokeball belt that you placed on the ground and now all your poke balls have been corroded and turned into a gas as a by product of the acid. What happens to the Pokmon inside?

[Assistant]
The Pokmon inside is stored as energy. So I'd reckon this energy would be released, and then form into the Pokemon.

Your lava example though, the Pokmon is still fucked as they just formed on lava.


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

[User]
[General Sci-Fi] Why do fighter jet pilots engage giant monsters at point-blank range?

I mean most fighter to fighter engagements occur using missiles that can target and intercept enemies BVR (Beyond Visual Range) which is 37+ km. So why are these idiot hotshots playing chicken with building-sized kaiju and robots when their missiles are designed to hit a tiny target from miles away? Even their guns have a max range of 2 miles or so.

[Assistant]
Most fighter to fighter engagements use munitions designed to target small, fast moving, metallic objects with a hot spot on the back end.
These missiles won't know what to do if you attempt to fire them at a giant monster from 30 miles away.
The pilots are more or less dumb firing the missiles at point blank range because that's the best they can do with a weapon system that wasn't designed for the fight they find themselves in.


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

[User]
[The Boys] What is the ratio of actual superheroics to corporate nonsense for an average member of The Seven?

We see members of The Seven doing press junkets, board meetings, acting in movies, and arguing about merchandising rights. What percent of their day is spent actually fighting crime and saving people?

[Assistant]
In the comics, literally none of it at all- it's all faked. They're essentially glorified mascots/attack dogs for Vought International, and after the disaster with 9/11, they're not trusted to do anything. They just sit there, collect a paycheck and pretend to stop imaginary "crises"

In the TV show, it's more genuine, but still very little. Basically just enough to hold up to scrutiny and have something to point to if someone asks why these exist. It's unlikely it's more then one day a week they're actually "patrolling".


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

[User] [The Good Place] Do all people from Florida really go to the Bad Place automatically? If so, why?

[Assistant]
Spoilers ahead:

>!At the time that rule was explained *everyone* was going to the bad place automatically.!<

>!It seemed funny at the time, but it was actually a hint that the entire system was broken and offered no possible route to the good place.!<


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

[User]
[High Fantasy] What would defensive positions really look like instead of medieval castles?

Castles, keeps, and fortifications were an arms race against real-world weapons. Wood palisades fell out of favor to stone curtain walls, which then were bolstered and given skirts to stop siege weapons and digging under them, as well as a shift to rounded edges. Ultimately this led up to star forts that maximized kill zones and minimized weaknesses against more advanced artillery.

So, in a world with magic and dragons, what would they likely be like? Would they be more like modern bunkers designed to resist attacks from the air, more trenches, etc?

[Assistant]
It would depend on the type of magic and dragon. For magic, devices similar to the construction of wands would be used to dampen their effects outside and within the walls tailored to frequencies beyond what's locally sanctioned. They'd have to placed these devices in a golden ratio throughout the castle not just for equal coverage throughout the area, but the magical defenses are strengthened through mathematical principles.

This would make castles have a slight spiral flow towards the court from each outer wall. The magic dampening devices can be built into flying butresses to give magical and structural support. On the otherhand, fortresses built purely for magic defense would look more like rune-etched mirrors arranged in seemingly impossible arrangements like the staircases in the works of M.C. Escher serving to disorient any magician not familiar with its arcane construction. It'd be like trying to do math in your head while numbers are shouted at you left and right. These can normally be found in small form in the quarters of the court magician. Downside is that they aren't fit for defense against usual siege weapons.

Dragons are difficult since the best defense a castle could have would be through the recycling of material from the corpses of the defeated. The hide can be used for the roofs of the more...politically essential areas of the kingdom while the walls of a castle can be built around the bones of the larger dragons giving a more arch-like appearance to conventional castles in our history. The more eclectic designs, in vulnerable areas, with the bones consist of multiple pyramids with hide-covered surfaces redirecting the blasts.


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

[User]
ELI5:Why it's a problem for Japan that their population is decreasing so quickly.

With extra resources, more living space, etc, why is it not a good thing that they are having less people putting strain on their infrastructure? With the level of bureaucracy we read about in Japanese government, isn't it logical to trim the fat here and end up with a smoother running nation with more money to go around?

[Assistant] How do you pay for all those old people's retirement plans and pensions and healthcare? You need younger people working and paying taxes or the system breaks down like a Ponsi scheme on a national scale.


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

[User]
How are satellite orientated in space?

If down is relative to the ground for us how is positioning treated in space?

[Assistant]
It depends whether the satellite is interested in pointing "down" (GPS, weather satellites) or at another object in space (space telescopes etc.)

If it wants to point "down", all it needs to do is spin slowly so it makes a full revolution once per orbit, so the same side is always facing the earth.
For most satellites this is achieved by just getting it's rotational velocity close enough to correct using thrusters, and then fine tuning it with rotating weights (reaction wheels)

If it's looking somewhere else, usually it will be oriented relative to the stars, since on a human timescale they are pretty much perfectly stationary. For this purpose reaction wheels can last a long time let you point it at whatever you want.

There are some interesting consequences of using reaction wheels to orient satellites - if there's an unbalanced force on the satellite over a long period of time certain wheels will need to gradually speed up to counteract this, until eventually they reach a maximum speed and are no longer useful. An example of this is Hubble, it has (from memory, please correct me) 8 sets of reaction wheels, about half of which are no longer functional due to being at max speed all the time. This means Hubble can't rotate directly to look at something, and has to do a sort of wiggly roundabout way to point in the right direction.


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

[User]
ELI5: Which type of sugar, Brown, Powdered, or White, would make yeast reproduce faster and why?

I was just wondering which of these 3 types of sugar would make yeast reproduce faster and why?

[Assistant]
None of the above. Theoretically, all of these are varieties of sucrose, which is Glucose + Fructose, and, when dissolved, equal amounts will produce equal amounts of energy for the yeast. Powdered Sugar is just more ground up white sugar, the only difference is that it dissolves quicker, which is important is some recipes.

A mass of Brown sugar may have *a little* less, due to the impurities introduced by the molasses, but that will most likely be insubstantial.

But, chemically, all of these are identical from the perspective of the yeast.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why do we need so much sleep?

What physiological and psychological processes are our bodies going through that take so long?

[Assistant]
Physiologically, we're not completely sure. But there are theories such as:

* Keeps us out of trouble at night (dangerous time).
* Conserves energy during a time that it's inefficient to be hunting/gathering
* Allows for restorative processes, muscle repair, protein synthesis

Psychologically, we're also not sure! But it seems fairly certain that during sleep the brain clears adenosine build up. Think of adenosine as lactic acid for the brain, it builds up when we work our brains and then needs to be processed.

There's also lots of promising research indicating that sleep has a very close connection to neuro-plastic functions like learning and memory.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why is Japan the defacto "source" of such extremely weird pornography (tentacles, etc) yet their regular pornography is always censored?

Nearly every single Japanese pornographic video censors out the vagina and penis. Yet Japan dominates the world in terms of output of aliens and demons tentacle raping schoolgirls and all sorts of other weird and unusual sexual acts.

Why this strange contrast? On the one hand, this appetite for the totally outlandish, and on the other, extremely regimented and censored "regular stuff"?

[Assistant]
You answered your own question without actually thinking about what's being censored.

In Japan, it's against the law to show genitalia of either sex (for humans). You can't actually depict sex. So because Japanese law is so strict in that regards, they had to get creative with their porn.


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

[User]
What the hell do we need the stock market for, /explainlikeimfive

I really cant figure it out how it makes things better.

**edit (thanks to hufman)**: Do you remember when you started your lemonade stand? Well, you didn't have any money then, so you had to ask us to help start out your shiny new business! This is called Venture Capital! We gave you some money, with the hope that you'll turn it into a big business and pay us back and some more!

Now that you have a big profitable lemonade stand, you want to start up other lemonade stands down the street! However, you don't quite have enough money, so you have to start asking to borrow money from other people. We already gave you as much as we have, so you have to ask others. Now, you could go door-to-door and ask everyone to help out, but that would take a long time and might not even work. So, people invented the stock market to help out! You would go to the stock market and shout out there that you want money and will sell a small piece of your company! Anyone who gives you money gets a small piece of the profits!

Then, some people might not want to keep a piece of your company, maybe it's becoming winter and nobody wants lemonade anymore. What those people will do is go to the stock market and tell everyone that they have a piece of your company and will sell it to anyone who asks with the right price! The person who buys that piece, or share, of your company will then get some of the profits, while the person who sold it has money that he can use to buy a piece of a different company.

The price that people sell it for is completely random!! Initially, you set the price for the initial sale (Initial Public Offering) of your company, but once people start buying and sharing shares of your company, you can't do anything to control the price. So, that means that if people think your company is going to do really well, they'll be willing to pay more for those shares, and if it's winter, then people will pay less for them. But, it's all up to what people think will happen! This could be some random bit of news about your company like an announcement of a new lemonade stand, or related information like a drop in price of lemons, or something as silly as people selling your company for no reason!

However, to make all this magic happen, there has to be a central place where people can trade shares of your company, and so they invented stock markets!

[Assistant]
Do you remember when you started your lemonade stand? Well, you didn't have any money then, so you had to ask us to help start out your shiny new business! This is called Venture Capital! We gave you some money, with the hope that you'll turn it into a big business and pay us back and some more!

Now that you have a big profitable lemonade stand, you want to start up other lemonade stands down the street! However, you don't quite have enough money, so you have to start asking to borrow money from other people. We already gave you as much as we have, so you have to ask others. Now, you could go door-to-door and ask everyone to help out, but that would take a long time and might not even work. So, people invented the stock market to help out! You would go to the stock market and shout out there that you want money and will sell a small piece of your company! Anyone who gives you money gets a small piece of the profits!

Then, some people might not want to keep a piece of your company, maybe it's becoming winter and nobody wants lemonade anymore. What those people will do is go to the stock market and tell everyone that they have a piece of your company and will sell it to anyone who asks with the right price! The person who buys that piece, or share, of your company will then get some of the profits, while the person who sold it has money that he can use to buy a piece of a different company.

The price that people sell it for is completely random!! Initially, you set the price for the initial sale (Initial Public Offering) of your company, but once people start buying and sharing shares of your company, you can't do anything to control the price. So, that means that if people think your company is going to do really well, they'll be willing to pay more for those shares, and if it's winter, then people will pay less for them. But, it's all up to what people think will happen! This could be some random bit of news about your company like an announcement of a new lemonade stand, or related information like a drop in price of lemons, or something as silly as people selling your company for no reason!

However, to make all this magic happen, there has to be a central place where people can trade shares of your company, and so they invented stock markets!


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

[User] ELI5: Is poverty a necessary aspect of capitalism?

[Assistant]
No it is not.

A natural outgrowth of capitalism is income inequality, but poverty is not a requirement.  It is theoretically possible for a capitalist system to reach a level where the lowest of the low are not in poverty but merely at the bottom of the scale.

Of course all that theoretical stuff is not super useful in the real world, hence why pure (anything) is generally not a good idea.


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

[User] ELI5: Does the weight of large cities like LA, or New York City cause any problems to the earth with the large amount of weight on a small location?

[Assistant]
No, it does not. Consider the size of those cities, then consider the size of the earth. Consider the structure of the planet; what is underneath these cities is far more dense and durable than they are, and can support a **lot** of weight. It's basically like having a fly land on you. You don't even notice the fly usually, let alone having its weight be detrimental to you in any way.

Another way of putting this is to look at the "what would happen if everyone on Earth jumped at the exact same time?" The answer is simple - nothing.


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

[User] ELI5: why is ice "sticky" to touch?

[Assistant]
If your hands are dry, it won't stick.

If your hands are damp, the water on your hands starts to freeze when it comes in contact with the ice.

Edit: Easy experiment: try touching a dry (fresh from freezer) ice cube with A. Dry finger, B. Damp finger, C. Very wet finger.

What happens?


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

[User]
[Mortal Kombat] Why doesn't Ermac open with his TK powers?

Clearly, he can just rip the organs out of a person, so why does he bother opting for punches and kicks against peoe he could easily eviscerate?

Similar question for the blind guy.

[Assistant] Same reason Sub-Zero doesn't just freeze people solid or Scorpion doesn't just burn people to death. The rules that apply to mooks don't apply to the kombatants, they are too strong and/or have protections against that sort of thing that only go away after an old-fashioned kung-fu buttkicking.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does the ripping of the skin near the thumb's nail hurt more than any other part of the body and case inflammation more often?

[Assistant] I don't know about the "causing inflammation more often" part, but the fingers are specifically chock-full of receptors for stimuli. Fingertips are one of the most touch-sensitive parts of the body. This is why fingertips and nails are used as a specific form of torture, as well. They hurt a lot because there are a lot of receptors there, including for pain.


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

[User]
[Fallout] Why does pre-war money still have value with traders 200 years later?

Did the US not abandon the gold standard in the Fallout universe? Or do merchants just like collecting old money for historical/sentimental value?

[Assistant] Money is a paper and cloth mixture, which can be useful for crafting or as firestarting material. And yes, lots of people like collecting it for sentimental value. Just look at the craze around rare bottle caps.


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

[User]
It is said by many cultures that suicide is a sin because it is God's/the god's decision when you die. But, now that humans are able to artificially keep the body alive during terminal illness well past the point that people would have normally died, should suicide now be considered a viable option?

This is in reference to keeping someone alive with a terminal illness, even when quality of life has decreased dramatically, and they normally would have died much faster.

[Assistant] I wont pretend to be a mod, but it seems to me that this is more a question for somebodys personal opinion, or personal system of ethics and the more appropriate question for this sub would be along the lines [insert your preface about extended life spans] what are some philosophers or schools of thought surrounding ideas like physician-assisted suicide and right to die? Is this the conversation that you were hoping to start?


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

[User]
[HG Wells] Why didn't the Martians who invaded earth in War of the Worlds, a species capable of advanced space flight, know about the existence of earth microbes?

How could a civilization that advanced not know of the existence of microbes on earth deadly to them?  They really launched a planet wide invasion without doing any search for dangerous microbes?  Also, since they same in SPACE SHIPS, wouldn't their vessels be air-tight and sterile?

[Assistant] The majority of the Martian Scientific Community warned against it, and presented a mountain of evidence to point out the risk, but the ultra right wing of their planetary politics was convinced that nothing so small could have such a large impact.


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

[User] ELI5: out of all the voices I am capable of making, how does one of these become my natural speaking voice?

[Assistant] Unless you consciously make an effort to change it (eg. Transgendered woman trying to sound more feminine), the pitch of your natural voice is the one which you have the least strain on your vocal chords.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why does a strong punch to the jaw or face knock people out?

I've seen videos of people being knocked out by what looks like just a fist against the lower jaw. How does that knock them into being unconscious?

[Assistant]
The exact mechanism isn't fully understood, and there's different kinds of knockouts, but knockouts are strongly associated with rotation of the head, probably putting pressure on the brainstem.  A hook to the jaw twists the head sharply which jostles the brain around and puts strain on the brainstem and spinal cord.  It's also gonna fuck with your balance having your head yanked around like that, which is why sometimes they don't lose consciousness as much as they just forget which direction is up and flop over.

The short of it though is twisting the spinal cord and brainstem.  That's why you usually hear about "mean left hooks" and stuff, because it's a lateral strike that jerks the head.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] What potential reasoning could the new stormtroopers have for their new costume design?

Like is there anything tactical or logical about it or is it just to make it look sleeker? I mean I can only assume they just threw out the old ones.

[Assistant]
As with all military technology, eventually flaws are discovered. The empire would have received feedback from the troopers, suggestions from them regarding how they think the suits could be improved, what elements they lack.

For example, If reports keep coming in of troopers taking a hit in the arm, and the internal electronics keep flickering out because of that, then Imperial R&D know that they should stop locating the internal power source in the forearm sections of the suit. So in the next version of the armour, the same power source might be located in the helmet, meaning that they need to move some other things around to accommodate that. This might mean that the helmet now looks different from the outside.

Also, general technological improvements. If a new target scanner is developed on Corellia and is being used on their mall security droids, Imperial Intelligence will get word of this, once they've been to Corellia and confiscated all of their mall security droids they can pass them over to Imperial R&D who will back engineer and include that new tech in the next version of the armour.

Eventually this will result in armour that looks different, rarely will any military spend that amount of money to upgrade armour solely for aesthetic effect.


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

[User] Why don't spiders ever get stuck in their own webs? (Do spiders ever get trapped other spider's web?)

[Assistant]
They have two varieties of silk, sticky and non-sticky. They step only on the non-sticky silk. They also have oils on their legs that help unstick from the sticky silk.

And they do get caught in other spiders' webs.


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

[User] Does six minutes of sun exposure 10 times throughout the day provide the same tanning (skin damage) effect as one continuous hour?

[Assistant]
There are two things going on when you tan:

UV-B, high-energy UV light, induces DNA damage (the formation of pyrimidine dimers). Skin cells sense this and upregulate the production of melanocytes.

UV-A, lower-energy UV light, strikes melanin and oxidizes it. They also can produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can also cause DNA damage.

There are three phases of tanning:

* IPD - immediate pigment darkening. This is the result mostly of redistribution of melanosomes (the organelles that hold melanin, the human skin pigment). This clears up in a few minutes or days and is transient.

* PPD - persistent pigment darkening. This is the result of oxidation of melanin, which makes it darker. This also clears up in a few days, once the modified melanin is cleared.

* DT - deep tanning. This is the production of new melanosomes, which persists for weeks or months (depending on the individual and how stable their melanosomes are).

The first two will depend only on the total dose of radiation you encounter, since they don't involve any synthesis; they are the product of direct chemical action. The latter, since it involves upregulation of the gene pathways involved in melanogenesis, is likely to respond to acute dosage, since transcription of RNA has a half-life - more damage encountered over a short period will result in a robust upregulation of the relevant pathways, while a low level of damage over a longer period will probably not.


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

[User]
[DC] What is Kara Zor-El's Kryptonian predisposition?

As I understand it all Kryptonians were cloned and preprogrammed to serve since role in the society.  Jor-El was a scientist, Zod a warrior and Kal-El broke the chain so what was his cousin?

[Assistant] In the DCEU (The new DC movie universe), she lived about 18,000 years ago and was trained to be a pilot. Key word there is trained, so it is unknown if Krypton's genetic manipulation rules were fully in place at that time.


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

[User] [ELI5] What makes a good wine superior to other wines, other than a person's preference?

[Assistant] Complexity is generally the difference between superior and inferior wines. For you, the best wine is the wine you like best. However, lower quality wines tend to be "one note" while superior wines have a beginning, middle, and end, with "a chord" of flavors that are characteristic of their style/region. Both cheap and expensive wines can have flaws due to contamination or poor chemical stability. Some people may prefer these "off" flavors, such as those produced by Brettanomyces yeast.


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

[User] Why do antibodies for diseases like chickenpox stay in your body for years, while they only last a few months for other diseases?

[Assistant]
There are white blood cells in your body that have memory, like a seasoned vet from a war. Some are hyper alert for signs of infection. Others pump out antibodies instead. Over time these seasoned vets die and their memory fades. This happens with the tetanus vaccine, and is why you need boosters.

Chicken pox is a tricksy one because the virus (Varicella Zoster) hides in your nerves after the first infection. Because it never really goes, the body's immune memory never fades. If healthy, those seasoned vets keep the chicken pox virus suppressed. This is also why you sometimes get shingles when you're tired or sick because the infection comes back out of the nerves.

Some viruses like measels wipe out your seasoned vets early making you vulnerable to previously encountered illnesses. This is one of the reasons it can be so deadly and vaccination against it is absolutely essential.


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

[User]
EL15: Why in US restaurants, the main part of the meal is called the 'Entree'?

I'm from New Zealand, and have travelled to (and eaten in) a fair few countries. In my experience, in NZ, in Australia & in England, 'entree' refers to the starter, while main meals are just called 'mains'. In France, where the word originates from, 'entree' also means 'starter' (I assume because it's the 'entry' to the meal).
So how come Americans use the word to refer to a different thing?

[Assistant]
Hey there buddy. The following explanation comes from a website specializing in word origins.

Actually, there is indeed a good explanation for why Americans do this.  They got it from the English.  At some point in the 18th century, the English began using entree to mean "a made dish, served between the fish and the joint".   But in French, entre  was defined as "qui se servent au commencement du repas" ("serving as the commencement of a meal").  So the English got it wrong first, and that "wrong" meaning simply stuck in America once it arrived here, while the French doubtless harangued the English so much about misuse of the term that the meaning was corrected in the U.K. (well, maybe not, but...).

In America the word eventually came to refer not to the 'made dish' (which was often a ham) but to the main course (usually a ham or some other meat).


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

[User]
ELI5, what is a bar in music?

So what is a musical bar? I looked this up on Google but the first five links weren't clear.  I'm very unintelligent, so don't worry about speaking down to me.

[Assistant]
A bar is another word for a "measure," which is just a regular pattern of beats in music.  Most commonly 4 beats, though 2, 3, or other numbers are common.

It's easiest to think of bars in modern rock and pop music, because it's usually distinctive and repeated.  Think of the beat to "We Will Rock You."  Boom Boom Clap (Rest), Boom Boom Clap (Rest), Boom Boom Clap (Rest).  Each of those "bars" is made up of four beats - two booms, one clap, and then a rest before the next beat starts.  Each of those repetitions is one bar or measure of the song.

Rock music usually has sections like verses, chorus, etc. that are 8, 12, or 16 bars, though there are plenty of exceptions to this rule.  "We Will Rock You" has a fairly classic 8-bar structure.  8 bars of verse (Buddy you're a boy make a big noise...) and then 8 bars of chorus (We will, we will rock you...).  Give it a try yourself counting along if you like!

And it doesn't matter much to the average listener, but it can be helpful music theory if you're writing your own songs or trying to recognize patterns in music.


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

[User]
ELI5:How does your stomach know when to evacuate bad food?

When you eat something bad, your stomach starts bloating, making noise and it hurts but more importantly it knows when to evacuate food promptly. How does it do this?

[Assistant]
After you eat a "bad food", the stomach begins the digestion process and during that process some things are absorbed through the stomach lining (also this happens in the digestive tract).

If bacteria, poisons or even a food that you are allergic to are sensed, it will attempt to protect itself by releasing fluid and by increasing the mucous lining.

There is an actual "vomit center" in your brain.  There is a trigger zone in this area of the brain that is sensitive to toxins and poisons in the blood stream.  This area is activated as it receives information from the digestive tract (in this case, it also is triggered at times with information from your inner ear, etc.) and it sends the signals to begin the vomiting response.  And then...your body takes care of itself.


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

[User] ELI5 Reverse mortgages, and how they compare to normal mortgages.

[Assistant]
The reverse mortgage is essentially selling your house to a buyer that pays you a little bit each month and you continue to live in the house until it's paid off, which is typically many years away. But the buyer is also betting that you will die well before the full payoff date in which case the terms of sale you signed gives them the entire house despite how much they paid you thus far.

This arrangement sometimes works well for older people who own their house entirely, they can get added income while continuing to live in their home, and have no plans to will their property to their family.


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

[User]
[Spider-Man] How do the lawyers prove the criminals guilty?

So my brother got arrested, *again*, and this time he says he's not guilty, he just got caught in the crossfire of a fight between some crooks and the Spider. I think he's full of shit, but the other criminals swear up and down that they don't know him, and there were no witnesses either.

So if he was found covered in webs of the side of a building with four other crooks, how do the lawyers prove him guilty? Tbh I don't want him walking, is there anything I can do to help prove he's a scumbag?

[Assistant] Spider-Man doesn't run off with the guns from a shoot-out, so they should be webbed up near where the crooks were left. Fingerprinting them could tie one to him, and ballistic checks might prove that the gun in question was fired in the shootout. If that's not enough (and it may well not be), check with the Daily Planet to see if they've bought any recent Spider-Man photos that show the crime in progress - that Parker guy is some kind of adrenaline-junkie deathwish guy who's always risking his life following Spider-Man around and taking pictures of him, so he might have caught a snap that shows something incriminating for your guy.


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

[User]
At what point, specifically referencing Earth, does Euclidean geometry turn into non-Euclidean geometry?

I'm thinking about how, for example, pilots can make three 90degree turns and end up at the same spot they started. However, if I'm rowing a boat in the ocean and row 50ft, make three 90degree turns and go 50ft each way, I would not end up in the same point as where I started; I would need to make four 90degree turns. What are the parameters that need to be in place so that three 90degree turns end up in the same start and end points?

[Assistant]
The answer to the title question is "always". The Earth is spherical. Period. Whether the spherical shape of Earth matters to you is dependent on the what you're measuring and your threshold for error.

As to your more specific question...

On a sphere, the area of a triangle formed by three geodesics (arcs of a great circle) is given by

> A = R^(2)(a + b + c -  )

where *a*, *b*, and *c* are the interior angles of the triangle and *R*^(2) is the radius of the sphere.

If you want your triangle to have three right angles, then this formula reads:

> A =  R^(2)/2

and, as a ratio of the total surface area of the sphere,

> r = A/(4R^(2)) = 1/8

So if you want to make some sort of journey on the surface of Earth and get back to where you started by traveling along great circles and turning 90 degrees exactly ~~three~~ two times, then the surface area enclosed by your path must be 1/8 the total surface area of Earth. (That's about 3.7 times the land area of Russia.)

Of course, there's no reason you *have* travel along great circles. In that case, your triangle can have three right angles and enclose an arbitrary small area. But then the sides of your triangle would not be the proper analog of "straight line" for spherical geometry.


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

[User]
[DC] 2 questions about The Flash

The GF and I watched a Justice League movie earlier and I started wondering the following:

1. Does The Flash have to counteract momentum when coming to a stop? Depictions I've seen, he runs in and instantly stops. Seemingly without momentum carrying him forward as he is slowing to a stop. It's as if there's no speeding up/slowing down. It's more like moving/not moving.

2. Say The Flash is speeding along but trips. Does he wipe out like a NASCAR racer, unable to stop himself and becoming very hurt? or would he just tumble at the speed of a regular person and receive minimal damage?

[Assistant]
OK, first thing's first. The Flash gets his power from the Speedforce. This force control all motion, and the Flash controls the Speedforce. At first, the Flash didn't know his full range of powers, but he now does and can use many more abilities than Superspeed. He can steal or lend speed to objects (making them into motionless statues or sending them careening off, useful in combat). The Speedforce controls momentum, which allows him to start and stop with not kickback. This allows him to pick up and carry people at superhuman speeds without injuring them.

Further, the Speedforce protects the world from the effects of his speed. However, this power is selective and customizable. He can chose to make a sonic boom if he wants, and he can chose to have force impact someone, which makes his punches effective.

One of his strongest powers is the Infinite Mass Punch. By neutralising the Speedforce in such a way, he can let his fist gain relativistic mass by going very fast (Einsteinian physics), which allows him to hit "with the force of a white dwarf star". This can knock out Superman.

To answer your questions:

1. The Speedforce neutralizes momentum, so he can stop or turn on a dime. No slowdown or speed up necessary, though he often does instinctively slowdown slightly first.

2. He could theoretically stop himself midcrash and hover in the air (again, Speedforce controls momentum), but he doesn't often do this. The Speedforce does, however, save him from feeling the full force of a crash. So, he doesn't really have control when he crashes (he tries to slow down, but he's not always able to do that in the excitement of the moment), but he's not hurt by it, either. The Speedforce also negates damage to the environment, so the world doesn't get destroyed when he moves lightspeed.


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

[User] ELI5: If CBS really does have new info/suspect in the JonBenet Ramsey case, why are they not required to turn it over to law enforcement?

[Assistant]
Journalists are allowed some privilege when it comes to information and disclosing it or testifying about it, and by many avenues. Of course there is the first amendment right to a free press, but in addition, there is statutory protections, common law protections, and protections under many state constitutions. Mind you, these protections only apply to *information*. Any physical evidence would have to be turned over.

And CBS doesn't have shit. It's a marketing ploy. It's the 20th anniversary of her death and a number of stations/networks are claiming to have new information. None of it is really new. They're taking interviews with people positing their "new" hypotheses, nothing more.


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

[User]
Eli5: If there's infinite stars, why isn't our night sky completely lit up?

As the title says, if there's infinite stars, wouldn't the light from all of them have reached us and made our night sky become completely white from the number of stars there are? Is there just not enough stars in proximity to earth for all the light to reach us in time to see?

I'm sure there's a simple answer, but it's 1am here and my brain can't figure it out.

[Assistant]
You've hit on something called Olber's Paradox. Brilliant people have been asking this question for hundreds of years, so you're in good company.

No one pretends to know the *right* answer, but it's likely a combination of the following -

1)Space is full of heavy things like galaxies that *bend* light away from us, like a lens. That light never reaches Earth so that star is invisible to us.

2) Space if full of clouds of dust and gas that absorb the light, like a dark tinted window, so we don't see things behind those clouds.

3) Space is expanding which causes light to stretch out, which changes it's "color". So light that was originally red in color gets stretched out as it travels to Earth and is now X-rays, or Gamma rays, so our eyes cannot see it. This is part of the reason why we have X-ray Telescopes, to see that light.

4) Space is expanding and stars are still being born so the light from distant stars just hasn't had enough time to reach Earth yet.


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

[User]
What happens to light that is absorbed by a black object?

When photons enter my prized lump of coal, do they just bounce around in there indefinitely? Are they absorbed by electrons undergoing quantum leaps?

[Assistant]
A material is made up of lots of charges. Roughly speaking there's a more-or-less static "lattice" of positive nuclei, the electrons bound to those nuclei, some electrons shared in covalent bonds, and in some materials, electrons freely floating between the nuclei (like metals). All of these charges mean that there's a rather complex electromagnetic field already present within the material. You can think of it as many many photons real or virtual flitting about exchanging momentum between particles.

When a photon encounters a material, that electromagnetic field of the material, what we often call an "effective" EM field, can absorb the photon and do a number of different things with it. In transparent materials, an energy proportional to the energy of the incoming photon will pass through the material at a speed slower than c, to perhaps emit or reflect at the other side.

In "opaque" materials, the energy might go into vibrating the lattice a little bit more. This vibration is a kind of random motion that we will often just lump all together and call heat. (think of it kind of like the photon is a very small mallet hitting a gong)

In "reflective" materials, which tend to have free electrons moving about unbound to nuclei, these free electrons respond with an equal-and-opposite photon of their own. Emitting a "new" photon according to the laws of reflection while they are absorbing the "old" photon that comes in.


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

[User] Why can the US print $3 trillion USD in a short time with minimal inflation, whereas countries like Venezuela or Iraq have hyper inflation when they do similar things?

[Assistant]
I'd recommend looking into the difference between fiscal policy and monetary police. When congress taxes people or spends money, then that's fiscal policy. If they don't have enough money on hand, then they issue debt which will be repaid at a later date.

That is different than "printing money" which is part of monetary policy and is controlled by the Federal Reserve.

When you hear about the $3 trillion stimulus, that's congress spending tax payer dollars (or more accurately issuing debt). It is not Congress printing $3 trillion.

If the Federal Reserve were to print and print and print, then we, too, would eventually have hyper inflation. We had bad inflation in the late 70s early 80s.


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

[User] ELI5: What is passive aggressive behaviour?

[Assistant]
Lets say your housemate keeps using your frying pan without cleaning it afterwards. You get understandably annoyed at having to clean up their mess every time you want to use your own frying pan. The diplomatic, mature way to deal with it would be to politely but firmly tell them to clean it up whenever they use it. The passive way to deal with it would be to ignore it and avoid conflict. The aggressive way to do it would be to shout at them and cause a massive fight over the issue.

The passive-aggressive way however would be to hide it so that they cant use it. Its passive in the sense that youre not directly confronting them or dealing with the issue. Its aggressive because its still actively doing something that might seem petty and mean spirited in order to send a message.

In short, its saying fuck you without actually saying it.


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

[User]
[Vampire the Masquerade] Could vampires really lose a full out war against humanity?

I know that the vampire community is heavily afraid of humanity knowing about their existence, but I don't see why. They can use the same weapons as us, they can use the same vehicles as us, they can use the same technology as us and have superhuman strength, agility, regeneration, among other things, and can turn every single human on their side.

I mean, even if the military rolls up in full strength, they can just embrace the soliders and immediately get some well trained fighters for their side, along with all the tanks, helicopters and fighter jets they own. Or they place Ghouls among the command structure or intellegince agencies to sow confusion and spread misinformation. Or turn any human inside out and into a lovely piece of furniture. Living sofas are pretty popular among Tzimisce after all.

And with Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines doing a good job of what a group of fully combat ready vampires would look like, I have no idea how humanity is supposed to have any chance at all against them.

[Assistant] They can lose and they WILL lose, in full-out war. There are many reasons why: humans can go outside in the daylight, vampires become creatively stagnant, humans work better together in groups (which, alone, says TERRIBLE things about vampire society!), etc, but it boils down to this: Humanity just outnumbers them by too much. Thats why they use the Masquerade - its safer in the long run, and vampires can do long run REALLY well.


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

[User]
On what basis is it decided that which medicine will be in form of capsule or tablet?

I have opened many capsules and found a variety of type of medicines, like granules or powder but can't they be pressed into tablet form?
Since most of the tablets are hard pressed powders (i might be wrong on this)

[Assistant]
Tablets are generally for medicine who you want to dissolve and absorb without regulating the speed of which they are absorbed or where they get absorbed

Capsules, depending on the type of medicine, gives you control over that. Some capsules can tolerate stomach acid to protect the medicine and then dissolve in the small intestine to allow the medicine to bypass the stomach.

Other capsules are just there to allow the medicine to be released faster than it would have if it was a tablet. These are fast dissolving capsules

Capsules with little medicine tiny balls are usually extended release, where the main capsule would break in the early small bowel and then the small balls would actually have different dissolution rate, so some would dissolve quickly, others dissolve slower so you would get some medicine being absorbed for an extended period of time.

Tablets can also be modulated to control how they dissolve, but not as good, so it is really up for what the manufacturer think will work best.


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

[User]
CMV: Nonbinary, genderfluid, genderqueer etc. are actually enforcing gender binary, not defying it.

Update: Thanks to everyone so much for your inputs. I probably won't be responding much more, I didn't expect so many replies! I really appreciate all the perspectives and feel I have learned today. It is unfair of me to say NB/etc people are enforcing gender, as that sounds very accusatory. I realize now that it would be a herculean task to abolish gender, and NB identities are the best many can do for now. It's hard living in this gendered society isn't it? I hope all of you are able to find peace in yourselves and your identities, whatever they may be.

Gender isn't real, it's a set of harmful stereotypes about both sexes. To be gender-nonconforming would mean to identify as your biological sex, but not identify with gender roles associated with said sex. Example: a male wearing a dress, being openly emotional, or a female who never wears makeup and has a gruff personality.

However, if you're genderfluid/NB, and go by they/them pronouns, not identifying with your biological sex, you have essentially made a third category. This does not defy gender. Instead, it reinforces it: if you do not fit into a gender box, you are simply placed into another box. Why don't we just rid of the boxes altogether? Gender is not a spectrum or a binary. It is some sexist BS that should be abolished entirely.

This is probably a poor explanation of my stance. But I'd like to learn why people who denounce gender, have to make up a new category for themselves, instead of just identifying as their sex and being who they are, stereotypes be damned. It doesn't make sense to me.

Edit: I would like to make a correction to my post. Gender IS real, and that was a poor choice of words. What I meant to convey was, gender is made up by humans as a social construct. This doesn't make it imaginary though.

Edit 2: I would like to add an example of how I believe NB identities can enforce gender. Say you are a young girl growing up in today's society. You naturally don't adhere to traditional gender roles: you are loud, strong, love to play sports, get dirty, wear comfortable plain clothes. You, as kids do, look around you at others to find representation of somebody like you. However, most gender NC people you see identify as non-binary or something of the sort. You see very little people like you, that identify as women.

You might start to think you are actually nonbinary, as most of the women you see are conforming to gender roles, and you do not. The category of "women" does not diversify, as most of the gender NC women move into the nonbinary identity. You are left with a narrowed view of what women are like.

[Assistant] Genderfluid people and enbies don't 'denounce gender', they just don't think their gender fits in the established gender binary. If you're arguing that genders don't exist, sure, maybe they seem superfluous, but they very much feel genders exist and they feel theirs isn't in the binary.


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

[User]
[MCU] Could the Guardians take down the Avengers?

A lot of people seem to think the Avengers would win. I don't think the Guardians should be counted out so quickly. Faced with the same situation I feel the Infinity Stone would kill some of the Avengers.

* Rocket>Iron Man (he put together a moon-busting bomb using random parts)
* Gamora > Hawkeye & Black Widow (Her sis tanked a space rocket launcher; I'm assuming she has similar augmentations)
* Drax got back up after being smacked around by infinity gem powered Ronan. Says a lot. I don't know if any Avenger would be getting back up after that.

Thor and Hulk would be the only characters the Guardians would have to worry about imo. Groot and Drax are durable enough to survive Thor and Hulk until they get support from the others.

Also how powerful is Star-Lord exactly? Would Ronan on team Gaurdians make this match-up more balanced?

[Assistant]
The Avengers have Thor and Hulk, as you said, and they have Captain America as their strategist.

Thor or Hulk would splinter Groot first and within seconds, and that's most of the brute defense they have.

Rocket *could* out-tech Iron Man, but Groot probably couldn't stay in the fight long enough to be a factor. Without protection and weaponry he's really just a small tough animal.

Gamora would be tag teamed first by Black Widow and Hawkeye, and might hold her own, but she probably can't beat Cap as long as he's got his shield, and she's definitely not doing anything to Iron Man, Thor or Hulk either, so it's curtains for her sooner or later.

Drax can fight and he's tough, but again, Thor or Iron Man can blast him from range and he's straight dusted if he steps to Hulk. If he underestimates Cap he's gonna lose a few teeth, too.

Star-Lord is...mostly human. He can't even trade blows with Hawkeye and expect to win.

It's just not a good matchup in a straight up fight. If Star-Lord is aware in advance they're coming and knows who they are, he can formulate a good ambush plan which would go a long way to evening the odds, though. A surprise attack that somehow incapacitates or removes Thor or the Hulk puts them in a very good place.

Also,  this assumes a neutral space, not the Guardians' home turf where they, Rocket in particular, have access to extremely powerful tech and gadgets.


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

[User]
CMV: I believe that complaining that WWE is fake is as stupid as complaining that Christian Bale isn't Batman in real life.

To clarify, I believe that pro wrestling is no different than any other form of character acting, and that complaining and criticizing it for not being real is like criticizing any other form of media for being unrealistic.

I have never watched pro wrestling, and I do not care about it, but it is unreasonable to expect the medium to disclaim itself as fantasy. J.K. Rowling doesn't have to state that magic isn't real, Michael Bay doesn't have to say that robots are not in disguise, and The Rock shouldn't have to say that he didn't actually smash a man over the neck with a chair.

WWE is showmanship and entertainment, and is no less of a performance than any other character acting.

[Assistant] Films are sold and presented as fiction.   WWE is sold and presented as a sporting event.  Tom Cruise goes on David Letterman to talk about the character he plays in his upcoming movies.  You never see The Rock doing an out-of-character interview to promote Wrestlemania.


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

[User] [Dungeons and Dragons] I hear that Beholders are highly paranoid monsters who will either kill on sight or brainwash them into servitude. Is it possible for a Beholder to live benignly among other creatures in a city?

[Assistant]
Yes. There are items that reverse one's moral center.

As one aspect of being abberations, Beholder's believe they are perfection. Only the evil they also hold, causes them to lash out at those less perfect. So reverse the evil, stop the lashing.

Warning: While a Good Beholder's actions may be benign in nature, they may not be what a normal person hopes for.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why do my computer speakers produce noise when the plug in touches my skin?

And also, why don't my headphones do the same?

[Assistant]
Your skin has a small electrical charge on it. You can check it out by holding the end of a voltmeter or touching the input to an oscilloscope. This is basically seen as noise on the line since your body is not grounded and comes out as a noisy sound from the speaker. If you also touch the ground of the plug with the same finger, you will notice the sounds goes away.

Since computer speakers are powered and headphones are not, the noise can be amplified loud enough to hear. Headphones rely on the power of the signal to produce sound. Your skin does not produce enough power for you to hear the noise.


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

[User] ELI5 | Why do most people have middle name, where did it originate from, and what are their purposes?

[Assistant]
Middle names typically originate in the upper classes of societies, and are useful for demonstrating ancestry, fealty or devotion. It can also be a superstitious thing. Back then, they were a political tool similar to surname. If you had a well-reputed ancestor, you may give your child that ancestor's name as a middle name, which could indicate to other people that your child is descended from a great person, or if you're the magical-thinking type, bestow your child with the protection of that ancestor. You could also choose the name of a saint, to bestow the protection of that saint or demonstrate your allegiance to the dominant religion.

As tends to happen, the lower classes gradually started imitating the upper classes, adding middle names to their children because upper class people did it, rather than because there was any political use to doing it. Note though that in some cultures, middle names were something commoners started doing for magical protection even without imitating the upper classes.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why are so many health issues worse in the early morning?

For example I am an asthmatic and my breathing and numbers are much worse at 7am than at, say 7pm.

[Assistant]
It really depends on what disease you're talking about. Whether this is a muscular or joint issue or whether it's to do with your organs. And, what medicine you're taking.

In your case you suffer from asthma. The respiratory system slows down and depresses during sleep, as part of your metabolism. Your airways are already narrower and more prone to inflammation due to the disease. Depression of the respiratory system  during the night makes it worse. The result is that mucuous builds up during the night. You may have also possibly had a chronic lack of oxygen during the night, aka sleep apnea.

If it was a physical ailment, such as arthritis. That can be explained through muscular and joint theory. Healthy muscles need constant movement. Often, at night one is stationary for prolonged periods of time. The stiffness you feel in the morning is a combination of two things. The muscles tightening dependent on your posture (a light version of the Contracture seen after strokes). And also, within the joint itself the fluid that lubricates the joint, changes viscosity, becoming thicker and stiffer. Movement and warming up in the morning counteracts these effects.


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

[User] ELI5: Why is it that some pens will work when you scribble, but stop working the moment you try and write letters?

[Assistant]
The tip of the pen are sensitive to the pressure, and whenever it malfunctions, that's usually the case.

And it is not just about how hard you press down your pen, but the direction of your writing relative to your dominant hand.

If you write with left hand and the sentence directions are headed towards right, your hand will apply more pressure to the pen, making it more prone to malfunction.

When you scribble you're most likely Not applying the same amount of force (ie. lighter force than usual) on the tip of the pen, so it looks like it is working properly.


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

[User] When you heat metal a lot, it glows. Where are those photons of the glow coming from?

[Assistant] The surprising thing is actually that the metal glows all of the time.  When you heat it, it shifts the peak wavelength of the emission to a wavelength that you can see.  If you put on infrared goggles, you would see it "glow" before you would see it with unaided eyes. When something heats up, the wavelength of emission gets shorter (higher frequency), which represents that it has more energy. This is called blackbody radiation, and happens with almost all normal objects around us, including the sun (why the sun is yellow!) and the Earth (glows in infrared!).


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

[User]
[Star Wars] How did Anakin know how to become a Force ghost?

Qui-Gon was researchi and found out how to become one, so he taught Yoda, who taught Obi-Wan. In order to become a Force ghost, Yoda had to do numerous trials involving light side stuff.

Anakin, who we never see being taught this, becomes a Force ghost as soon as he dies. He never did any trials (in fact, he was part of the Dark Side) or anything of the sort, so how did he know how to become a Force ghost and how did he end up becoming one?

[Assistant] Yoda learned how by confronting his dark side and rejecting it. Anakin did the same, though it took him longer than expected. Also there's the fact that he was conceived by the force, so he's the exception to everything.


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

[User]
Why are vintage guitars considered to sound better than modern ones?

Since technology has improved over the last several decades, shouldn't modern guitars sound better as well?  I understand the concept of limited supply = higher prices but that doesn't explain why so many people claim that their guitars from the 60s or 70s have a superior tone to their modern counterparts (Les Pauls, Stratocasters, White Falcons, etc).

[Assistant] As the wood ages, the tone generated by the wood changes (usually in a desirable manner). Since the wood in older guitars has aged, the tone from that wood "sounds better". Also, when you are dealing with analog circuitry, there are quirky tones and characteristics generated by the components in those older guitars. Since some of those components (pots, caps, etc...) are not used on newer guitars, some ppl claim that the sound isn't as good. A lot of these nuances can be reproduced by digital modeling, but there will always be those who can "tell the difference."


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

[User]
ELI5: How is animal cruelty, injury, or death depicted in films without harming the animal.

Is CGI more widely used now to depict situations like this? What about before CGI was realistic enough?

[Assistant] They use animals trained to act injured, or they use camera work to make it look like someone's injuring an animal when they aren't, or they use animal shaped statues, or animatronics to simulate abuse.


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

[User]
What benefits and drawbacks are there for the US and her citizens due to USD being the world reserve currency?

I'm not really asking about what would change if the dollar lost its status as the reserve currency. Just the differences between the country who mints the reserve currency and countries who purchase the reserve currency.

[Assistant]
Great question! The topic is complex and has a large literature, but Ill point out a couple of interrelated issues that arise from the dollars position as the world reserve currency.

- Excess returns: US assets, and in particular government debt, are seen as extra safe and extra liquid, which ramps up global demand for them. This means that investors are fine investing in them even if they have low yields (particularly in times of crisis and when risk appetite is low). As a consequence of this, in the balance of payments framework, the US pays lower interest on its debt vis a vis the rest of the world than most countries. On the flip side, American investments abroad often have a rates of return much higher than local debt. This leads to excess returns on US assets vs its liabilities. As such, the US receives positive net investment income on its negative net international investment position (this is called the income puzzle in the literature). Long story short, the large outside demand for dollar denominated assets means the US has to worry less about its net debt to the rest of the world, and only a catastrophic structural change could cause confidence in the dollar to  plummet to the point where a default could happen.

- On the other hand, precisely because of this demand for dollars, the US ends up being forced to run a current account deficit in the long run, which might not be desirable under certain circumstances. As such, there can be a conflict between domestic and international policy goals. This is known as the Triffin dilemma, and although it dates back to Keynes complaints about the system that was set up at Bretton Woods, it also has some modern iterations. This is the main reason why some people advocate for a global reserve currency nowadays (the IMF has SDRs, which are the closest thing but still far from being widely used).


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

[User] [The Matrix] What is the purpose of The Oracle ? Isn't it harmful to the Matrix ?

[Assistant]
It's important to note that while the Machines are all part of the same system, they are also individuals. Including programs. With their own sentience to boot. They are allowed to have different opinions and philosophies, and some of them like the Oracle, Smith, or The Merovingian definitely stand in opposition to the whole.

The Oracle's job was to guide the One and get him started on his journey. Just give him confidence through prophecy and get him going on the right path. The current Oracle, however, went past that deliberately set multiple humans (Trinity and Morpheus) as well as the One on special paths that would end up disrupting the Matrix as a whole, because she wanted it to end.


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

[User] [Pedobear] What the hell is this abomination, where did it come from and why doesn't anybody seem to be doing anything about it??

[Assistant]
It's an Eldritch Abomination, plain and simple. No knowledge of its origin or true classification other than it's a predator from another dimension, a monstrosity of pure, carnal terror of the most forbidden nature. All attempts to capture, contain, or outright destroy it have been met with failure.

Just be glad it prefers children.


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

[User]
How big would an antenna in space need to be to get energy from the background radiation?

And a follow up, assuming we could construct this device, how much energy would we get from it?

[Assistant] The temperature of the cosmic microwave background is three degrees absolute. In order to extract energy from it, you need something that's *colder* than three degrees absolute. Which, putting it mildly, rules out everything.


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

[User]
[Superheroes] I'm mentally ill. How could be the repercussions if that were to be made public?

Some details will be vauge for the sake of privacy.

I'm a superhero, and I love it. I've been fighting evil for a little over six years and I wouldn't give it up for anything.

I'm generally trusted by both the autorities and the public, and I've in good favor with several other super heroes. I even have a potential spot on a team.

I, however, am also a sufferer of mental illness.

I have been once instituonialized prior to donning my mask, and I regularly attend therapy and take medication. If left untreated, it can be delbelitating.

My spouse and my therapist both know about my other life, and tell me that I shouldn't worry about it becoming public knowledge.

But, for whatever reason, I can't get the thought out of my head.

If this were to come out, what might happen? How would other heroes view me? Might any villains be able to use this against me?

[Assistant]
Honestly, a *lot* of heroes show clear signs of PTSD or other traumatic disorders. Read through comic and you'll see obsessive tendencies, mood swings, self-destructive and self-loathing behaviour, paranoia, even sometimes outright flashbacks and compulsions in most of them.

The fact that, for all the glamour, super heroics can be a serious strain on mental health is often overlooked. Between often extremely distressing origin stories, near overwhelming responsibility and frequent exposure to horrific things, it's no surprise a lot of superheroes have spiralling mental health.

Other heroes tend to be nice people, and thus will be unlikely to shame you for it. It might even help them to consider therapy and medication themselves- a lot of them need it.


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

[User] Could a tree grow in zero-G? If so what would it look like?

[Assistant]
The complication that needs to be overcome is that plants make use of gravity when planted to orient themselves (as they can't rely on being planted the right way up), so that their roots go down and their sprouts go up. Without gravity, they will tend to just stay at around the same depth and not sprout. One astronaut reported that this was simple enough to fix, however, just by plucking the ends out of the soil, pulling them to the surface, when they first sprout. From this point, the plant can orient itself using light and will continue to grow. Roots don't suffer as much, as they just grow away from the seed and avoid light (the surface), so develop relatively normally.

After this, growth is mostly normal The resulting plants can look a little unusual because they don't have the usual drooping from gravity, so will tend to be more upright.


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

[User]
CMV: The belief that we can survive on an economic system where everyone receives a UBI and does work that they choose for themselves is impractical and unrealistic.

Disclaimer: I call myself a social Democrat, which I interpret to mean that I support a capitalist system with checks and balances and am *not*, strictly speaking, a "socialist". But I am many, many miles away from the typical socialism hater. I'm the kind of bleeding heart that considers the label "social justice warrior" to be a compliment. Just so you're clear on where I stand. (and no, I won't be debating with you on SJWism or anything outside of the scope of what I'm focusing on here)

I don't know what economic system you want to use as a label for a system where we utilize a Universal Basic Income and free people up to do the kind of work they find meaningful, but that's what I'm referring to here. That seems to be one of the major motivations behind a non-capitalist system, that we can free people from the hell of having to do mundane work by providing them with a regular income and freeing them from their requirement to work some soul-sucking job. We then trust that the work they do with this freedom will be enough to keep society fully functional.

I think this is extremely unlikely on the basis that a lot of mundane work, and I mean a LOT, needs to be done in order for us to function. If you want to eat, you need people to grow food, harvest food, transport the food, build refrigeration units, install refrigeration units, maintain and repair refrigeration units, and if you're old enough, you even need them to take the food from the market and drive it to a person's house. Any of this sound like the best possible use of your free time? Would you really give up your aspirations to be a fantasy novelist / coding guru / wall street bets aficionado in lieu of pulling weeds and driving cars all day?

And I know what you're likely thinking here: automation! You're thinking that every mundane job will be replaced by automation, that we may already be well on our way towards it, etc. To be perfectly honest, I find this line of thinking to be both lazy and ignorant, especially when you assume that, across the board, every boring job will be done by a robot. You likely don't yet understand how making a machine do a specific task in today's world requires a great deal of engineering and software development work, hundreds of thousands of dollars in upfront investment, and then regular maintenance of the machine by a human, all so that it can perform just ONE task. If you wanted to assemble a module with 2 circuit boards, multiple screws attaching each board, then solder on some sensors, attach a few more structural integrity components, then send it on to the next step, this is a machine that will cost you close to a million dollars just to purchase upfront (I'm a manufacturing engineer and have looked into such things). And this is BASIC ASSEMBLY. The flesh version  of a robot can do this, as well as probably 50 other tasks around the factory, and we only need to pay it 50k a year! Automation isn't anywhere *close* to competing with humans in today's world, and we are likely several decades away (IE lifetimes) from it being a practical solution, if it ever happens.

A lot of mundane work sucks, but a lot of it is extremely necessary just to function in this world, and in a UBI system, hardly anyone will want to do it, which basically dries up not only whatever finances the UBI in the first place but also basically everything else we depend on to live our lives in the modern world.

CMV.

Edit: seems like a common response here is that people will still *work* but likely on a part time basis. Realize that that angle still supports my view. If people get to work part time rather than full time, that's less labor, less GDP, less financing of a UBI program that already seems next to impossible to finance.

[Assistant]
Here's the thing, though.  A lot of mundane work doesn't *have* to suck.

Take your typical fast food restaurant job.  The customers are cruel to you, the pay is peanuts, no benefits, you're doing the work of three people and a lack of safety enforcement means burns ans cuts are inevitable.

But if a person isn't dependent on their job to live, they're now in a position to negotiate.  People who like a fast paced work environment can say, "hey, I'd love to work here, but you've gotta make sure it's safe" or "I want to be able to tell a belligerent curmudgeon to buzz off".  Get enough of these people en masse, and work conditions start improving.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Howd Cad Bane know Boba needed bacta tank treatment

Black Krrsantan ran off into the desert and never told anybody.

[Assistant]
Jabba had a murder party where he was murdered and the most infamous bounty hunter in the galaxy fell into a sarlacc pit.

Even if you're not a criminal scumbag, that kind of news would travel.

The more sociable bounty hunters probably laughed about the whole situation even after Fett was rumored to have shown back up. You know, after looking over their shoulder first.

Bane probably just assumed that Fett got some bacta treatments after being stuck in the sarlacc and then hiking across the dune sea.


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

[User] Does the black hole at the center of the Milkyway have a quasar?

[Assistant] The black hole at the center of our galaxy is currently not what we call *active*.  That is, it isn't currently consuming a large amount of matter.  When a black hole is consuming large amounts of matter they form an acretion disk and this disk can emit incredible amounts of energy as well as expel vast streams of material in bipolar jets.  It is believed that what ealier astromers called quasars are just regular galaxies with active black holes that are in the process of consuming vast amounts of matter.


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

[User]
[Jurassic Park] Does InGen basically own Costa Rica?

I was thinking on how Disney is a very big deal for Florida, which has 4 times the population of Costa Rica and a much larger economy.

Following that, what would be the economic impact of InGen in Costa Rica? Is the whole country a company town for InGen? They must be by far the biggest wealthiest employer and probably no politician dares dares speak against them.

[Assistant]
Well... Jurassic Park doesn't cover ALL of Costa Rica, just Isla del Sorna. Definitely not a trifling expense, but it's hardly unheard of for private enterprises to buy up entire islands; Richard Branson's Virgin Australia owns Makepeace Island.

An offhand comment from Hammond mentioning trouble with the natives suggests it was mostly inhabited by indigenous people before InGen bought it (if the Telltale game can be believed, they were basically forced off the island by hired mercenaries).


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

[User] [Overwatch] Did the Omnics try diplomacy before throwing the world into conflict or were they going for a surprise attack not unlike pearl harbour to maximize their odds?

[Assistant] The Omnic Crisis started because the once defunct Omniums (Omnic factories) were infected by God Programs and suddenly began producing millitary units. There was never a chance for diplomacy because the war doesn't seem to have started for reasons other than the god programs being evil and possibly tied to some sort of Illuminati conspiracy.


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

[User]
[Frankenstein] So why exactly did the Doctor go through the trouble of stitching together a bunch of corpses?

Couldn't he have just waited for a fresh corpse to arrive and use that?

[Assistant]
It wasn't a simple matter of bringing the life back to a body. He was also trying to achieve he own immortality, and creating the monster was the first step. So... it had various improvements: it was over 8 ft tall (good luck finding a body that size), it has two hearts and an improved circulatory system system.

And don't let the Boris Karloff incarnation fool you. The real monster, while ugly, was quite intelligent. It could speak 3 languages after just one year of life.


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

[User]
ELI5: How to remain anonymous when surfing the web or downloading.

I just prefer to keep my things private. I would like to know how to hide whatever i need to, IP address etc, when downloading and surfing the web. Im a very visual person so i need to be explained like im 5 because I have tried to search myself online and follow tutorials but i cant do it. Maybe my reddit friends can help me!

[Assistant]
For that, you need to connect to the internet via a VPN. Now, what is a VPN (Virtual Private Network)?

Imagine the data that comes and goes from your computer as cars travelling on a highway. A VPN would be like a tunnel with a door at each end. Only you and your VPN provider have a key to these doors. So, no one on the outside can know which cars are travelling to, and from you, because they cannot see inside the tunnel, and they don't have the key to open it.


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

[User]
[Harry Potter] What would have happened if Mr. Dursley had shot Hagrid at the shack on the rock?

This is mostly a question of Giant physiology. If Mr. Dursley shot Hagrid, would he die?

Hagrid wasn't defending against attack, didn't have his wand ready, and rifles can be very dangerous.

Assume a large caliber round to the chest. The type one would use to kill a bear. Hagrid bursts in, surprises Mr. Dursley and is shot.

Would he die?

Also, afterwards, is it a crime for Muggles to kill wizarding folk? I'd assume it probably is, but it's hard to fault Mr. Dursley for acting in self defense. If a bear-sized man kicked down my door in the middle of the night I'd shoot him too.

[Assistant]
The durability of the giants is partly magical and partly physical. It's also worth noting that Hagrid's moleskin overcoat posesses some magic of its own, among which defensive enchantments may be included. Being shot would not be a particularly pleasant experience for Hagrid, but more likely than not he would survive.

As for muggle/wizard crimes; this depends very heavily on the circumstances. Usually involved (muggle) parties will have their memories altered to fit a more mundane version of events. The muggles are then left to sort out their own. However, crimes that are very magical in nature are taken to wizard courts, where they are allowed to stand trial with a wizard representative who helps interpret. Those who are found guilty are handed off to the local muggle government, and magically appear in the system for processing.


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

[User] ELI5: Why are healing scars (scratch, cut, incision) SO itchy?

[Assistant]
Because the nerves in the damaged tissue are regenerating and forming connections, as well as all the other tissue being constructed around them. Random stimulation of the nerves sends spurious signals to your brain that you feel as itchiness and discomfort.

It's like living next door to an apartment being renovated. They might work quietly but every now and then someone drops a tool and you hear it through the wall.