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

[User] [Back to the Future] Why was Doc perfectly willing to use time travel to prevent Marty's kids from screwing up their lives, yet was completely unwilling to prevent Marty's life from failing?

[Assistant]
The only reason Doc found out about Marty Jr getting arrested was because it was put in the newspaper around the time he happened to visit 2015. Or maybe he arrived later when Marty's daughter got arrested for trying to bust him out, saw that headline, and jumped back for some more info. Digging a bit he'd also learn that Marty got fired from his job that same day as well and probably figured the events were related, even though we know they weren't.

But Marty was/is his friend. He's not going to pry into his personal life any more than he has to. He doesn't know Marty's life has gone so off-track. He sees Marty having a nice house, a wife, and kids. From an outside perspective that looks pretty good. Remember, he says that he (Marty) and Jennifer both turn out fine.

So because Marty is his friend, Doc (who's already shown to think 'what the hell' when it comes to altering the future in certain circumstances) decides he'll do Marty a solid and fix that one little mistake made by a stupid kid who got bullied into doing something he didn't want to do.


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

[User]
CMV: A woodchuck cannot chuck any amount of wood, and to focus on the hypothetical amount possible is a waste of effort.

As conventional wisdom would tell you, "a woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck if his dentures were any good," but I fail to see where it is relevant. It puts into question the ability of the woodchuck to chuck wood, which we have established from the question that it simply cannot. To turn around and claim that, "Well it could chuck everything it wanted to if it had better teeth," puts it into the person's mind that the woodchuck could chuck wood and is willing to do so we're it not at a biological and economic disadvantage as to not have proper dentures. Furthermore, this line of thought implies that it is a worthy effort to outfit woodchucks with the ability to chuck wood for the hypothetical benefit of chucked wood, regardless of the aptitude of the individual woodchucks at chucking wood and cost effectiveness of training and denture production. In my opinion, it would be far more effective to invest in an industrial based solution, which would more likely be more efficient and lucrative than woodchucks who formerly could not chuck wood. CMV?

[Assistant] You hold no truck with the woodchuck's chuck, but the question's not plumb luck.  By pluck and luck your mouth must muck with squirrely words awhirl.  What's learned is earned by churning muscles turned.


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

[User] ELI5: What is the logic behind the Morse Code pattern? I want to memorize it, but it all seems so random. Is there any way besides just learning each letter?

[Assistant]
The most common letters are the shorter sequences.  For example, E, the most common letter in the English language, is just one dot.

> the code was designed so thatthe length of each character in Morse varies approximately inversely to its frequency of occurrencein English.


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

[User] If a limb were severed from the body and left in the sun for a while, would the skin sunburn?

[Assistant]
Well, burning from the sun would still happen, but not the normal physiologic action of producing pigment afterward. Being burned is a passive process, while becoming tan and producing color is an active process in the body due to melanocytes, you die?those die. The normal redness would also not be present since that is from extra blood in the skin from the uv burns, which is why you can press on sunburned skin and it turns white momentarily.
So, yes, your arm would still burn, but it would be a literal burn...but not a sunburn like we know.


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

[User]
CMV: Emotionally proportional punishment is just punishment

### Proposition

If someone stabs, they deserve to experience the totality of the emotional and physical pain involved with getting stabbed.

If someone kills someone else, they deserve to experience in excruciating, visceral detail the emotion associated with entering the void for the rest of eternity - and then the emotional pain that all the loved ones that the deceased are going through.

If someone robs someone else, they deserve to experience the sense of loss - both in monetary value and emotional/physical security - that their victim experienced. (Read: the *sense* of loss in monetary value, the "oh shit I lost x% of my income" feeling - not *actual* loss. The *sense* of loss of emotional/physical security.)

Ideally, in some far-future society where we could force people to experience emotion, a just form of punishment would be to first have the criminal experience all negative emotion associated with their crime, and then go through a period of rehabilitation from which they are not released until their personality has changed (this far-future society would have the capability to determine if their personality has changed enough).

*Even if* we had (and were willing to use) technology capable of "redeeming" a criminal and changing their personality for the better, it is still just for them to experience the magnitude of the crime they committed.

----

### Thoughts

The reason I ask this is that the concept of proportional punishment seems to be reviled and thought of as fundamentally wrong. Let's take torture, for example: if someone tortures someone else, in my mind, it is only fair and just for the criminal to experience the same (again, only the physical/emotional pain without any permanent effects other than emotional). However, most civilized people would say this is barbaric and wrong, and I don't understand why. I can even understand barbaric, but why would it be *wrong*? To me, it seems only fair.

----

### Major Edits

* There would be a system in place to reduce or eliminate punishment for mental retardation/insanity/etc. This is more for the 'I stabbed Jimmy for 5 bucks" or "ran over a kid while drunk driving" crimes. The idea is to force people to feel and understand the magnitude of their crime.

* We don't want people to suffer, so we don't enforce reciprocal punishment in the real world. We want to minimize suffering wherever possible, and let people lead happy, fulfilling lives. **My current point of view is that "minimizing suffering"  "equality/fairness/justice".** I need you to convince me that either (a) this is not true, or (b) this is alright, and enforcing complete justice is a bad idea.

* Someone went through my history and downvoted everything. Congrats, I guess? I would still like to CMV however, so please let this be visible so people have a chance to CMV.

[Assistant]
The moral goal of most people is 'decrease the amount of suffering and increase that amount of happiness in the world.'

Torturing people, even criminals, goes 100% against this common-sense morality.  They are still humans, and you are therefore still adding to the total amount of human suffering.

Human suffering is not 'bad' when it happens to 'good' people and 'good' when it happens to 'bad' people. Human suffering is just bad, full stop.

'Justice' is a funny, slippery word, which means different things to different people in different contexts. But most people would hope that it has at least *some* relationship to morality.

At the very worst, justice should not be *100% anti-correlated with morality*, which the system you describe actually is (again, assuming morality = reducing human suffering, which most people believe).

This is why most people would be very reluctant to call your system 'justice'.  A better term might be 'balance' or 'karma' or 'symmetry' or 'equal and opposite reactions'.


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

[User]
Is there any theoretical reason why the sun/moon relative sizes and distances are nearly the exact same?

It seems insanely unlikely that the sun and the moon apparent sizes are nearly identical in the sky. Is there any even theoretical reason that this happens, or is it truly pure chance?

[Assistant]
Nope. It's a really weird coincidence, and is probably extremely unusual. It's not even going to be like this forever - the Moon is slowly receding, and appearing to get smaller. Eventually, the Moon will be noticeably smaller than the Sun in the sky, and we won't have total eclipses anymore. So we're doubly lucky in that we just happen to be around at the right *time* as well as the right place.

Plenty of other planets have eclipses from their moons, especially in the outer solar system where the Sun appears very small. But to have extremely brief total eclipses in a narrow strip is very unusual. You're more likely to either only have partial (i.e. annular) eclipses (or even just transits), or to have really long eclipses over a large chunk of the planet.


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

[User]
How often do ice ages occur? Are we due one?

Im just watching Ice age with my kid and it prompted this thought, just curious.

[Assistant]
For the last 3-ish million years we've been in an ice age with a cycle of 100,000-year glacial periods and 10,000-year interglacials. So we're still in an ice age, just a warmer period. For most of the last half-billion years the Earth has been warmer with no ice caps, but there were a few other ice ages, notably during the Ordovician and Permian.

It's been more than 10,000 years since the start of this interglacial, so you'd suspect we were due for another glacial, but the timing of these periods isn't that precise, and obviously human influence has caused us to dramatically deviate from the natural climate cycle.


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

[User]
How can Neuropathy (Nerve Damage) cause Numbness is Some but Pain in Others?

I was curious how neuropathy of a sensory nerve can result in both numbness and/or pain the area they effect. How can it cause both of these symptoms? Is this due to anatomical variations between people, differences in how the nerve damage occurs, similarities in how these two sensations are transmitted, or some other factor?

I am not a medical student, however I am a masters student so I do have some background knowledge of anatomy/physiology (though my neurology knowledge is a bit poor) so I can understand general terminology. Id appreciate if anyone could explain this!

Edit: Thank you everyone for the responses! I wanted to elaborate what i meant a little further.

I am primarily referring to reversible nerve damage more so than irreversible. Neuropathy may have been the wrong term.

Also, I know that nerves differentiate based on sensory/motor function. What I was curious about is why does damage to sensory nerves result sometimes in pain but other times numbness.

[Assistant] A nerve is a bundle of axons. Each axon is associated with a specific neuron. Could be motor neurons or any of the various types of sensory neurons (touch, pressure, pain, temperature, etc).If you damage a nerve, you might not damage all the axons in the nerve. If the axons that were damaged were primarily from pain neurons, you might feel more (or less) pain. If the damaged axons were motor, you might not have any sensory issues, but just have trouble contracting muscles. Its really all about where the damage has occurred that determines what the symptoms are.


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

[User] ELI5; why is it our eyes see upside down and our brain has to correct it?

[Assistant]
Look through a round glass object, like a crystal ball. You'll notice everything you see through it is upside down. This is because the light from the bottom half of it reacts with the round surface in a way that it comes out on the top, and vice versa.

Since your eye is a sphere, like that crystal ball, the brain has to correct it.

And yes, looking through that crystal ball without your brain correcting your eyes automatically would show you the world right side up (and distorted because you can't see shit through a crystal ball)


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

[User]
[Marvel] Does Reed Richards change his mass, density, etc. when he stretches?

This is really a question for any elastic superpower, but I thought if we had to draw off of one hed be the most popular and have the most information on his abilities.

When an elastic character, like Reed, grows his fist to warhammer size, is it technically the same weight, just less dense since its cells have spread out to a different shape? Its expanded, but does it actually hurt more to get hit with?

And when he makes himself ultathin to enter a crack or vent, for example, is his mass decreasing or is it just compressed? Is he getting denser?

Basically, how do his properties change with his growing and shrinking?

[Assistant]
He changes density, not mass; he becomes physically weaker as he elongates, and stretching becomes physically painful at around 1,500 feet.

When he forms melee weapons, he's shifting his mass into the fist; the weapon is larger and denser than normal flesh, but the rest of his body is correspondingly less dense. He might also use the elastic properties of his flesh to enhance the speed of his attacks, essentially slingshotting the weapon at the target.

When he fits into cracks and such, he isn't really changing density, just distribution. A sheet of paper has the same density laying flat or crumpled up, and Reed has the same density in his normal form or when squeezing through a pipe.

Plastic Man, for what it's worth, works a bit differently. There seems to be no limit to how far he can stretch or how dense he can become, which means there is some sort of matter manipulation happening, not just a change in density. Batman has said that Plastic Man is actually the most dangerous meta-human he's ever encountered.


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

[User] ELI5 Why are the craters on the moon flat on the bottom? If an asteroid were to hit the moon, material would be blown out and the crater would be more rounded on the bottom, right?

[Assistant]
Initially, yes. But those craters are very very old and have had time for the material to settle somewhat.

The deepest ones also punched deep enough to expose magma, as in the maria. As a liquid or near-liquid, the magma flowed smoothly to form a flat plain before cooling.


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

[User] [Harry Potter/Doctor Strange] Could a Muggle who was sufficently trained in the mystic arts be able to successfully infiltrate the Wizard community and be accepted as one of their own?

[Assistant]
I think it would depend on how well he knows the Wizarding world. Based on what I've seen about Strange (nothing but the movie), it looks like much of the work is done with hand motions and poses whereas in Potter, it's all wand work. He'd have to figure out a way to incorporate the wand into his repertoire.

He'd also have to be familiar with the culture of it: stuff like Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, etc.

But given how insular the various wizarding communities seem to be (Goblet of Fire made a big deal about how rare it is for wizards of different countries to interact), he may be able to just pass off any eccentricities he has as a result of him being from another country. Strange's world is much more violent though - conflict happens in the Wizarding world through duels of spells whereas in Strange, you generate your own weapons and deal a lot with altering perceptions and realities. A Doctor Strange-type magic user would have to be careful to restrain himself so as to not arouse extra attention.


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

[User]
[WH40k] Are there any Pariah space marines?

Is not possible for a Pariah to become a space marine, or is in imcomaptible with the geneseed?

[Assistant] Aberrations (beside the Psyker mutation in special cases) are frowned upon by the Space Marines. There is such a wide pool of candidates, and so few need to be chosen that no matter how spectacular a candidate is, if they are mutated there will be one nearby who is just as good, but without the disgusting inhumanity.


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

[User]
[MCU] Mind uploading in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, how did it happen?

How did biochemist Arnim Zola managed to upload his mind/consciousness into a computer and managed to survive without someone controlling the keyboard? And how is he still receptive and responsive after all these years? Is that count as immortality?

[Assistant] Hydra and SHIELD are far more advanced than the rest of the world's technology. He uploaded his mind in the early 1970s into a supercomputer, far more advanced than any other computer of the era. Being a Hydra biochemist, mind uploading is entirely within his and his colleagues realm of possibility. It's a quite durable computer but it wouldn't last forever. As shown when Captain America punches out the monitor, he has full control over the computer from the inside so he won't need outside help from a keyboard.


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

[User]
[Dragonball Super/Z] Do Goku's new feats make it possible that Cell and Buu weren't lying about their ability?

Goku is confirmed to be able to destroy the universe, does that mean that Buu's galaxy destroying threat was valid? What about Cell with Solar System busting?

[Assistant] They definitely had the power too, it's just a matter of being able to focus and project their ki on that scale. Freeza was insignificant next to Cell, and he could still blow up a planet while on his last legs, with one attack. Buu was a being of pure destruction, akin to Beerus, and without several limiting factors, including the Supreme Kai's influence, he certainly could have made good on his threats.


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

[User]
CMV: Secular morality is fatally handicapped without an afterlife

When it comes to ethics and morality I always tend to find secular arguments toothless for one primary reason: The atheist/progressive worldview has no hell for me to burn in, no punishment for not embracing their tenets, so why should I care about whether or not i'm a good person by any of their standards?

Mind you, i'm not talking about being law-abiding citizen: I'm talking about all those other ways you can be an asshole without being a murderer, a rapist or what have you. I just feel progressivism will forever lack teeth in trying to guide people's principles because if there's no afterlife and therefore no punishment/reward after all is said and done, why care what they think?

[Assistant]
Being a good person because "then ill get in to heaven" is not nearly as noble (being good for your own benfit) as being a good person because being a good person (being good for the benefit of others).

On the same note, "I wont do that bad thing because i dont want to go to hell" is a terrible reason to do/not do something. "I wont do that bad thing because it would hurt others" is a much better reason to do/not do it.


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

[User] ELI5:if we have to use soap to kill the bacteria on our hands, then why is just using water to clean fruit/vegetables enough?

[Assistant]
Hand soap does not kill bacteria (well, antibacterial soap might kill some), but rather just washes them off (along with oils and dirt from your skin). In fact, you get rid of a good bit of bacteria just by rinsing, the soap just makes it more effective.

When you rinse veggies, you are physically removing the dirt, and maybe traces of pesticides (in the US, at least, there are rarely even trace amounts of pesticide; but just in case). Fruits and veggies aren't animals and the bacteria / viruses on them are not generally harmful to people. Even then, water washes much of it off.

The only time there's really a risk is when manure is when natural fertilizers (like manure) are used. Sometimes that may have harmful bacteria. That's not really a concern unless you buy organic. Even then, rinsing it off will get the majority of anything harmful off.


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

[User] ELI5: How does laughter "infect" other people?

[Assistant]
So imagine you're an ape (not that hard to imagine, considering...you **are** one, but...go back a bit. Go back half a million years). Your friends and family are sitting around in the branches of a tree. And you're sitting there munching on some weird piece of fruit-thing. It tastes like ass...but you've not invented language yet, so you can't complain.

When suddenly you hear a noise in the bush below.

You stop munching and watch. What's in the bush? A predator? A prehistoric big-cat of some kind? You let out an alert howl. And all your fellow apes stop eating and repeat the howl. Very quickly the whole troop is alerted to danger, and dozens of eyes start scanning the area with their front facing, colour-vision eyes.

Then from the bush slinks a harmless skunk, going about it's business. You let out a guttural vocalization. A whoop of relief. It's quickly picked up by the rest of the troop and repeated. It's not a laugh as we would understand it, but it functions the same way. It signals...relief, safety, humor. The absence of danger.

Basically, laughter is one of those primitive things that exists in our brain. Evolution has taught us the value of group vocalizations to signal distress, pain, sorrow, happiness. As social queues to help us understand our situation and the status of our family members.

And while humour is an abstract concept, laughter is pretty universal among primates. **It's a signal to our friends that things are okay.** And our ape brains encourage us to pass on the message.

This is why you feel the urge to laugh when someone else is laughing. This is why you spin round in alarm when someone screams. We are social animals, being social.


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

[User]
ELI5:Google became Alphabet Inc. ; does that mean that Alphabet Inc. is now GOOG major shareholder?

Also does that mean that Alphabet Inc. could slowly sell it's stake and diversify from/completely abandon Google ? What would be the motive behind such decision? Are Brin and Page planning to become more like a Berkshire Hathaway of the 21st century? In that case why not rebrand the search engine instead of the parent company? As the Google brand is worth a lot while people might just shrug it off when they hear that Alphabet Inc. has invested in some venture.

[Assistant] Alphabet Inc is the only shareholder of Google. Those who had shares in Google got their shares transferred to Alphabet Inc. Even the stock tickers GOOG and GOOGL got transferred to Alphabet Inc. The reason to change the company structure and name is not quite clear. It is quite common in financial markets to be as diverse as possible. Having a separate holding company does allow you to be more diverse. There are a lot of cases when using one common brand for all your companies and products might not be the best way to do things. For example being diverse does mean that you invest in competing technologies and it might confuse people when two companies with the same brand are competing against each other. For example Alphabet Inc have companies delivering fiber internet and also researching satellite internet. It might be a bit odd to have Google Fiber compete against Google Satellite for customers. However dropping the Google brand makes sense in these cases and allows them to engage in healthy competition which benefits the holding company. You mention Berkshire Hathaway which is doing exactly this. They diversify their investments, use multiple recognized brands and creates an environment of healthy competition which benefits them the most.


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

[User] ELI5 - where does skin in your body stop being skin? Is the roof of the mouth skin? The back of the throat? How does skin attach and transition to non-skin flesh?

[Assistant] humans, which are like the Eukaryotic single cell organisms from which we evolved, are just complex donuts. our entire digestive system is technically on the outside of our bodies, with skin and epithelial tissue forming a continuous donut meat sac.


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

[User]
I'm told that the universe doesn't have a center, does that mean....

Despite my conceptualization of 3-dimensional space, up down left right, I'm told it curves on the grand scale.  Does this mean that I could pick a direction, start moving forward, and after an immeasurably long period of time end up in the same place?

Similarly, is there a point in the universe that is as far away from us as possible, such that if one were to move in any direction they could only get closer?

[Assistant]
Your question involves whether or not the universe is finite or infinite.

The CMB shows a nearly even distribution which would indicate an infinite universe.  If the universe were finite, it would be possible to see reflections in the CMB - and these reflections are not present.  However, that does not mean they don't exist (if the universe if finite, but large enough, the reflections may not be seen in the CMB).

When we look at expansion - we note that all distant massive objects are moving away from all other distant massive objects.  That would indicate that there is no center (from which everything is moving away from) but rather that every point in the universe, from the perspective of that point, is the center.

Indeed, if we are not at the center of the universe, that *might* mean we could look further in one direction, then say, in another direction.  However, we know that we observe equal distances in all directions (our observational sphere) - and this is the same for every point in the universe.

We can pretty much be certain that we are not in the center of the universe since we aren't even in the center of our own galaxy, much less solar system, local galactic cluster, etc.

These are fairly hard to answer (except the center of the universe question, which is easy) because we have no real knowledge about what exists outside of our observational sphere.


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

[User]
[MCU] Thor kills Thanos at the end of Infinity War, how does everything after that play out now?

Instead of gloating, he aims "for the head" this time or the blow to the chest proves fatal.

[Assistant]
Thanos dies, Earth wins. Nobody gets snapped. Gamora is irreversibly dead, Vision can be brought back with the Time Stone most likely. Strange probably also uses the Time Stone to undo some damage if needed, but probably prefers not to overdo it.

The bigger question is - what does Earth do with the Stones? That part is probably a lot more problematic, as we'd be getting political. Would Earth's governments want to keep them on the planet, or specifically off it? If they'd keep it, would the universal powers let them? A lot of tough choices here and moral grays to consider. Mind Stone would likely remain on Earth in Vision's care, and Time Stone in Strange's, but the rest are more problematic. Power Stone it would make sense to return to Xandar, if there's anything left of it, and Thor may want to keep the Reality Stone. Soul Stone back to Vormir?


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

[User]
[Stargate SG1] Exactly how are the transporter rings supposed to work?

Early on it seemed pretty established that 2 transport ring pads had to be in direct alignment to work.  In particular the episode where they intercept the ring beem going between the planet and Apophis' ship to rescue the team.

But in later episodes, it seems the rings will work without a another pad to receive the beam, the rings will just go straight down to the ground below.

And in first episodes of series 7, Jackson and Quinn seem to use the rings to teleport from the ring pad on Anubis' ship to a random ring pad in a store room on the planet, implying they don't need to be in alignment.

[Assistant]
Chief Science Officer of SG-2 reporting in, transport rings were originally designed by the Ancients and thus work similarly to Stargates, but at a shorter distances. If Stargates are the Ancient's airplanes, transport rings would be like a car.

Basically, the rings convert matter to energy and convert it back at its destination.

Transport rings are particularly interesting because they have 2 modes- short range and ring to ring.

In ring to ring mode, 2 sets of transport rings create a connection and activate simultaneously. They then swap the matter inside the rings. This swap is done to prevent issues such as material fusing if you happen to be transported while someone else is inside the ring. This does not require physical alignment to use. However, it does require you to know where the other set of rings are, much like dialing a Stargate requires you to know the gate address of your destination. For ease of use, however, most ring transports have macros built into them for common usage (ie, beam to the nearest set of rings or beam straight down to the next solid surface)

In short range mode, matter is converted to energy, stored in the rings, and the rings themselves move. This has several benefits- you can transport people across inhospitable locations without endangering them, the rings move faster than most transports, and it can be used to break through barriers (see the mission reports for Proclarush).

Ring to ring mode generally has much farther distance because there is only transferal of energy, and the rings don't have to travel that distance. However, this requires existing infrastructure. This is generally used for travel between known points- eg, city to city, city to ship, etc. Short range mode is used on a more practical basis, such as landing people on a planet's surface for exploration.


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

[User]
Where does fluid that gets 'locked' into your ear go?

I've been using ear drops to clear wax in my ear and sometimes the drops disappear for more than a day before they come trickling out. Where have they gone? They can't get beyond the ear drum can they?

[Assistant]
The ear canal is pretty narrow. Water adheres to the skin on the inside of the canal, and the small opening can allow that adhesion combined with it is own surface tension to create a scenario where gravity is insufficient to cause it to flow out of the canal on its own.

The action of jumping up and down with one's head turned to the side can remedy this situation sometimes by both momentarily increasing the weight of the water (as you land) and disrupting the surface tension as a result of the abrupt motions.

It can clear itself on its own for various reasons, from simple random chance to shifts in temperature (which alter the surface tension and changes in the ear canal over time for various reasons.


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

[User]
[Zombies] How many zombies can you realistically kill with a katana before it gets dull and becomes useless?

Bonus points for answering the question assuming that zombies have weaker bones than living humans.

[Assistant] Ten tops. There are historic accounts of beheading nobles with swords, and the blades becoming noticeably less sharp after only one or two beheadings. After that, you're really just forcing tissue aside through force and the fact that you have a thin stick of metal, as opposed to it being sharp.


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

[User]
If I'm on the interior surface of a rotating cylinder in space, I'll feel something that I could interpret as "gravity". Is it possible to spin a cylinder fast enough to create an "event horizon" on the inside?

Basically, ignoring material constraints, is it theoretically possible to make it so that centrifugal force creates an "escape velocity" greater than C? Also, would light coming from that surface appear redshifted in some reference frames but not in others?

Basically, what's the relativistic interpretation of pseudoforces like this?

[Assistant]
>> Basically, ignoring material constraints, is it theoretically possible to make it so that centrifugal force creates an "escape velocity" greater than C?

No. The "gravity" you are talking about would be caused by the accelerated circular motion of the cylinder walls. The walls would have to move faster than C  to prevent light from moving away from them, and that is impossible.

>> Also, would light coming from that surface appear redshifted in some reference frames but not in others?

Absolutely. Why not? Any motion, even without acceleration, would produce red shifts and blue shifts.


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

[User]
ELI5: The Unexpected Hanging paradox.

I understand most of the paradox except one bit, how the hell does the prisoner eliminate the days of his hanging? I couldn't follow his logic at all.

[Assistant]
First, (for the lazy) I'll paste the paradox here

>A judge tells a condemned prisoner that he will be hanged at noon on one weekday in the following week but that the execution will be a surprise to the prisoner. He will not know the day of the hanging until the executioner knocks on his cell door at noon that day.

> Having reflected on his sentence, the prisoner draws the conclusion that he will escape from the hanging. His reasoning is in several parts. He begins by concluding that the "surprise hanging" can't be on Friday, as if he hasn't been hanged by Thursday, there is only one day left - and so it won't be a surprise if he's hanged on Friday. Since the judge's sentence stipulated that the hanging would be a surprise to him, he concludes it cannot occur on Friday.

> He then reasons that the surprise hanging cannot be on Thursday either, because Friday has already been eliminated and if he hasn't been hanged by Wednesday night, the hanging must occur on Thursday, making a Thursday hanging not a surprise either. By similar reasoning he concludes that the hanging can also not occur on Wednesday, Tuesday or Monday. Joyfully he retires to his cell confident that the hanging will not occur at all.

> The next week, the executioner knocks on the prisoner's door at noon on Wednesday  which, despite all the above, was an utter surprise to him. Everything the judge said came true.

Think about this with just  Friday.  You are given the conditions for your hanging.  Noontime, knock on the door - you will die.  Now it's a process of elimination.  If Thursday noon has passed and nobody knocked on your door, then you *will* be hanged on Friday.  Therefore, that cannot be a surprise for you.  This eliminates Friday as there is no element of surprise.  And because there is no element of surprise, it doesn't meet the judge's requirements (*the execution will be a surprise*).

Taking this a step further, since Friday cannot be the day of hanging, *the last possible day to hang is Thursday*.  But then if Wednesday afternoon goes by and there's no knock, it's pretty obvious he'll hang on Thursday.  That means Thursday isn't a surprise either.  Fails the judge's requirements.  No hanging!  It needs to be a surprise!

Again.  Since Friday and Thursday are out, clearly the last day for a surprise is Wednesday.  But if Tuesday goes by and no knock, then hanging on Wednesday is no surprise.  Clearly it can't be Wednesday!

Similarly, Tuesday is eliminated.  And Monday is eliminated.  All because of that clause (*the execution will be a surprise*)

It's because of this conclusion that the knock on Wednesday is a surprise.  If he had not come to the above conclusion, it wouldn't have been a surprise.  So the surprise is a self-referential one.   It's quite meta.


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

[User] ELI5:Why do scrapes and other injuries feel more painful when its cold outside?

[Assistant] When it's cold, your body draws blood in from the limbs to conserve its warmth by constricting the veins in those limbs. This causes the skin and flesh to press on the nerves, increasing their sensitivity.


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

[User]
If I'm trapped underwater, and I find a bottle of air, what is the most efficient way to breathe it?

Short breaths? Full breaths?

[Assistant]
Diver here.

The amount of air in an uncompressed bottle won't be enough to make  the effort worthwhile. You would be better off taking the time and energy to get to either the surface or a reliable air source like a partner's backup regulator.

For short vs long, either one would deplete in a matter of 1 breath anyway.


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

[User]
ELI5: My seven year old laptop has a 2.2Ghz processor. Brand new laptops have processors with even lower clock rate. How are they faster?

EDIT: Thanks everyone!

[Assistant]
Newer processors are more efficient think of it as gas mileage. Clock rate only tells you how fast the processor is stepping but tells you nothing of what the processor actually gets done with each step. If processor A does 2 instruction per clock cycle and processor B can do 4 per clock cycle than processor B can literally be ran at half the speed of A and still be faster in terms of doing work.

That's why newer processor are faster than your laptops. Yes increasing the clock rate is a way to increase performance but it's the lazy mans way and it comes with draw backs. Increasing clock rate increases heat / power consumption and decreases stability. So the real goal for the processor companies is to make their newer processors more efficient.

Lastly, it is likely that a newer processor has more cores than your 7 year old laptop and programs that are coded to use multiple cores will run much faster than they do on a single core.

Edit: Yeah i realize that what i said originally doesn't add up technically you'd have to run Processor B  faster at least by a little than half the speed of processor A for it to be faster.


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

[User]
[Fallout] What is the point of the Government making some of the vaults experiments, when the information gathered from them will be useless as there wouldn't even be a government or even slightly composed society?

I don't see the point; what information would prove meaningful? The government designed them to be the holders of the last remnants of mankind, what makes them think there will be a government to use the information?

Was it just a sick joke?

[Assistant]
The government was always planning to survive the war.  They had multiple safehouses (the Oil Rig, Raven Rock, Vault 0, etc), with the intent of guaranteeing *someone* would survive the apocalypse.

The original plan was to use a spaceship (which they actually built.  We're able to visit it in Fallout 2) to colonize outer space.  The point of the Vault experiments was to study how humans survive in an enclosed society, what works, what doesnt work.  They understand how to resolve any crisis because they have already created that crisis under laboratory conditions, and have seen it through to the end.  This is because you can make hundreds of vaults, but they only had one spaceship.


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

[User]
[Star Wars]If the Emperor wanted to live forever, why did he want to replace Vader?

I read in a canon book that Sidious always wanted to rule the Empire forever (so sort of setting back the rule of two). So why did he want to replace Vader with a supposedly stronger apprentice if that would put him at a higher risk of being assassinated?

[Assistant] He needs an apprentice powerful with the dark side to help him delve deeper into the unnatural powers required to live forever. By pitting Vader and Luke against each other he finds the stronger candidate. Sidious is a skilled manipulator and extraordinarily arrogant, he believes that he can control anyone.


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

[User] [Resident Evil] Leon and Claire were bitten in the neck area so why were they holding their lower abdomen?

[Assistant] Their (reasonable) concerns about being turned into zombos has led to some awful fear shits, and they're just trying to hold it in as long as possible. Unrelated, does anyone know if you can wipe your ass with a typewriter ribbon? How about a potted plant?


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

[User]
Brian Cox said something on TV last night..

He said that if we could travel near the speed of light (.99c) then we could get anywhere in an instant.

What's the science behind this? He didn't explain it.

Cheers.

[Assistant]
Taken literally, that's way incorrect.

However, as you travel near the speed of light, time slows down (relatively speaking, of course). Travel fast enough and years could pass outside your spaceship while you experience hours or seconds. So, in other words, while it would seem like a short time *to you* (and anyone else in your frame of reference), it wouldn't be.


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

[User]
ELI5 Aspirin saves lives in during a heart attack

ELI5, how does aspirin save lives during a heart attack?  The only information I've found online is either "it stops clotting and reduces the size of a clot" or really technical medical terminology.  As a first responder, I've physically seen someone "get better" after chewing aspirin when having the textbook signs and symptoms of a heart attack and I'd like to know how it works.

[Assistant]
Heart attack = clogged artery

Platelets in your blood stick together to form a blood clot. Aspirin is an anti-platelet, hence it decreases the blockage that may be causing irreversible damage to a person by the minute.

Blood thinner is a layman term. But really there are anti-coagulants (ex. Warfarin) and anti-platelets (ex. Aspirin) that targets different mechanisms of the clot formation process.


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

[User]
ELI5: how is it that movies in 30frames/s looks smooth but gaming at 30frames/s looks choppy?

i know that some movies come out are in 30p and 48p but gaming only looks smooth in above 60frames?

[Assistant]
Motion is blurred to make frames fit next to each other more.
Surroundings are kept out of focus.
Movies also generally look better than graphics made in real time, think of playing a game at super Jesus graphics and only getting .05 fps. But then stacking those frames side by side to make a 30 fps film after you've rendered a ton of frames.


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

[User] If my iPhone is connected to a Bluetooth speaker, does the volume level on the iPhone impact the amount of power being consumed by the iPhone?

[Assistant] No.  Your iPhone is transmitting data packets to the speaker over-the-air to set the output level.  The data packets controlling desired volume do not use more energy when they encode "65% max output" instead of "25% max output".


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

[User]
ELI5: DiCaprio and the Malaysian Scam

Exactly how did the scam work? I tried reading an article on it but I didn't understand; it said DiCaprio helped by buying over priced champagne and donating a statue, and received funds in return.
What was the scam? How was Leo involved?

[Assistant]
His foundation is not a non-profit. It is set up in a way that he doesn't have to legally expose his expenses. With that protection he is using the foundation funds to embezzle money to his pocket while lining the pockets of his friends.

In regards to the champagne. Let's say his foundation has received $1 million in a donation. He uses this money to put on a fundraiser/gala to get more donations. At this fundraiser he uses foundation money to buy $100 in champagne from his friend... Only he pays his friend $1 million for it. Now the money is outside the foundation and they can split the change as they see fit between themselves.

The Malaysia part comes in because there are financial funds that are using the Foundation as a means to embezzle. There are reports that it is the largest embezzlement scheme ever ($3B) and the Foundation was a part of helping them.. they were giving "donations" or "investments" into the foundation because they knew they could get paid back.. less Leonardo's cut..

The Clinton Foundation has also been in trouble lately. They Clintons sell access to themselves (Secretary of State) if you donate a lot of money to their private foundation. They then use the funds from the foundation to to operate private jets, stay in luxurious hotels, eat the finest food, and give lucrative "jobs" to their political allies without them having to actually work...

In other climate change scams.. Al Gore also scammed people out of money. He set up a carbon offsetting firm. The idea was you give him money and he will offset your carbon usage for you. Most places like this plant trees or something similar and were under the impression he was doing the same. Instead, he invested the money he received into stocks that were supposed to be "green." In reality he just invested the money in any stocks he wanted. So he basically scammed people into giving him money to save the planet and he just used it to make himself richer.

This is why you should always look into a charity before donating and if any organization refuses to open their books to audits to confirm they are on the up and up (like Leonardo) you should assume they are shady and not donate. People who are actually doing good are proud of their organization will gladly open their books to show their altruism.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why is milk so much better than water after having eaten something chocolaty?

Title pretty much explains it all. My wife asked me this the other night and I couldn't think of something reasonably logical as to why this is true.

[Assistant]
Chocolate is mostly Cocoa Butter, which is the vegetable fat from Cocoa Beans. Fats are usually very hydrophobic, which means they don't mix well with water.  After you eat chocolate, the inside of your mouth will be coated with these fats.

When you drink water, it just flows over the fats, and you'll still have that "dirty" feeling in your mouth.  But milk, while being mostly water, contains butter fat, which makes it creamy. The butter fats act as an emulsifier, and allows the milk to better "pick up" the cocoa butter in your mouth, giving you a "clean" feeling in your mouth.

It's the same reason drinking a glass of milk works much better that water to clear your mouth after eating peanut butter.


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

[User]
[Warhammer 40000 and Dead Space] What would happen if 97 Brother Moons showed up in the setting?

So Brother moons are basically like the tyranny hive minds and are horrible galaxy level threats in any other universe. They're able to travel at FTL speeds and ,in this case, immune to the corruption of chaos due to said hive minds and because they predate chaos.

This does not mean that they can't be hurt by chaos itself but merely that chaos can no influence them or corrupt them in any way.

The presence of a Brother moon results in any people in the system quickly go mad from the proximity. Surrounding systems are slowly being deceived and influenced by the moon whilst it's inhabitants are fighting the necromorphs. Furthermore the general location of a Brother moon can be traced as in this case Necromorph activity only starts to pick up within a hundred light years of one.
How do they effect the setting as a whole?

[Assistant] They'd basically be treated like agents of Chaos, and in all likelihood assumed to be either greater Daemons or the chaos gods would immediately set about working to incorporate them into their plans.  Even if Brethren moons did show up, virtually any single faction can easily destroy them; Orks would love the challenge posed by the moons, the IoM would probably just obliterate them, Tyranids wouldn't really care all that much and would probably either figure out a way to destroy the moons or to incorporate them into their structure since they seek biomass.  In the short period of time they exist, they'd probably be treated like weird manifestations of chaos or daemonic influence and would be quickly dealt with, unless they directly added to another faction's strengths, then they would be likely taken advantage of.  In no way is a Brethren moon's influence stronger than the influence of the Warp, so no one would really treat them like a serious threat.


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

[User] [Superman] At this point, what can kill Doomsday?

[Assistant] The only reliable method is pure entropy. He got sent to the end (or the beginning? either way it was a Big Bang level event) of the universe once and just repeatedly died, unable to adapt to the forces that were in play.


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

[User] [ALIEN] In Aliens, the colonial marines ask 'If it'll be a straight up fight, or another bug hunt?' What are the other bugs they hunt? Is exterminating terestrial life common?

[Assistant] There's a few different times the marines have been called upon to kill "bugs" or local hostile alien life.  Mars around 38 years prior to aliens had a large infestation of aggressive life forms.  The marines used them for basic training.  Just prior to the mission to lv426 the colonial marines of the film had gone on a similar mission to secure a planet from local wild life that easily killed several colonists and marines.  Generally speaking the bug hunts are common and considered very beneath the marines capabilities. The other life they hunt usually isn't intelligent enough to avoid bullets or set traps and aside from claws and armor plating in some instances isn't that dangerous.  Marines are trained to fight wars and hunt rebels and insurrections not go rat hunting with million dollar smart guns.


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

[User] If atoms are made up of protons and neutrons and protons and neutrons are made up of quarks, then what could quarks possibly be made up of?

[Assistant] As of right now, we don't think quarks are made of anything besides quark. There has to be some "lowest layer", and we think that quarks are that lowest layer for neutrons and protons and the like. All experiments we have conducted seem to show that quarks are fundamental, but it's also possible they're made of something even more fundamental we don't know of yet.


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

[User] [Star Wars] How long was the Death Star over Alderaan? Didnt the population panic when it showed up?

[Assistant]
You're presuming they would comprehend what it was, and what it was going to do. The second it showed up, it was almost certainly recognized as an impossibly large Imperial battle-station - a good reason for rebel-sympathetic elements on the planet to flee and everyone else to hunker down for an occupation, but no reason to suspect that the planet was about to be destroyed! Most citizens of Alderaan - those who might have tacitly supported the Rebellion, but not actively taken part - might have been loathe to flee their old homes and lives without an explicit reason to do so.

Even if they had known - what could have been done? It seems unlikely the Death Star arrived more than few hours beforehand at absolute maximum; that's not enough time to get everyone off a well-populated island, let alone off a planet.

Fun side note: Alderaan's planetary shield was up when the Death Star fired, a presumable recognition of implied hostile intent. Given the trouble planetary shields can give even moderately sized fleets, Alderaan may have assumed it would protect them long enough for an evacuation force to be assembled or other action taken to protect the planet. Certainly they didn't expect to have the entire planet shot out from under them.


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

[User] Why do women in Turkic and Slavic cultures often wear headscarves with coins hanging from them?

[Assistant]
It's popular around dinaridi (hills in croatia and bosnia). Those coins are savings of certain family. More money, richer family.

Note these are small villages so theft was very hard to go unnoticed.


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

[User]
How good are modern Radiation Suits at shielding people from radiation? And how could they be better?

I was watching Chernobyl and noticed that most of the scientists seemed to consider personal protection against radiation useless in the long term(and even short term exposure to high dosages).

Are radiations suits today better? Could they make someone immune to some levels of radiation? If not, why? Could they be better if the budget to make them was bigger?

I once read NASA had plans to use shields made with magnetic fields to protect space vehicles from radiation, could we, with sufficient tech make a "magnetic shield" suit(polarized?) that would shield the wearer from radiation?

[Assistant]
The thing with protection from **external** radiation is that the human body is already about as good at it as it's practical to be. Alpha and Beta radiation don't penetrate things very well, and are mostly harmless to a person wearing even ordinary clothes. Gamma and Neutron radiation is highly penetrating and dangerous, and shielding it requires inches of water and lead and other heavy materials. Any suit light enough that you could actually move in provides no real protection from that.

Why wear suits then? Because **internal** radiation is a whole different matter. Alpha and Beta radiation poses little danger outside your body, as your skin and clothes blocks it. Another way to see this is that the radiation has a lot of energy, but little penetration, so it disrupts a lot of things right on the surface. Which means that these radiation sources are big trouble if they ever get into your body, such as by breathing or swallowing particles. There, they can blast your fast-reproducing and highly vulnerable lung and GI tract cells directly. It's particularly troublesome when these particles that emit this radiation settle on your skin and clothes, and later get brushed off and float around and get breathed in or swallowed. Most clothing fabrics tend to absorb particles and be very difficult to get them all out of. All of this means it's much safer to wear a suit of a material that prevents any particles from getting on your clothes, and is easy to wash off and discard if needed. And of course, breathe through a filter and don't eat or drink anything from a contaminated zone.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does our heart not ache after an intense cardio session at the gym the same way other muscles do after a workout (example, quads after a leg day)?

[Assistant] The heart muscle is a different kind of muscle than that in your legs (which is called skeletal muscle). Skeletal muscle gets little tears and repairs itself/gets bigger in response to intense use. Although it's not known exactly what causes muscle soreness, this is probably a big reason. It would be bad if heart muscle did the same thing in response to being used more. More muscle in the heart actually means it is *less* able to push blood.


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

[User] ELI5: Why release a grand jury result at 9pm when you are worried about rioting? Aren't people less likely to riot at 8am?

[Assistant] The reason that the statement and no indictment verdict was released at 8pm is that the school boards and after school programs asked that it be announced after all of the kids were safe in their home. It was a very good idea to do this as, think what would have happened if a child or another teenager were to get injured or God forbid killed.


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

[User]
What would it feel like to be in a motionless spacecraft hovering above the earth (not orbiting)?

If weightlessness is a product of freefalling to earth like the astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station experience as they orbit the earth, then what would it feel like to if the ISS was not in an orbit but able to stay at a fixed altitude above earth? Would you be able to stand? How much gravity would you experience? What if you were at the altitude of the moon (without the moon's gravity interfering)?

Also is there a curtain altitude away from earth that you could become weightless without actually orbiting earth?

[Assistant]
It would be the same as what you already feel. You're rotating with the Earth because the Earth is spinning, but this is way slower than orbital speed, and only makes a small difference. There's no big difference between standing in a building that's stationary on the surface, and standing on a floating rocket platform that's stationary to the surface. You feel "weight", because you can feel the floor supporting you against gravity.

Gravity does get weaker as you get further away, but at the altitude of the ISS it's only like 10% weaker than it is on the surface. The ISS - and many other satellites - are in "low earth orbit", and are basically still in the upper atmosphere. This is why the ISS needs a little boost now and again to stop it falling to the ground, and why the (controversial) Starlink satellites will deorbit themselves eventually.

The strength of gravity from a spherical object is proportional to 1/(distance)^(2), where the distance is measured from the centre of mass. We are currently one "Earth radius" (about 6370 km) away from the centre. If you're one more "Earth radius" away (~13000 km from the centre), gravity is 1/4 as strong. For a sense of scale, the Moon is about 60 Earth radii away.

Classically, the Earth's gravity never actually goes to zero at any distance. Instead, its gravity just ends up getting so weak that nearby objects are much more important. Escape velocities and orbital velocities also just become very small. At a distance of 1 AU - the distance from the Earth to the Sun - orbital speed is about 180 km/h, and if you're going faster than that, you won't fall down to Earth. As the planets orbit the Sun at many kilometres *per second*, they can mostly ignore the Earth's gravity on that scale.


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

[User]
ELI5: What actually happens when we crack our knuckles/joints?

Also, can it cause joint complications in later life? There isn't much evidence on the internet.

[Assistant]
The physical mechanism causing a cracking sound produced by bending, twisting, or compressing joints is UNCERTAIN. Suggested causes include:
Cavitation within the jointsmall cavities of partial vacuum form in the synovial fluid and then rapidly collapse, producing a sharp sound.
Rapid stretching of ligaments.
Intra-articular (within-joint) adhesions being broken.


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

[User] ELI5: Why are waiters/waitresses paid below minimum wage in the U.S.? Isn't a tip not a tip anymore when you're essentially paying their living wages and subsidizing the restaurant's payroll?

[Assistant]
1. Servers used to be paid normal wages.
2. People gave them tips.
3. Restaurant owners noticed that the servers got roughly as much in tips as they did in wages. They saw a cost-cutting opportunity.
4. Restaurant owners successfully lobbied Congress to put in an exemption to the federal minimum wage law, citing that servers made plenty of money on tips alone.
5. And here we are.


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

[User]
ELI5: How does Shakespeare "invent" a word and it becomes a part of every day language when we already had a developed English language?

He's credited with inventing words like "elbow" and "tranquil" but I can't understand how he would even begin to craft a new word and have it actually integrate into the common language. What process would he have gone through to form the word? How were the words so easily accepted into society?

[Assistant] Many of the words weren't necessarily invented by Shakespeare. His works are the earliest surviving example of the word being used, but the word could have been in common use in speech, and have appeared in other written works of which no copies survive.


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

[User] Is it possible to create black holes in a ring instead of a spherical object?

[Assistant]
No. The event horizon of a black hole is always topologically (albeit not necessarily geometrically) a sphere. A ring (i.e., a 2-torus) is topologically distinct from a sphere. So no ring-shaped black holes.

edit: This is for stationary black holes only. (And some other assumptions like asymptotically flat and some energy condition.) So a black hole that comes about from gravitational collapse will always be spherical. A black hole merger can briefly have non spherical topology apparently.


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

[User] Eli5: If the body regenerates itself about every 7 to 10 years, why do scars and other skin imperfections still remain the same ?

[Assistant]
Because it doesn't. In that amount of time you're generating an amount of cells roughly equal to the amount of cells that make up the entire body, but those new cells are not evenly coming from everywhere. The vast majority will be from the skin and GI tract.

Consider this. You have a wooden boat made up of 100 planks. In a period of 7-10 years, you swap out 100 planks with new ones... but that's 40 replacements to one spot that sees the majority of wear & tear, 40 to another, and then the remaining 20 planks are more randomly spread around the boat. Though you replaced an amount equal to the entire boat, you did not replace the entire boat.


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

[User] Does standing water help you fight bacteria?

[Assistant]
If you have it, treat the water with a small quantity of ordinary household bleach, about 1ml per liter. Mix well and let it stand a while; 10 minutes or so. It's not perfect, especially for some of the nastier bugs; boiling or high quality filtration are better options by far. But bleach is better than nothing.

For hand washing, *somewhat* dirty water is better than none, as most of what you're doing when you wash you hands is literally washing the bacteria away with the soap. But this depends *highly* on how contaminated the water is, and with what.

Also, the brown color may have more to do with particulates (flakes of metal from pipes, silt) than bacteria. If the pitcher of water sits,  undisturbed, for a day or so, does it become more clear? Maybe with a layer of crap at the bottom?


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

[User]
[The Expanse] Epstein drives create enough heat to disintegrate everything in the drive's radius. How do ships not burn themselves after a flip-and-burn, as they fly into the exhaust of the drive?

So I just finished all the Expanse books, and generally loved how gravity, thrust, space travel and directionality were handled in the series. One thing that always bothered me was the question of heat after ships performed the flip half way through their journey.

After the flip, the ships fly essentially engine-first through space, so that the deceleration gives the people inside the ship a tolerable quasi-gravity. And the direction of that gravity is the same as through the acceleration burn. So far so good.

However, we know that you can't fire your Epstein drive when you are in proximity to space stations or other objects, as the drive's heat exhaust would "slag" everything behind it, i.e. disintegrate everything into a cloud of tiny atoms.

For example when: (Spoiler for Caliban's War)

>![That proto molecule monster that snuck onto the ship is destroyed by throwing it off and firing the drives.]

Or when: (Spoiler for Babylon's Ashes)

>![The Solano was parked next to Pallas Station's dock to slag every ship that tries to leave with its drive.]

How then is that prevented after a ship performs a flip and burn? It now flies directly into the exhaust of its own drive. Shouldn't that be way too hot to travel through? Does the heat dissipate fast enough in the vacuum so that the ship never flies through it?

[Assistant]
First off when a ship accelerates to the turnover point it reaches a velocity, let's call it V. V=time of flight to turnover (T)  acceleration rate (A), so V=TA and after turnover before lighting off the drives again it's still going at V away from the exhaust before accelerating on the opposite direction (effectively turning A into -A in that equation reversing the direction of apparent gravity except the interior of the ship is also flipped around too so it'll seem the same for the crew).

When the exhaust exits the drive it moves in the opposite direction to the ship's acceleration from the ship's point of reference. That means even if it's effectively moving in the same direction as the ships it will alway be moving slower than the ship while it's acceleration and faster than the ship while it's decelerating (it's the same thing really, just flipped), and the exhaust particles will only be dangerous for a a fraction of a second after leaving the ship as they disperse very quickly (partially because they aren't particularly coherent but mostly because space is a vacuum that will pull them in all directions once there isn't anything holding them together).


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

[User]
Chemists: I ruined metal jewelry when I spilled iodine on it. Is there any way to remove the horrible tarnish?

I accidentally dropped an open bottle of iodine on my jewelry - mostly sterling but also silverplated and some gold plated. The items seem ruined. The only thing I can think of is sanding/polishing the top layer off, but it won't work. Any ideas?

[Assistant]
Silver iodide is a pretty famous compound. It responds to light by breaking down to silver metal. For a long time this was how photographs were taken.

Try putting your jewelry outside in full sun for a couple of hours. Burn it off. Dunking it in a tub of photographic fixer (sodium thiosulfate) should also work.


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

[User]
Is a CPU or Micoprocessor technically a computer on its own, at least the basic form of a computer?

Or does a computer necessarily require more than just what the CPU can do, even in theory or pure definition?

[Assistant]
The CPU cannot becalled a computer since its missing important things like ram, a bus, and peripherals.

However, a microcontroller is technically a computer on its own, since it has these things built into the chip.


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

[User]
Isn't it not technically correct to say there are four fundamental forces anymore?

It seems like there's 6 to me. As far as I know, each boson (group) mediates one force:

* Photon - Electromagnetism
* W and Z Bosons - Weak Force
* Gluon - Strong Force
* Graviton (theoretical, of course) - Gravity

However, it seems that there are two other groups, the Higgs Boson (the mass interaction? Not sure what to call it), and the X and Y bosons (proton decay, iirc). So are these forces just like the others? If not, why, and if so, why do we still seem to stick to those four as *the* fundamental forces?

[Assistant]
The Higgs is not the mediator of a "fundamental" interaction. The "four forces" are gauge interactions, and are mediated by *vector* bosons (the Higgs is a scalar). Gauge theory isn't exactly a trivial subject so it's almost universally omitted in divulgation, but that's basically what is meant by fundamental interaction. The Higgs' coupling to fermions instead is a simple, non gauged, Yukawa coupling.

About the X and Y boson, these are hypothetical gauge bosons of most GUT (grand unification theory) proposal. A GUT is a single gauge interaction unifying the electroweak and strong interactions into a single gauge group, not an additional gauge interaction.

Finally, it's important to say that the subdivision of the gauge interactions, along with the subsequent "counting", it's somewhat arbitrary and at the very least a bit technical. The scheme is as such:

- gravity is a gauge interaction but it's quite different from the others, so set it aside
- the Standard Model is a gauge theory over the group U(1)SU(2)SU(3). This group is semisimple, not simple ("simple" is a tecnical term) and decomposes into three factors, which are
- U(1), which is weak hypercharge, mediated by a boson usually called B
- SU(2), weak isospin, mediated by three bosons W^1 , W^2 , W^3
- SU(3), the color or strong interaction, mediated by eight gluons.

This makes four gauge interactions if the criterion is that the generators between two different interactions commute.

Now, as a consequence of the Higgs mechanism, there is a certain mixing that happens in the U(1)SU(2) sector (electroweak). Basically the B and W^3 bosons are mixed into the photon and the Z^0 , while W^1 and W^2 are recombined into the W^+ and W^- . Note that the total number of gauge bosons hasn't changed! So instead of weak isospin and hypercharge at low energy one usually talks about

- the EM gauge interaction, mediated by the photon and with gauge group U(1) (but it's a different copy of U(1) than weak hypercharge)
- the "weak force", which by itself isn't a full gauge interaction and is really a weird hybrid thing reflecting its "mixed" origin, mediated by the Ws and the Z.

That's the list that is usually given and it still gives four.


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

[User] What would happen to the Middle East/Western Asia economies (e.g. Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Iran) if the world shifts from crude oil to renewable energy sources like solar and wind?

[Assistant]
An economy based around exporting a specific good will suffer if that product is devalued. Let's think about what the supply and demand curves look like.

On the demand side, there will always be a demand for safe, easily transportable, energy dense fuels capable of feeding engines with extremely high power densities. Current energy storage/conversion options such as batteries and fuel cells cost 10-100x more on an energy basis, and simply do not exist for applications requiring high gravimetric or volumetric power density. Even if you converted our energy grids to 100% renewable sources tomorrow, we would still need to power our airplanes and transport ships with oil for the near future.

On the supply side, the production cost of oil is not a constant number around the world. The cost of producing a barrel of crude oil from Canadian tar sands is very high, between 40-60$/barrel. The production cost for Saudi crude is very low, perhaps $3, and the type of oil produced is much more desirable. So the supply curve for each country looks very different, and the Middle Eastern nations are very profitable at prices that would drive every other oil producer out of business.

Would a shift to renewable power, reducing the price of oil hurt these economies? Absolutely. But the degree to which this shift can be made, the number of countries participating, and the speed of the transition are the important variables to be considered.


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

[User]
[Supernatural] Is Dean Winchester vaccinated?

Listen, I know how ridiculous this sounds, but hear me out. At the beginning of S4, Dean gets gripped tight and raised from perdition by Castiel. He comments later that all his scars are gone and he's healthy and "rehymenated". Wouldn't this mean he doesn't have any vaccinations? No flu shot? No tetanus shot for God's sake. This guy gets shot and stabbed and is exposed to probably all sorts of illness, does he have the proper shots to defend his body against all this?!?!

[Assistant]
> He comments later that all his scars are gone and he's healthy and "rehymenated"

Most like Castiel gave him a full immunization shot to pretty much everything. How else can he eat, drink and party like that and still be one fit looking dude.


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

[User] What is the current status of phenomenology in the academia? Who are the current prominent thinkers? What is the most controversial idea in recent years?

[Assistant] Phenomenology is less popular than it once was, there are still some phenomenologists, but they're more diffuse than they once were.  E.g. Ted Toadvine, Dan Zahavi.  A lot of contemporary work in phenomenology comes out of conversation with philosophy of religion, e.g. Jean-Luc Marion.  In a way phenomenology is the most influential movement of the 20th century, especially through Heidegger who is one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century, even on those opposed to phenomenology.


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

[User]
ELI5: How exactly does Apple make its mobile processors?

Apple has its own line of mobile CPUs (A7, A8, etc...), how are they made? Some people attribute it to Samsung, others to Apple themselves. Maybe TSMC? What role does ARM play? How does it work?

[Assistant] ARM is a company that designs the chips. Then another company buys the instructions to make ARM chips and can modify the design (Apple does this). Then Apple pays another company to actually make the chips using the instructions that Apple has modified. It used to be Samsung, but for their most recent devices TSMC made the chips. So only Apple will have the A8 chip that they designed, but they didn't design it from the ground up, nor did they physically produce it. The Apple chips are pretty fast though and keep pace with the rest of the industry despite only being used in one company's devices.


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

[User] ELI5: When you get a roll of tape, the tape is rolled and stuck on top of itself. So how does it not lose its stickiness then? And how does the stickiness instantly fades away when you stick it to something else and then peel of off?

[Assistant] Everything you stick the tape to is dirty. That dirt bonds to the tape adhesive, leaving less exposed adhesive to adhere to the next thing. The top of the tape is clean when it's rolled so there's not schmoo on the adhesive.


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

[User]
[Warhammer Fantasy] Why are there no anti-chaos gods that oppose them complete with their own minions and champions?

It just got me thinking, the world is kinda screwed to fend for itself if the mortal forces of order have to fend for themselves. But barring grimdark for the sake of grimdark, why are there no "gods of orders" and minions to oppose chaos? From my not deep understanding of 40k, the emperor supposedly has these in the form of Saint Celestine and the legion of the damned.

[Assistant]
They do exist. Each of the major races has their own gods that they worship. The non-chaos gods tend to be less visibly active than the chaos gods but they still aid their worshipers though miracles and such like.

There are a lot of gods but here are a few of the more well known ones: Sigmar (patron god of the Empire), the Lady of the Lake (patron god of Bretonnia), Grungni (dwarvern ancestor god), Kurnous and Isha (gods of the wood elves).

So you won't see a demon of Sigmar manifest on the battlefield but you will see his Warrior-Priests inspiring the troops by leading them in battle shouting prayers and swinging a warhammer.


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

[User]
CMV: Conversation is the only way to change someone's mind, argumentation almost never, ever works. This is why the majority of protests in the United States will get nothing done.

Note: I believe that semantically, "arguing" implies that the "winner" has shown dominance and subordinates the "loser," while "conversing" implies that there is no winner or loser, which allows for more acceptance of ideas.

Have you ever been mad at someone in an argument, and realized you were wrong halfway through? Odds are you didn't admit you were wrong. People don't ever want others to subordinate them.

But in a calm discussion, have you ever been convinced of a new idea? I imagine you have.

I believe the reason groups like the alt-right exist is because many white men feel that they aren't even given a chance to converse, but are argued against. OR, they have no interest in conversation in the first place and only want to argue in the first place- both are realistic pathways.

Two of the most influential rights activists of all time- Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.- strictly advocated for non-violence, but did advocate for civil disobedience. This would both take away the oppressors ability to subordinate their group, AND show no willingness to subordinate the oppressor. That is part of the reason why their movements were so rapid and successful.

As a white man, I fully recognize I have an unfair advantage in many walks of american culture. However, I have had my accomplishments straight up diminished and discredited because of my "white male" privilege. **I am not saying this is wrong. But it is a direct attack on something I take pride in. Naturally, a direct attack on something someone takes pride in is subordination.** When this happens, of course I get emotionally invested, and I am incapable of having a proper disscussion afterwards.

Unfortunately, many of the loudest voices in activism tend to subordinate white men, and this is why white men end up in the echo chamber that is the alt-right.

_______________________________________

*TLDR*

I want equal opportunity for all, and I know that currently we do not have that in this country. The fastest way to change that is activism and I fully support those who advocate and fight for their opportunity. However, to do so requires empowerment of the oppressed, never the subordination of the oppressor.

_______________________________________

*Side note:* I may be laughabley wrong on this, or I might have worded it in a poor way. I'm looking for both corrections, and possibly critiques to how I approach this perspective.

[Assistant] Debate can be helpful, mainly when done in public.  People who don't have strong feelings or are uninformed on the topic will probably side with the person who makes the more persuasive arguments.  Most protesters on either sides aren't aiming to convert those that directly oppose them, but appeal to the majority in the middle.


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

[User]
Could an alternate universe have different values of the fundamental constants?

If so, how would this affect fundamental constants that come up in nature such as phi? If phi was a different value, would that new value show up, or would it still be our phi which can be derived mathematically? EG. Imagine two spiral-shelled snails, one from each universe, would the spiral be the same? Or would comparisons like that be meaningless since altering the fundamental constants would completely skew any semblance of reality that we know of?

I realize its a silly question, thanks!

[Assistant] Are you talking about the golden ratio? The golden ratio can't be different because it's defined by mathematical construction. It solves the equation 1/x=x-1, and that solution doesn't depend at all on the properties of the universe.


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

[User] ELI5: Why after a hard workout, our bodies only ache really bad the next day?

[Assistant]
There are a few things you could be talking about here.

There is something called DOMS or delayed onset muscle soreness that usually shows up between one and three days after a workout, especially when you do a new exercise. We don't actually know exactly what causes it. But it is thought to be related to little tears in the muscle fibers. It is caused by exercises where the muscle is lengthening, like when you lower down from a pull up.

There is also tendonitis. This is caused by tendons that are mildly strained, or even just irritated. As your body rests and recovers, one of the things that happens is swelling or inflammation around damaged areas. This causes pain in the tendons, as they do not move smoothly like they usually do.

Finally, there is general inflammation in the joints.

What these all have in common is that they are not directly caused by injury. A muscle tear or strained tendon will hurt right away. Instead, this pain is caused by your body repairing and strengthening what you might think of as "general wear and tear." This causes some inflammation, which is painful.


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

[User] [Marvel] If you could chop off Deadpool's head and Wolverine's head and then stick them on each other's neck stumps, would they graft onto the bodies? Or reject the graft and just grow new bodies?

[Assistant] Most likely new bodies would be grown as there is a sort of "memory" to the healing factor. The cells are designed to grow and arrange themselves in a specific order. So it's unlikely they would "graft" to new bodies.


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

[User] [Fallout] Why are Stimpacks worth 25 caps in the Capital Wasteland, but around 106 caps in the Mojave? Are stimpacks more abundant in the Wasteland?

[Assistant]
Fewer people, only more recently settled, heavier population before the war.

So more people, fewer supplies before the war in the Mojave.

Fewer people, and more supplies before the war in the Capital Wasteland.


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

[User]
Does a perfectly black object exists ?

With the obvious exception of black holes.

I was wondering if there was an object, or matter, or anything, that would absorb every single visible wavelength, making it appear truly black.

[Assistant] Absorbing all wavelengths is not the same as being black. Some of the objects that work best as approximations of black bodies (which means an object that absorbs all radiation and emits in a Planck spectrum) are actually quite hot, like molten metal and dense plasma.


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

[User]
[The Little Mermaid] Where do mermaids get their protein?

The fish don't seem to be frightened of mermaids, so I assume they aren't chowing down on their intelligent subjects, Lion King style. So how do they get all muscle-y without eating fish?

[Assistant]
Who said they don't eat fish?

It may seem like they live in a world where no one eats each other, but that just isnt true. There are still predators and scavengers and they do eat meat, the people on land have and continue to observe it.

It would seem that the Merfolk and sentient creatures that we see don't eat THEIR fellow residents, the ones that live in their small realm. Outside that little area it would seem as if it is nature as normal. Perhaps it is only those that were given sentience in Triton's kingdom that are off limits to eat, and the rest of the sea whose fish act as normal are considered food.


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

[User]
[Red Dead Redemption] What if Arthur Morgan survived and was wanted by Ross?

I know it's impossible but for sake of argument what if Morgan was still alive and Ross demanded Marston bring him in.

Would John do it? Could he?

[Assistant]
Arthur somehow survives his fight with Micah. Micahs beaten down, not dead but still knocked out, and Dutch cant bring himself to kill Arthur. Arthur, by some force of nature, gets away, finds his way back to that cabin with the widow who cares for him. By some miracle, she finds a way to cure Arthur of his consumption and he makes a full recovery.

Through their time together, they fall in love and decide to live a quiet life in the cabin together. They have a child together, and keep hidden from the eyes of the Pinkertons (until John is contacted by the Pinkertons). Johns story continues as normal. Pinkertons come a-knockin, except this time they tell John to go find Arthur and for the *two* of them to head out and take care of the old Van Der Linde gang.

John is surprised to hear Arthur is alive and heads there first. Hes surprised to see Arthur, meets his son Lenny, and after a bit of a reunion, John spills the beans on why hes there. Arthur realizes it was only a matter of time before his old life caught up with him, and mentions how hes "been livin on borrowed time, anyhow". Arthur tells his family to pack up and head on out to the Marston homestead to be a little safer, and the two boys head out.

Well say the story goes the same way, the boys confront Dutch, and Dutch meets his end. They head home to the Marston household, and spend some time together catching up. More or less, everythings happy... until the Pinkertons come to tie up those loose ends. John and Arthur get the family to the wagon and say their goodbyes. One last Deadeye later, and John and Arthur meet their end.

Years later, Jack Marston and Lenny Morgan never forgot the face of the man who murdered their father in cold blood. Mrs. Marstons passed already, and Mrs. Morgan has just passed on recently. Before dying, Mrs. Morgan begged her boys not to let anger cloud their heads, but theres a fires burning in their bones. After laying her to rest, the two boys stand next to each other in the pouring rain over their parents graves. They share a look, nod their heads, and ride off into the night.

Jacks much more hot-headed, Lenny more patient. Jack the better shot, Lenny the master strategist. They grew up as brothers, united in the same bond their fathers had. Now that all their parents have passed, both only have one thing on their mind...

**Redemption.**


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

[User] [Toy Story] Why did Buzz act like a toy around Andy if he thinks he's a Space ranger?

[Assistant]
Toy instinct. A better question would be why the Buzz Lightyear line has this delusion in the first place. We never hear of other toys believing they're anything but toys (except Forkie, but he was a special circumstance). Woody didn't know what the hell he was until Stinky Pete showed him the show.

And what determines whether a toy can even talk? Why do Slinky and Hamm get speech while Bullseye and RC only make noises?

And why are only some toys even alive? Lincoln logs and the rubber ball were literally just toys. But Sid put some Barbie legs on a fucking fishing rod and it was clearly wandering around and thinking. Speak and Spell was alive, but Battleship wasn't.

And how did Bo Peep work at all? She was a freaking lamp, molded from porcelain. How does she get any articulation in her joints? How is she able to separate from the lamp base? Does glue just stop being glue when a kid isn't looking?

And if the rest of the toys are able to move around under the power of kids' love or whatever, why did RC's battery matter? Why couldn't he just run indefinitely?

And going even further with this, assuming you subscribe to the Pixar shared universe theory, do the toys all have little emotion avatars in their brains? Do they work the same way as human emotion avatars? Did those emotion avatars get shared back and forth when Sid was mix-and-matching toys?

Hey, maybe it's those emotion avatars that are making Buzz shut down! Maybe there's a failsafe in their little control panel that human controls don't have. Maybe all toys have a "Kid Island" in their heads.


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

[User]
[Dragon Ball Z] Why did Raditz think Goku was meant to kill everyone on Earth when he was given no such mission?

Did Bardock or Gine tell him when he was off with Vegeta and Nappa before Planet Vegeta blew up?

[Assistant] Saiyan's send there children to other planets as babies the baby's are instinctively violent and go full great ape under a full moon the children at least weaken the planet if they don't fully conquer it. Goku was no exception the difference being Goku hit his head as a baby and was raised by his grandpa between the power of love and brain damage Goku forgot his mission.


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

[User]
ELI5: How are songs remastered?

It seems that on Spotify all the Beatles songs are remastered. What exactly is a remastered song, is it not just re-recording a song?

[Assistant]
Remastering basically has two components: reworking the mix and "restoring" the audio.

Studio gear, even back in the day, typically records each instrument and vocals onto separate tracks.  That's re-balanced, along with often having some equalization applied, to provide a "polished" final sound for various audiences.  FM isn't very good at transmitting the highest and lowest audible frequencies, and back then a lot of audio gear wasn't good at reproducing the highest frequencies either. So an old FM mix tends to have boosted bass around 80hz and treble somewhere in the 7k-10k range to give the impression of a "full sound" where a vinyl production wouldn't have those boosts.  Things like that.  So in a remaster they re-work the balance between those different studio tracks (where it's still available) and tweak the equalization to match modern tastes.

For "Restoring" the audio, there may be loss from the recording material, the microphones themselves weren't great at recording the highest end and some things like that.  We have algorithms now that are intended to bring out or clean up missing or distorted sounds from technological differences, degraded recording media and so on.   It may be cleaning up static or trying to restore the very upper end "sparkle" to things like cymbals or sibilance to the "s" sound in vocals.   Bringing out that kind of thing is more art than science and is a lot about taste.

So...that's what a remaster is for, adjusting the mix to modern tastes and playing around with some equalization/digitization magic to try and make it sound like a brand new recording on the best gear.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Why are blaster bolts so visible?

It seems like it would be a really big problem that every time you shoot you draw a giant, glowing line to where you fired from. Are the glowing colors an unavoidable part of the technology? Or was this an intentional design decision?

[Assistant] it's a side effect. Blaster bolts are just magnetically contained plasma, and plasma will always glow brightly. Maybe you could design a weapon that shoots plasma that only radiates in infrared or ultraviolet, but that may not be possible.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] If I'm marooned somewhere with sand or stone and I have my lightsabre, could I build a shelter out of glass or molten stone?

This occurred to me a few months ago, when I realized the importance of my lightsabre; as battered and "storied" as it is, it's actually a pretty impressive tool. Not only is it an offensive and defensive weapon, but it's a tool. I realized if I was ever marooned anywhere, I could use the Force to feed myself, gather water, but I could also use my lightsabre combined with my telekinetic talents to fabricate a shelter or dwelling.

If I were to use it to melt glass or stone, I could telekinetically move molten material into place and hold it until it solidifies. I could make a solid floor, thick walls and a roof, storage spaces and even a fireplace to keep warm. Obviously this would take time, but still. I've heard from another Padawan that sand is coarse and rough and irritating, and "gets in everywhere" <eyebrow rises>, but I think it'd actually be quite a useful thing, really.

What do you think of my idea? Could it be done? And you scientists out there, will melting all that sand and stone release any toxic vapour I should be careful of? You survival gurus, how should I construct my home to keep hostile animals out while I rest? Any additional relevant info would be appreciated.

[Assistant]
Yeah, with enough time and practice you probably can pull it off. Just don't forget that power cell in a lightsaber is not infinite, and such prolonged application is actually one of few things that can drain the power from a lightsaber in a day or two.

If you have a generator on hand to recharge it, then you'll be okay. But if you have a generator, then you probably have a survival kit too, which might have a tent in in for shelter...


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

[User] ELI5: Why dont we remember much from our first 5 years of life?

[Assistant] No one is 100% sure. Freud thought infantile amnesia was a way for us to repress traumatic memories. More modern theories say that its because the brain is still developing, which seems much more plausible.


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

[User] [R1/Star Wars/ESB] What purpose do these big ass glass screens with huge over lapping circles and lines on them serve?

[Assistant]
It's a way of representing 3D space on a 2D surface.

For example, you put your planet at the center of the glass. You then draw concentric circles around your planet to show distance. The closer the ship is, the closer it moves on the circles.

*But* this only shows you the distance of the ship, not the approaching vector. So you know the ship is 10,000 kilometres away, but is it heading towards the North Pole, the South Pole or the Equator?

So you draw a line to show the Z axis in oder to get the exact co-ordinates of the ship. If the line comes from the top, it's heading towards the North Pole, if it's heading left to right it's coming from the West, etc.


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

[User]
[Mistborn] How does someone figure out which metals they can use, if any?

I've only read the Wax and Wayne books, so maybe this is explained in the earlier Mistborn books, but how does someone discover if they are an Allomancer or Ferrochemist and which metals they can use? If I'm a Pulser I can eat a pinch of cadmium and slow down time, but if I'm not I'll just get cadmium poisoning and lose my kidneys. So how do people safely test which metals they can use, or if they can use any at all?

[Assistant]
In the Final Empire, the world that existed before the  Catacendre , only nobles and half bloods had allomatantic abilities.  Nobles where beaten as children until they snapped. That is, experience enough trauma to crack their souls and let in the investiture, the name of magic in the cosmere universe.  At that point they would be given a flask of all the allomatic metals and asked to burn them.  At the time only ten metals were known: iron, steel, pewter, tin, bronze, copper, zinc, brass, atium and gold.  If you could burn any you were a misting, If you could burn two you were a mistborn.  The super low levels in the vial wouldnt be a risk and most of these metals arent toxic to humans in even in relatively high does.

Harmony changed the way snapping worked, ended the mistborn, may have reduced the power of allomancers  in general, and gave a better explanation of the metals expanding out to the full sixteen seen in the post-caracendre basin that Wax and Wayne live in.


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

[User]
Where do the dances go when no one is dancing them?

Does anyone know where this question came from? I think it's an interesting question but I can't seem to relate it to any school of thought or philosophical inquiry. There are variations of the question only instead of dances it's with thoughts and thinking,  wind and blowing, music and playing, etc. Basically any activity. Would love to hear if anyone has any ideas.

[Assistant]
plato.stanford.edu/entries/abstract-objects/

They are abstract objects and not spatio-temporally located anywhere. (Even when people are dancing the tango 'the tango' is not located in the room, merely an instance of it, in the same way that 'fire' is not in a fireplace, but a fire)


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

[User] [Star Wars Legends or Canon] Is there a society/religion of Force users who are pacifists and don't practice combat at all?

[Assistant] The Dagoyan Masters used the Force simply for it's precognitive uses, assisting the queen of their people that way. They swore against violence and disliked the Jedi for their showboating and claimed they stole their children away.