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

[User]
CMV: Gillette's "toxic masculinity" ad is insulting

Imagine, if you will, a new ad by Gillette:

An African American man looks into a mirror, visibly dismayed. In the background you hear phrases taken from news clips; "*drive-by shooting, gang violence, an armed robbery, black crime rates..."*

The narrator speaks over the brand's logo: **"Is this the best black people can get?"**

A black boy is seen chased by older black kids, threatening to beat him up.

**"Is it?"**

A mother is seen clutching her crying child, as more snippets of black social issues are played *"black incarceration rates, deadbeat dads..."*

**"We can't hide from it."**

Clips of gangster rap and Boyz n the Hood are played on a TV as a black audience is shown enjoying the entertainment.

Cut to a street corner where black men engage in a drug deal.

**"Making the same old excuses."**

Black men are shown fighting on the sidewalk.

*"Snitches get stitches!"* The mantra is repeated over and over again by well-meaning onlookers trying to justify what they see in front of them.

A montage of news segments are plastered on the screen about criminal behavior by black Americans.

**"And there will be no going back."**

Faces of African Americans are shown, evidently making the decision to stop committing crimes and to discourage others like themselves from committing crimes.

**"Because we...we believe in the** ***best*** **of black people..."**

A segment of Larry Elder giving a speech plays: "The greatest danger to black communities are black gangs!"

As hopeful music plays, a black person interrupts a drug deal and encourages his fellow black Americans to knock it off.

**"To say the** ***right*** **thing."**

Another scene of a black person encouraging a deadbeat father to go back to his family.

**"To act...the** ***right way***\*\*."\*\*

Black gang members pursue a victim they are trying to rob.

**"Some already are..."**

A black man regards the gang with disdain and disappointment.

**"In ways big and small."**

A montage of black people behaving in the opposite manner as what had been shown previously plays as the hopeful music swells.

**"But some...is not enough.**

**Because the black kids watching today..."**

We see close-ups of black children watching with reverence the examples of *good* black people.

**"Will be the black adults of tomorrow."**

*The best a black person can get.*

\^ That was the ad Gillette ran, were "men" replaced with "black people" and the relevant examples of toxicity made more cogent.

I believe this is **horribly offensive**, and I believe any decent person would agree. It is tremendously insulting to black Americans to depict them in this way, even if the message is directed at the population that is actually guilty of what it's talking about.

Since that is the case, it seems clear to me that the real ad about toxic masculinity is similarly offensive. How can it not be?

Although men are overrepresented in committing sexual harassment, it is still only a tiny minority of men who actually commit sexual harassment. Although black men are overrepresented in violent crime, it is still only a tiny minority of black men who actually commit violent crimes. It's therefore insulting to depict average people in these respective camps as being part of the problem.

You can change my mind in these ways:

1. Explain how my analogy is flawed and point out the relevant differences between it and the real ad
2. Failing that, explain why the commercial script I wrote is not offensive to African Americans.

**EDIT:** This post is not about the existence of "Toxic Masculinity". It is about whether the Gillette ad is insulting.

[Assistant]
You can't find-and-replace 'men' with 'black people' and 'toxic masculinity' with 'gang violence' in the Gillette commercial because those are two different problems and as such require different approaches.

Your hypothetical advert *would* be insulting because it's blind to the context of gang violence in black communities. It's framed within the context of toxic masculinity, which is a socially *different* problem.

A lot of people, yourself included, seem to be missing something important about the Gillette commercial; it's message is "not all men". But you know what? It turns that message, which once was a shrug of the shoulders and a dusting of the hands at the problems faced by women at the hands of men, into a positive message. It says "Not all men are like that, so the ones who aren't have the power to do something, to help". It's empowering, it says "Not all men are rapists and misogynists, we know that, and we're sending out a call to those good men to stand up to the shit ones. **That** is what it means to be a man, to stand up to toxic masculinity. Stand up to the suppression of male emotionality that leads to higher rates of suicide. Stand up to those douchebags that cat call on the street."

If you wanted that same message for black communities riddled with gang violence, you'd need and **entirely different advert** with a different narrative.


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

[User] [Star Wars]Why does Yoda talk the way he does? Do others of his species talk like him?

[Assistant] I always figured that since he's close to 900 years old at the time of the Invasion of Naboo that he's speaking a form of Basic that was more common centuries ago, at least on Yoda's planet. Languages evolve over time, as does slang and just simply the way certain cultures or regions of people the same language. Try reading some Middle English or Old English some time. Additionally that style of speaking might also be from Yoda's people specifically.


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

[User]
[Marvel]Why is Earth so important in Marvel?

I know the meta reason is that the writers are from Earth, but what is the in-universe reason for Earth being so important to the wider universe/multiverse?

Like, in DC, it is explained that the Life Entity eventually came to rest on Earth, and that its the close proximity to it that causes earthlings to gain powers and so many aliens to come to it.

What's the reason in Marvel?

[Assistant]
Marvel Earth is home to both a "Nexus of realities", in a Swamp protected by Man-Thing aka Ted, and a natural hyperspace Nexus as well. Earth is essentially a safe, natural harbor for Interstellar or interdimensional travel, and thus has strategic value.

Earth was also a testing site for the Celestials, and their experiments have proven to be very successful, with almost a dozen empowered variations of humanity, and humanity itself has proven to be intelligent, adaptable and quite ingenious.

Then there's it's reputation. Despite being a backwards collection of waring nation states still using primitive slug throwers and atomic weapons, they have: Repelled Galactus twice, successfully negotiated with Celestials, thwarted multiple Invasion attempts by just about every major space-faring empire and maybe hundreds of lesser ones, created beings who could stand against Gods and cosmic beings, had numerous holders of the Infinity Gems, destabilized stellar empires with small groups of empowered entities.

So, Earth is kinda a big deal.


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

[User]
Spinoza Explanation

To make it simple, we are studying Spinoza in class and i still cannot fully understand  the teacher and the texts made by spinoza. This is why i came on this thread, to have some answers, explanations. The subject i would need help are: The substance and modes thing, his theory of truth, theory about making errors, etc. In other words a recap of almost eveything, because i dont understand almost anything i read.

Thank you.

[Assistant]
Spinoza's theory of Truth / Error is terrifically difficult.  But you won't understand it until you get the basic system down.

The starting characters are substance, attribute, and mode.

Substance is the basic stuff, the being, of existence.

Attributes are ways of understanding substance.  Ways of interpreting or relating to substance.  For Spinoza, the two attributes we know are thought and extension.  Every particular thing will be either a thought thing, or an extension thing.  (This will get more complicated later.)

Modes are modifications of substance.

Ok.  So what the hell does that mean.

Think of the hood of a car.  Suppose someone hits the hood with a hammer.  That will produce a dent, right?  The relationship of the dent and the hood of the car is kinda like the relationship of substance and modes.  In order for a mode (dent) to exist, there has to be something in which it exists.  All of the modes (dents) exist in substance (the hood of the car).  You couldn't have dents without car hoods; there has to be some thing that is dented.  Moreover, those dents in some way modify the car hood.  The dent exists in the car hood, and the car hood is modified by the dent.

That's reality, for Spinoza.  Reality is a really big car hood.  Every existing thing (mode) is a dent in that car hood.

That's a basic starting point for Spinoza's system.  Can you think it?  Because nothing else will make sense until you can think the substance-attribute-mode model.


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

[User]
ELI5: How bad would it be if I unplugged or turn off power to a system that is updating?

Ex. Playstation, computer ect..

[Assistant]
You can potentially corrupt critical system files which may prevent you from booting the operating system (in which case you won't be able to use the computer/device without re-installing the Operating System or repairing the corrupt system files).

In particularly bad cases, you may brick your device. This can happen if, for example, the computer/device was in the middle of updating low-level hardware firmware. In this case, it may be very difficult or almost impossible to get the device working again without replacing hardware components or doing some advanced hardware repairs.

If you're lucky, the affected file(s) are not critical system files and there may be no obvious negative impact/effect of the premature shutdown. However, just because the computer/device turns on afterwards doesn't mean there is no harm done, you could still encounter problems/errors long into the future that are the direct result of data/file corruption that occurred when the power shut off.


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

[User] ELI5: Why are people tempted to pick their scabs when all it will do is bleed, hurt and scar?

[Assistant]
scabs are more rigid than the surrounding tissue. in the course of normal movements this causes the scab to irritate the skin nearby. scratching aleviates that sensation.

additionally, scabs dont have nerves. picking at them stimulates the nerves underneath which removes the alien sensation of a "dead" spot where the scab is.
if you've ever had some part of your body numbed, you'll find yourself poking at it for much the same reason. much to the chagrin to dentists everywhere.


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

[User]
[DC] Shouldn't Wonder Woman's magical mythic powers easily beat Superman?

Maybe it's oversimplifying; I'm not much of a comic reader to understand. Superman's powers are from a biological advantage as an alien to Earth's yellow sun. It's entirely physical from what I can see. Shouldn't he easily lose to all the magic and mythological power of Wonder Woman, and possibly Aquaman through his trident?

Superman is an exceptional mortal, but a mortal nonetheless. These folks are also mortals, but they have the power of the literal Greek gods behind them, off the scale in mortal reckoning. I'm not sure where myth/religion rest in terms of superiority, but if Superman has no special protection against magic powers, wouldn't the powers of gods be too much for him?

[Assistant] No. As you say, he has no special protection against magic powers-- that doesn't mean magic is inherently harmful to him. For instance if he's struck with a lightning bolt created by magic, it only damages him as much as a normal lightning bolt. Likewise, if Wonder Woman or Shazam's strength is enhanced by divine magic, it still only damages him as much as someone that can hit equally hard due to non-magical reasons. A magical weapon like Wonder Woman's sword, on the other hand, does pose a unique threat to him, because the magic there actually directly affects the nature of the damage it causes.


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

[User] How do the Mars orbiters (or rovers) communicate with the earth?How much signal is lost in space and how much time does it take?

[Assistant]
They have a precise antenna pointing at the earth really accurately, because of this, hardly any information is lost. There is going to be some noise, but since the information is sent over a single frequency, the noise can be filtered quite easily.

As for the travel time: the distance between earth and Mars varies between 50 and 400 million km. Signals propagate through vacuum at the speed of light (300.000 km/s) therefore the signal will take anywhere between 3 and 25 minutes to reach earth.


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

[User]
ELI5: What stops our eyes from moving independently from each other?

Edit: Also, why does it stop them? Is there a downside to independent eye movement or something?

[Assistant] Our brain usually doesn't let them. That said, they often do. Certain drugs, concussions, disorders, and such can allow them to. Also, some people can force them to move independently just with their minds.


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

[User] ELI5: We use water to create cement mix. What stops cement from turning to mush again when it gets wet?

[Assistant] There's a chemical reaction taking place. It's the same reason the paint on your walls doesn't get wet again if you get water on it, and the same reason you can't turn bread back into dough just by adding water and mushing it up.


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

[User] ELI5: Do people in comas feel the passage of time? Why or why not?

[Assistant]
No they don't.

A coma is defined as a prolonged period of far deeper than usual unconsciousness. Most of the brain is simply turned off.

This includes the part of the brain that keeps track of time. You can't keep proper track of time if your watch isn't working.


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

[User]
How can astronauts see Cherenkov radiation?

I saw a talk on space vessel design, and heard that astronauts in low earth orbit can perceive radiation visually through Cherenkov radiation, which gets generated inside the eyeballs' vitreous body (the gallert 'filling' of the eyeball). How and why does this work, and why does it not work on earth, only in space?
(That part of the talk was mostly focused on low-earth orbit vessels inside the magnetic field, such as the ISS)

[Assistant]
> How and why does this work, and why does it not work on earth, only in space?

It happens when a particle moves faster than the speed of light *in some medium* (vitrous body of the eye in this case).
Particles capable of doing this are cosmic rays, and Earth's atmosphere blocks out most of them.


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

[User] ELI5: How do the people who run bets on sports make money? How do they protect themselves if too many people make a high reward bet and it wins?

[Assistant]
Bookies do two things when arranging bets to make money. First, they try to make even odds so that there are equal numbers of people on both sides of the bet. Second, they make it so the odds don't quite even out and there will be money leftover for the bookie.

For example, say a bookie is taking bets on a football game between the Texans and Cowboys. If too many people are betting for the Cowboys, the bookie will adjust the point spread to encourage more people to vote for the Texans. They keep doing this until people are betting on both sides evenly. They also make it so that you have to bet something like $110 to win $100. Now let's say 10 people bet on the Cowboys and 10 on the Texans and they all bet $110. That's $2,200 total. The Texans win with the point spread. The bookie pays each person who bet on the Texans $210 - the original $110 back plus the $100 they won. That's $2,100 he has to pay out total. The bookie gets to keep the leftover $100. Put another way, each Cowboys bettor put up $110. $100 of that goes to each person who bet on the Texans for winning and $10 is leftover of the bookie.

Since there are an equal number of bets on both sides, the math works out the same no matter who wins.


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

[User]
How am I supposed to gain volunteer experience?

Nearly every good resume has some related volunteer experience but its so damn hard finding it for me. I've emailed like every "coding" related org in my area and most are inactive and don't reply. At this rate I'm really worried I'll never get an internship. I live in Canada.

Also I'm in first year so I feel like I am not good enough yet for a lot of stuff people suggest I just want something very small.

[Assistant] Just search GitHub for something you like! When you find an active repository that interests you, look for an issue that you think you can help with. Then you can submit a pull request with the update. Bingo bango bongo, volunteer open source contribution!


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

[User] [Dr Who] Could you duct tape something reflective to the weeping angels' eyes/face to incapacitate them?

[Assistant]
It's a little unclear, but probably not.

The description goes that they quantum lock when observed by *other* beings.  It seems unlikely that they lock when observing themselves.

I mean, they're said to have evolved the trait as a defense.  It's a pretty poor survival mechanism that renders you permanently immobile and functionally non-existent if you should ever catch a glance of yourself in a mirror.

That said, it's actually a little bit weird, for the same reasons, that they can quantum lock each other, but that does clearly happen.


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

[User] ELI5: When searching for life on other planets, why do we look for oxygen when the species there could have a completely different structure where they don't need oxygen at all?

[Assistant]
First, oxygen is highly reactive, and a dead world would have long since had its oxygen taken up into metal oxides, burned into carbon dioxide, etc. A world with significant amounts of free oxygen has *something* producing it- either life, or an interesting chemical thing that on its own would be worth figuring out.

Second, it's easier to look for what we *know* is used for life rather than speculate a ton of alternate biologies, look for their own volatile gasses, and just *hope* it indicates life.


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

[User] ELI5: I'm an American. What exactly does the royal family do?

[Assistant]
The royal family plays a largely symbolic role and most of their duties involve putting on social functions and entertaining esteemed guests. Technically they do hold some political power though. For instance, the Queen must give royal assent to a bill before it passes and becomes law. In that sense, the monarch has the power to veto proposed legislation similar to the president of the United States. Britain has its own Prime Minister, however, who holds a position that much more closely approximates the role the US President (as compared to the Queen).

It's also worth noting that other countries like Canada also require royal assent for new legislation and this is provided by the Governor General who is appointed to represent the British monarchy and to act on the Queen's best interests (side note: the Queen is referred to as the 'Queen of Canada' when she visits Canada). This relationship is largely a symbolic gesture however, the Queen (or rather her Governor General representative) would be very unlikely to veto any Canadian bills and Canada would probably just declare full independence from Britain if the Queen ever tried to over-step her boundaries and actually exercise any political control over the country.


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

[User]
[Futurama] Fry's "future shock"

The show takes a pretty broad and (obviously) comedic view of things, but Fry adjusts pretty well -- and pretty quickly -- to the year 3000. In any real person, the cognitive dissonance between what was known and what was unknown would, I think, be extreme.

What would waking up 1,000 years in the future, assuming continued technological progress along present lines, really be like? Some things would be extremely familiar, but many would be remarkably strange.

In my own lifetime (and admittedly I'm way older than most Redditors) I've seen the rise and crash of the original generation of game consoles, the advent of the personal computer, the dawn of the Internet as we know it and the rise of cell phones and -- eventually -- smart phones. Given these examples of progress along these sorts of avenues, would Fry even be able to adjust at all? Or would the foreign nature of the future drive him mad?

[Assistant]
Fry isn't exactly an intelligent person, and he never quite did adjust properly.

After the first few episodes, it seemed like he just took the mindset of don't think about it, and let it all happen around you.


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

[User]
ELI5: What does it mean for an actor to be executive producer on a tv show?

What kind of direction do they give? How does this affect the production?

[Assistant]
Sometimes nothing.  For a popular show, when the lead actor(s) renegotiate their contracts, they may ask for an Executive Producer credit as a sign of their status, or because it gives them a small portion of the profits.

Sometimes they may actually have a larger role in determining the direction of the show and the writing, or may even choose to direct an episode - see Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad.

Sometimes they may have lent their name and status to helping a show get made, but have little to do with it afterwards.  See Martin Scorsese and Boardwalk Empire - he directed the pilot and was involved in developing the show, but didn't have much of a hands on role after that.


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

[User]
Why are they recommending a COVID-19 vaccine for people that have already been infected?

Shouldn't a previously infected person have the antibodies to protect them from re-infection?

[Assistant] There is not a scientific consensus (or enough research thus far) to conclude that antibodies will protect a person in the long term. Just like the flu and common cold, mutations within the virus make reinfection theoretically plausible. Also, people with previous COVID diagnoses may be more likely to become silent transmitters of the virus, while remaining entirely asymptomatic.


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

[User] [MCU] How would the Vision have been different if he had been created using the soul stone instead of the mind stone?

[Assistant]
He wouldn't be super analytical like he is now.  Instead he'd be really chill and  play the bass or drums.  He'd somehow be best friends with everyone he met.

The rest of the Avengers would be like, "how do you know Erykah Badu?" when they find him jamming out with a dozen people at 2am in the Avengers tower.  Or wonder why he appears to be the centerpiece in a series of Janelle Monae's music videos.

He'd have a baritone voice that could melt butter and would wear clothes from the Salvation Army that somehow always perfectly match.  He also wouldn't be bald.


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

[User]
Can blood ingesting insects "smell" blood and have a preference?

I have always been a target for flees, mosquitoes, and any other blood drinking insect. I am the first to be bit multiple times before others in the same area. What could it be to attract them? Is it the fragrance off my skin or hidden factors they can tell about my blood to prefer it?

Story time: I was on a trip with my mother to a plot of river side land in Texas. In less than 2 days my body attracted every type of blood sucking insect. Horse flies, redbugs, flees, ticks, mosquitoes, and probably more had ravaged my skin resulting in red itchy bumps all on my legs where as my mother, who stayed outside, received a fraction  of that. I used so much mosquito repellent I was afraid of developing respiratory problems or be poisoned.

Another time was walking through a house with multiple animals. Passing the carpet once resulted in up to 6 flees on my ankles before those who I was with felt one.

[Assistant]
There are various physiological factors that determine your likelihood of getting bitten.

* Blood type: Several studies have found that individuals with blood type O are at a greater risk, much more so than individuals with type A, B, or AB^1,2.

* Higher production of carbon dioxide will also attract a higher number of mosquitoes. In fact, traps are often equipped with CO2 tanks to be more effective^3,5.

* Production of certain acids on the skin such as lactic acid will contribute to one's attractiveness^4

* On average, men are more readily bitten than women.^6,7. However, it has been found that pregnant women are more likely to get bitten than non-pregnant women.^8,9.

**Citations**

1) Wood, Corrine Shear, and Dore, Caroline. 1972. Selective Feeding of Anopheles gambiae according to ABO Blood Group Status. Nature 239: 165.

2) Yoshikazu Shiraia, et al. 2004. "Landing Preference of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) on Human Skin Among ABO Blood Groups, Secretors or Nonsecretors, and ABH Antigens." Journal of Medical Entomology 41(4):796-799.

3) Dekker, T. and Takken, W. 1998. "Differential responses of mosquito sibling species Anopheles arabiensis and An. quadriannulatusto carbon dioxide, a man or a calf." Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 12: 136140

4) Steib, Birgit M., Geier, Martin, and Boeckh, Jurgen. 2001. "The Effect of Lactic Acid on Odour-Related Host Preference of Yellow Fever Mosquitoes" Chemical Senses 26: 523-538.

5) Geier, Martin, et al. "Odour-guided Host Finding of Mosquitoes: Identification of New Attractants on Human Skin." 4th International Conference on Urban pests. (Oral Presentation).

6) Clements, A.N. 1963. "The Physiology of Mosquitoes." Oxford Pergamon Press.

7) Gilbert, I.H., Gouck H.K., Smith N. 1966. "Attractiveness of men and women to
Aedes aegypti and relative protection time obtained with DEET." Florida Entomologist, 49: 53-66.

8) Lindsay S., Ansell J., Selman C., Cox V., Hamilton K., Walraven G. 2000. "Effect of pregnancy on exposure to malaria mosquitoes." Lancet: 355(9219):1972.

9) Himeidan Y.E., Elbashir M.I., Adam I. 2004. "Attractiveness of pregnant women to the malaria vector, Anopheles arabiensis, in Sudan." Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 98: 631-633(3)

Edit: Additional factors included.


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

[User] ELI5: In theatre, why do so many people want to perform Shakespeare?

[Assistant]
A lot of Shakespeare's plays are considered classics - which means that they're respected, popular, and compelling.  So for an actor looking for a good role, a prominent Shakespearean part like Romeo, King Lear, Lady MacBeth, Hamlet, Viola, etc. means several things.

First of all, it's often an interesting part that requires a complex range of acting skills - that's appealing to actors who want to challenge themselves or improve their acting abilities.

On top of that, Shakespeare tends to attract good actors and directors - his plays aren't the easiest to understand or put together, so you can be pretty sure that the people working on it are fairly intelligent and talented, which is a good working environment and great for making connections.

And of course, Shakespeare means exposure.  Not that many people will make a trip to see a Brecht play, or Ibsen, or Tennessee Williams, or any number of wonderful but somewhat lesser-known playwrights... but Shakespeare is probably one of the most famous names of all time, along with the names of so many of his plays.... that means that people will pay attention and buy tickets when his plays are going on.  More exposure means more money, usually, but also more recognition - if you want to get your name out there, earn bigger parts on better stages (or film/TV), it's important that many people know your name.


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

[User]
[MCU] Why doesn't Antman in his ungraded suit get the lasers, enhanced armor, strength and flight capabilities that the Yellow Jacket suit had.

It would greatly increase the effectiveness of him in combat and the notes, research and other materials were still around even if the Yellowjacket suit that Darren Cross had on was destroyed.

Edit I meant Upgraded not ungraded.

[Assistant] Scott Lang is a thief, not a soldier or warrior. If he's tasked with trying to accomplish something that requires more than subterfuge and fisticuffs, he's not going to bother. Leave cutting people to ribbons with lasers for Iron Man and the other heavy hitters.


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

[User] Our body is almost made entirely out of cells and those cells constantly renew each other. So why do we grow older and die?

[Assistant] Think of it like a photocopy machine. Place an image inside and have it print out. Looks pretty good, doesn't it? Now take the copied version and place IT in the machine. The copy of the copy also looks pretty good. But repeat this process a thousand times and you're going to notice the picture quality has begun to fade. That's a simplified version of what's going on with your cells.


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

[User] Is it possible to come up with a scientifically perfect diet for optimum human function?

[Assistant] No. There is too much genetic variation in the metabolism of certain compounds to develop a single perfect diet. It is possible to develop personalized diets once we have a firm grasp on the above mentioned metabolic variations. But where's the fun in that? I'd rather have a steak than a bowl of goop :)


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

[User]
ELI5: How is it possible to have dreams where we believe in completely impossible things until we wake up?

EDIT: Well this kinda exploded whilst I was dreaming about having a post explode...

[Assistant] One part of your brain (prefrontal cortex) isn't as active during sleep, this part is the part of your brain that decides if something is possible or not. So when you dream your brain isn't checking if the images are real or not.


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

[User]
Finished PhD hate the work now and feel empty

I need some help,

I just completed my PhD in Biomedical Science with a focus on neuroscience. It was an average school because I was naive and first generation.

Basically my project was a really data intensive project in an otherwise normal systems neuroscience lab. I recorded a fluorescent indicator of neural activity and lined it up with animal behavioral states. I had to learn everything about this technique by myself it was pretty new to the field and my PI was not very hardware/software literate. I didn't win any funding either because reviewers rightfully thought nobody around me knew how to do the technique.

This left me with what feels like a terrible skillset because I didn't do as much bench work as a regular biomed PhD but I also do not feel like my homebrew programming is anywhere near enough to move in that direction. I got 2 first author pubs and 2 middle author with a few more to trickle out later. But they're going to take awhile to come out, years, and ultimately I feel so burnt out and hate my PhD field so much now that I feel like they were all a waste.

I, like seemingly everyone else, got really interested in data science so I completed a certificate in data analysis covering regressions, R coding, and the absolute basics of other machine learning methods. But looking at data science jobs now they all want previous experience or comp sci majors.

Now I'm having panic attacks because I feel like I wasted so much time and effort to end up in a terrible career position. I don't know what to do and I really appreciate any advice.

I am freaking the fuck out again. I hate everything about research now and I'm worried I'll never find a career that I can be happy with because I trapped myself into work I hate.

Edit: I really appreciate all the support. Grad school did quite a number on my mental health. I'm going to take some time to get perspective, redo my resume and cover letters, then come back to the hunt believing in myself again. Thanks everyone I really needed the support, it's been a rough couple years but the kindness from all of you has really helped!

[Assistant]
First, you got 2 first author publications, so that's a good indication that you were a successful PhD student. Definitely hold your head high.

Second, instead of thinking about who will take you, think about what you want to do. It sounds like you're interested more in industry than academia at this point. Or you might enjoy consulting/VC? Maybe even finance?

Right now, at least in the US, there's a hiring frenzy for biomedical PhDs. You can walk around the streets of Boston and somebody will offer you a job. Every academic lab is desperately looking for postdocs, and every biotech/pharma company is looking to hire PhDs. Make a LinkedIn page and you'll have recruiters messaging you all the time.

I know that, right now, it seems like your PhD is "useless," but what these labs/companies value is your ability to think logically and critically. They don't care that much about your specific skillsets (though industry people will want to hire people with specific skillsets, but again, they're deperate).


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

[User] ELI5: What are the roles/duties of Queen Elizabeth II? Does she possess any real political power? Is her position mainly honorary in nature?

[Assistant]
She gives Royal Assent to any laws passed by Parliament (as do the Governors General elsewhere in the Commonwealth, such as Canada). No bill passed by Parliament actually becomes a law until she signs it. That said, her signature is basically guaranteed; she isn't likely to usurp the authority of Parliament.

Her non-political position also gives her the opportunity to be an observer with long institutional memory. She's been Queen for more than 60 years... her coronation was during Winston Churchill's time as PM! This does let her give advice to the Prime Minister of the day, as she may have a better grasp of historical context than he does.


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

[User]
[Superman] I find a rock, paint it green, then spray it to make it glow. Could I use this to placebo effect Supes into giving up?

Or would he know the difference between green glowing rocks and kryptonite?

[Assistant] I think it would depend on your distance. IIRC he can feel kryptonite's effects from a couple feet away, so if you were in front of him with it, he'd be able to tell the difference. There's also his super vision, he might be able to see through the rock and know it's not kryptonite.


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

[User] ELI5: When hurricanes and tsunamis happen what are all the sharks and ocean life doing? Do they swim further out into the ocean or go Into the cities? And do they know when one is coming?

[Assistant]
"Disaster prediction" by animals is a controversial area of science with weak and contradictory evidence supporting its claims. However, tagged sharks have been clearly observed fleeing coastal areas just before hurricanes hit.
>Large self-propelled marine animals such as sharks seem to be minimally affected, since they can detect tiny changes in pressure as larger waves at the surface approach, as well as the reduced surface pressure associated with the storm itself, and go deeper or leave the area. However, hurricanes have been known to result in tremendous numbers of dead fish, crabs, sea turtles, oysters, etc due to reduced amounts of dissolved oxygen in the water, rapid salinity changes, and violent surf.

No data like this exists for tsunamis, so we don't really know.


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

[User] [MCU] Is Captain Steve Rogers getting stronger/physically more powerful as time goes on?

[Assistant] No. He was at his physical peak when fighting the Nazis. He ages better than normal people, but he does age and his body does weaken. He does keep getting smarter though. Every fight adds a little more to his tactical knowledge and leadership ability, which are his most valuable attributes. He isn't the strongest or the toughest or even the smartest person in the Avengers, but he is a born leader that even people like Tony Stark and Thor will follow.


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

[User] [Superheroes] Are Cosplayers always in constant danger for impersonating superheroes?

[Assistant]
Superhero costumes are typically high-end and their users get a *lot* of exercise. You can spot a superhero not just by what they're wearing but also by how they carry themselves. There's a certain amount of swagger, a certain amount of grace that comes with the powers. Why do you think they can get away with such gaudy costumes? A superhero moves like a god on earth.

So, no, most cosplayers don't get mistaken for the real thing. To do that they'd need to invest in both a really expensive costume and some serious physical training. By the time they can do a convincing impersonation they might as well go out on patrol themselves.


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

[User]
ELI5:Why is Africa still so poor and underdeveloped after decades of western world help?

We have been sending aid in numerous different ways for decades (starting from the 80's?) **billions** of dollars, many teachers, etc.
I'm starting to think that it should show up in someway after all this time.

Just a thought because i see the same fundraiser for africa every single year raising millions of dollars (euros).

[Assistant]
Many African countries have and continue to have astonishingly high growth rates, but it's important to remember just how poor a lot of these countries were at independence.

the Democratic Republic of Congo had a population of about 15 million at independence. Among those 15 million, 16 were college graduates.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Did Anakin have a problem with the entire Jedi council or just Mace Windu?

Also was there anyone he had a good relationship with on the council, other than Obi-Wan?

[Assistant]
Yes, although Mace often lead the charge on the "screw Anakin he's a risk and unworthy" brigade, the others followed suit. Only a couple like Obi-Wan and Plo Koon (occasionally) would frequently vouch for Anakin. The rest agreed with Mace and Yoda that Anakin's induction into the Jedi was unusual and potentially a mistake, and that he's grown to become a rash Jedi who flouts the rules often. He is too close to the Chancellor and shows intense feelings towards Senator Amidala, and doesn't seem to take their wisdom to heart that his emotional connections can lead to the Dark Side. So they all see him as a risk who might be the Chosen One, but Mace is the most skeptical.

If Anakin had remained at the Jedi Temple when Mace went to arrest Palpatine,  Anakin almost certainly would have fully gained the trust of Mace and the Council, and been promoted to the rank of Master.


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

[User]
CMV: Marijuana should be legalized in all 50 states

There are some many things with this topic that I dont understand. For marijuana to be legal in SOME states but not ALL just doesnt make sense. States are entitled to have their own laws, but my question is why? Why legalize marijuana in only some states? What is the reason its not legalized in all? The perception of marijuana to America is so backwards. This is a earth grown plant we are talking about. That has been proven to better the health of us in certain situations. Do I even have to bring up the fact that its been scientifically proven that alcohol causes more negative side affects than marijuana, but yet we can drink alcohol with no question. Ive seen so many stories involving alcoholics, but yet we praise it with no question. Marijuana in my opinion should be legalized in all 50 states. I dont see a problem with it. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it can be sold? Either way it goes, I think it should be legalized.

[Assistant] It isnt legal in some states because the people there havent voted to make it so. Isnt that their prerogative? If they dont want it that way, it shouldnt have to be that way just because you want it to. Let communities decide for themselves what they want.


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

[User]
[X-men DoFP] so... why wasn't Xavier devastated at the death of his friend?

At the end, the original timeline Logan over wrote the new timeline Logan's mind - Xavier was all cool and like "I've so much to show you..." as opposed to "oh my God, my friend of 40 years was just lobotomized and swapped with someone from a different universe!".

Why wasn't he upset that *his* Logan was effectively killed?

[Assistant]
If you think about his powers him saying "I have so much to show" you makes sense.

Not only does he have a photographic memory and can read deep into people's minds and memories (and feelings), he can share that with other people.

He's not sad because he can shove the memories back in over time.


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

[User]
ELI5: how does the autofocus work in a DSLR camera?

I know it's something related to the camera changing the focal length until it obtains the sharpest image but does it know which one is the sharpest image?

[Assistant] It evaluates the sharpness by edge detection.  It finds the line that divides the highest brightness and color change, then changes the focus to  create the sharpest, most abrupt change across the line.  They get more sophisticated by testing several areas and more recently, prioritizing face detection.


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

[User] [Star Wars] What was the Star Wars universe's judiciary system like? And who is this Forrest Moon offender I keep hearing about?

[Assistant]
All suspects are guilty. Otherwise they wouldn't be suspects, would they?

The standard penalty for not immediately complying with a Stormtrooper is immediate execution and slaughter of anyone nearby to witness. Local garrisons often give the locals a lot of leeway here because otherwise they'd have to slaughter everyone. This can lead to certain misunderstandings.


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

[User]
Do Existentialists have to believe in free will?

What did Sartre, Nietzsche, and Kierkegaard think about freedom in the metaphysical sense?

[Assistant] Nietzsche thought that ascribing free will to human action was one of the Four Great Errors. For Nietzsche, human volition is something that merely accompanies actions rather than something that causes them. Free will on his account is a contrivance so that we are able to judge people guilty.


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

[User]
ELI5: What is happening to my nervous system when doctors numb an area of my body?

I recently had my wisdom teeth removed and the dentist numbed the back of my mouth. Then, proceeded to yank two huge wisdom teeth out while blood was spouting everywhere. All the while, even though I was conscious the whole time, I felt nothing. Why?

[Assistant]
You feel pain (as well as touch) via nerves that transmit 'information' from your mouth and around your teeth to your brain. The information your brain receives is interpreted, where you consciously sense it.
Anaesthesia is a medication that acts to block the nerve, thereby not allowing it to transmit any information. This is usually injected to the area needed so it will only block the close nerves where it would have a local effect only (i.e. it won't travel far into your body to have any effect on the remaining nerves).
No nerve conducting information to brain means no sensation of pain or touch in that region. When the drug's effect wear off, nerves conduct again and you feel normally again.


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

[User]
[The Mandalorian] How did Jawas come to know Mudhorn eggs as a delicacy?

Jawas clearly love mudhorn eggs- they're willing to trade most of a spaceship for just one. But being small and meek, how did Jawas ever get at them to begin with, given how aggressive Mudhorns are?

The only possibilities I can think of would be that they use a decoy to lure away the parent. They might zerg-rush in, but even for such a delicacy, a Mudhorn could still trample tens of Jawas- far too many to lose for a snack.

[Assistant]
Jawas are small and sneaky and tenacious. Most importantly they are opportunists and would take a chance if they knew they could sneak in and steal an egg while the Mudhorn was distracted.

However, the way they reacted to it means not only is it a delicacy, it is an extremely rare treat, maybe something they get to try once in several years or more.

In the Mandalorian's case they were happy with the parts, but if they could get him to deliver an egg, they get to try something they haven't had in ages, and if he dies in the attempt, well they still have his parts.


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

[User]
[Jurassic World] How much are the tickets?

I've been thinking that the whole place looks like dinosaur Disney complete with the huge crowds.

But how are those crowds even possible? Is the park really that affordable?

With all the advanced technology and running a whole freaking island the operating costs must be staggering and therefore tickets that are at least 10X what Disney charges.

With that in mind, I expected the park to be mostly attended by small groups of rich arabs, trust fund kinds and such, not huge crowds of middle class people.

[Assistant] Jurassic World gets the added advantage that Disney doesn't.  Since it's an Island they control the hotels, food and most likely travel to the island.  So the ticket itself can seem cheaper as every penny spent on that vacation goes to them.


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

[User] Why is there a breathalizer test for alcohol levels but there isnt one for any other drugs? Do other drugs not escape through the lungs like alcohol, and why does alcohol exit the lungs?

[Assistant] Breathalyzer tests detect the presence of acetaldehydes that are the result of alcohol being metabolized and are passed easily out through the lungs. Other drugs just don't result in the same sort of molecules. The metabolites of THC are present in urine for weeks and that's what the tests look for.


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

[User]
Does the amount of energy to freeze water scale linearly?

If I was to freeze 1 ml of water does that take 1/1000th the amount of energy as freezing 1L of water? If not, how does it scale?

[Assistant]
Technically, you're actually taking heat energy from the water, instead of using energy. That being said, yes, the energy taken does scale linearly with the mass/volume of the body of water, and if you were to take 1ml, it would lose 1/1000th the amount of heat than when you freeze 1L **as long as the initial and final temperatures of both the bodies of water taken are equal.**

EDIT: In case anyone is interested in the scientific basis of this, first you need to know two terms:

Latent Heat of Fusion (L) - It is the heat energy used to convert unit mass of a body in liquid state to solid state, or the heat lost to convert liquid into solid. During this process the temperature of the body does not change. So when you freeze water at 0 to ice at 0, the temperature does not change till the water has been completely turned to ice, but energy is used. For example, the latent heat of water is about 80 cal/g.

Specific Heat Capacity - It is the heat energy used to increase the temperature of a body by a unit, per unit mass, or energy lost to decrease its temperature. This is used when there is no change in state, like when cooling water from 80 to 20. For example the specific heat of water is 1 cal//g and that of ice is about 0.5 cal//g

In OPs case, assuming water taken is not at 0 we must use a combination of the two. Let the temperature of the body initially be T  and the mass taken be M (in grams).

First we must cool the body to 0. So we use specific heat of water. The energy lost is:

M x c x T = M x 1 x T = MT

Now we must convert the water to ice so we use latent heat. Energy lost is:

M x L = ML = 80M

Finally we cool the ice to a temperature T below 0 (assuming that you do not stop immediately after water is converted to ice).Again we use specific heat (but of ice). Energy lost is:

M x c x T = M x 0.5 x T = 0.5MT

Hence total energy used is:

MT + 80M + 0.5MT = M (T + 80 + 0.5T)

As you see, the energy used is directly proportional to the mass taken. OP has asked about volume. Since density of water is constant at same initial temperature, the mass taken can be written as V x d (where V is volume and d density).

Hence the equation can be written as:

Vd ( T + 80 + 0.5T ).

Hence the energy lost is directly proportional to the volume of the substance taken. Hope this helped.


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

[User] In NDT's Inexplicable Universe, he says that quarks are bonded together such that the pull gets stronger as they get farther apart. As a consequence, inputting enough energy to separate them instantaneously creates a new partner for each quark. How do we know this? Have we tried it?

[Assistant]
Well, it kind of happens in particle colliders like LHC. If you produce quarks in a collision, then you don't end up seeing the single quarks, but a 'jet' of hadrons for each quark you have produced.  (edit: hadrons are bound states of quarks, that usually are made of either one quark and one anti-quark or three (anti-)quarks.)

One should probably mention that even though this hadronization can be seen as a direct consequence of color confinement, it is quite a complicated process, for which we only have rather inexact models.


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

[User] ELI5: Why isn't World War I talked about as much as World War II?

[Assistant] Because it isn't as interesting, their is no "evil" side to really point at, and all the people that fought in it were mostly dead by the time most of us were born. Granted it had a greater effect on the world than WW2 did, but it's just not that interesting to talk about.


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

[User] [Harry Potter] If a dementor took Harry's soul, leaving Voldemort's 1/8th soul, would that soul take over Harry's body?

[Assistant] No.  The soul fragments left inside horcruxes aren't really meant to be self sufficient.  Voldemort did all sorts of extra magic on the Diary to make it what it was.  The question is whether a Dementor would even be able to do the kiss on him, and if it could there's a question of whether anything would stop them from sucking everything out at once.  Note that Nagini still had to be killed with the Sword rather than regularly.


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

[User]
[Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep] Why does the Rosen foundation want to trick Rick Deckard?

I've just finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep for the second time and somehow I'm more confused this time than the first. In particular I don't understand the motives of the Rosen foundations- what do they have to gain from tricking Rick into thinking Rachel is human? I understand it would call the utility of the Voigt-Kampff Empathy test into question but why would they not want their rouge androids to be caught?

[Assistant]
They're testing his skills. If he thought Rachel was human, then he wouldn't be able to find their new androids. Rachel and the others were based on similar architecture that Deckard wouldn't have seen before.

If he failed, then they'd have to find someone else for the job. Or another method to test them.


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

[User] ElI5: Why do some cheeses have holes?

[Assistant] The little critters that make cheese have different biologic processes.  Some of them, to be a little crude, fart.  The result of using those critters is that the gas they release can consolidate into bubbles, leaving holes in the final cheese.


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

[User] I have always thought of epoxies as two part mixtures that react. Now I see single stage epoxies all over. How do they catalyze?

[Assistant] A lot of epoxies rely on water to start the chain reaction. The humidity in air is enough to do this. So, the precursors are packaged in an airtight container and then when you squeeze the mixture out and it encounters humid air, it begins to harden.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Could a big enough fleet defeat the death star through conventional means?

So for argument's sake let's say that you had a massive fleet and you attacked the death star with it. Could you in theory destroy it simply by hammering at it with enough firepower or is it just too big?

EDIT: Also, I would like to remind the people in this thread that only the second death star could target ships with it's superlaser.

[Assistant]
Yes. It's big, but only a few hundred miles wide. A dozen star destroyers can glass planets in a few hours, so it's possible. Shields in star wars also don't seem to eliminate all damage, just greatly reduce it. If they concentrated on a single point, it could go down.

However, the death Star would be fighting back and single ignitions would destroy any star destroyer in one shot, shields or no shields. It can do this every few minutes. Plus, with the fleet concentrated on a single point, damage from one ship exploding would likely effect other ships. Lastly, the death Star can escape into hyperspace if worried.


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

[User]
Does the act of squinting to see something really small or far away really help? If so, why?

It is a pretty universal reflex among many animals it seems. Is there a reason for this?

[Assistant]
Yes, it does. Squinting creates a slit that rejects out of focus light.

In the old days, kids played with pinhole cameras, where the "lens" was just a small aperture.

If you're near-sighted, you can convince yourself that an aperture can help you see distant objects by forming a small pinhole with your fingers and looking through it.


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

[User] ELI5: Why can't we just send up a rocket and then drop a rope to the earth, and then use that rope to send more ropes, and then use a circuit of ropes to send things up into space?

[Assistant]
I imagine the idea here would be similar to taking a piece of cooked spaghetti that is a mile long, and trying to take it to the top of the Empire State Building.

The weight of the noodle after a few floors would snap the noodle.

On the scale of space and atmosphere and stuff, rope and cable really isn't any stronger than a spaghetti noodle. And if you made it thick and strong enough, we don't have anything that goes up in the air that can handle the weight of that.


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

[User]
[Jurassic Park 2 and 3] How long could Isla Sorna sustain the dinosaur population?

In canon for the movies, I think Ingen set up both islands around 1989-1990, then the events of JP2 and 3 take place in 1997 and 2001, but since then we havent seen Isla Sorna.

Due to all the rain, the plants/vegetation would be sustained for the herbivores, but then you have super predators like Spinosaurus going around, so idk.

[Assistant]
Isla Sorna has an area of roughly 120 square miles. Roughly half of this area is productive tropical rainforest; the rest is mountainous or grassland.

So we have 60 square miles. Let's say, for the sake of convenience, the entire forested area is composed of guanacaste trees, native to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. An adult tree has about 200,000 leaves; stripping it completely would yield about 400,000 calories. That's the daily requirement for four adult sauropods. A full herd of 50 sauropods, we'll tweak down to assume that some are still growing. So we'll say that they would require ten trees per day, slowly moving around the island.

A mature guanacaste tree has an area of about 7,000 square feet. Ten trees,70,000 square feet, or 0.0025 square miles. Over the course of a year, 50 sauropods would strip just one square mile of vegetation- and by the time they got to the end of their trek, guanacaste saplings at the beginning of their walk would be almost 40 feet tall.

There's plenty of land here to sustain a very large dinosaur population.


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

[User] CMV: Chain restaurants are glorified fast-food joints. They are also equally unhealthy.

[Assistant]
No one is going to Chili's for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. It's too much money and time to be spending daily. Meanwhile, there are people who seem to subsist almost wholly on fast food because it is cheap and convenient.

An occasional meal at Chili's won't harm you, much like the occasional Big Mac won't do much harm. It's the potential for abuse that makes fast food more dangerous.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why has game graphics "stalled" and doesn't seem to get much better every year anymore?

I remember the extreme differences between Playstation 1, 2 and 3. I can't see much improvements in pc gaming for the past three years either. Is it a physical hardware problem?

[Assistant] It's a sign of computer graphics maturing. We've gotten all of the low-hanging fruit already. The advancements that are left all require dramatically more computing power than what we are currently doing. This is pretty much expected in any field. At first you'll grow and get better in leaps and bounds but eventually that period of fast growth slows down.


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

[User]
ELI5: How would someone who is fit be affected if they literally ate complete Junk food for one day?

Let's say 6' 155 ate 10,000 calories of Chocolate, Milkshakes, cheesecake, fast food.

[Assistant]
There's a show on A&E called "Fit to Fat to Fit." It follows personal trainers who purposefully eat junk for 8 weeks to get fat. And then they lose the weight alongside their heaviest clients.

Most episodes follow similar tropes. Typically, the trainers feel great for a week or two. The rush of processed sugars in their lean bodies and relaxation of regimens is a pretty common theme. After a while, they all become sluggish and disinterested in day to day stuff they used to love. They become flabby and all of that hits them psychologically since they pride themselves on fitness and their physique.

TLDR while it might be fun for a little while to go on a binder, it would take a toll on your organs, your physique and quite possibly your mental state.


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

[User]
[Batman/DC] Why does Batman take on so many sidekicks, when he would prefer they stay out of danger?

Playing through Arkham Knight, he is constantly telling his partners/sidekicks to not come help him, or do anything at all. But he trained them right? Is it his fear of losing people close to him (like his parents), or does he just not trust them to do a good enough job? I would think he would just not bring them into the fold if he was really worried about it.

[Assistant] He reluctantly takes on most of them, almost all of which have faced similar childhood tragedy as he has. In Young Justice, Wonder Woman asked a similar question as you, asking if he had Dick Grayson (whose parents also died) as Robin so he could be like him and Batman's response was "I did it so he wouldn't end up like me".


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

[User]
[DC] Who keeps giving Amanda Waller power?

On countless occasions, Waller has done things that would spark investigations both political and criminal, yet she keeps winding up at the top of power in whatever shady agency she's heading these days. Why would anyone risk putting such a volatile civil servant in charge, over one who will keep their head down and not spark outrage?

[Assistant] You said it yourself, Waller "does things". She's a hard-nosed, take-no-prisoners crisis manager who cares about getting results and couldn't care less about advancing her career. She typically gets put in charge of some shady agency after the need to get things done finally outweighs the customary bureaucratic inertia.


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

[User]
CMV: Baseball is the most unimpressive and boring popular sport in America

Games last way too long, the season lasts way too long, games are incredibly boring to watch, and the athletic ability and skill it takes to play baseball are far less impressive when compared to other major sports like basketball, football, soccer, and even hockey.

Think about it...you turn on the TV and a random NBA game is on. You will undoubtedly see some incredible dribble moves and some crazy dunks. Both of those are things that your average joe would never be able to do no matter how hard he tried or how much he practiced. Same with football. You see a QB launch a ball 70+ yards or a WR jump 40+ inches to make a one handed catch. Thats just God-given talent, no amount of practice will ever enable an average dude to be able to perform those acts. The same goes for soccer and hockey.

Then we get to baseball. The most famous baseball player, Babe Ruth, looks like the most average joe of all average joes. Hes a little chubby and not really that athletic, yet hes arguably the best the game has ever seen.

In my opinion, what makes sports so interesting to watch is the fact that youre watching these incredible athletes do things that you could never do yourself, no matter how much you trained. Whether it be dunking from the free throw line, running a 40 yard dash in 4.24 seconds, or dribbling a ball with your feet across an entire soccer field while evading defenders to score a goal, these spectacular achievements are things that myself and most people could never do. But whats the most impressive thing you can watch in baseball? A home run? I could do that. Most people could once or twice, or at the very least get a base hit a few times. Im not saying baseball is easy, but out of all the major sports, it is by far the least impressive because an average person could do what they are doing (maybe not on a regular basis, but they could at least get lucky a few times and connect on a few pitches.

In an effort to stay consistent and honest, I will say that the one area of baseball that is equally as impressive as other sports is pitching. To be able to throw a ball over 90mph accurately is very impressive and is something most people (including myself) would never be able to do, regardless of training. Aside from that, the rest can generally be chalked up to years of training.

As a final note, I'd like to add that I have middle school/high school experience with baseball, football, and basketball, so a lot of this is coming from personal experience. I know how hard each sport is to pick up and play, so I feel at least somewhat qualified to make this statement. Again, I am not saying that baseball is not *hard*, I am saying that it is not *impressive* (compared to the aforementioned sports).

[Assistant] Im sorry, but unless you are a great baseball player who has practiced his whole life, there is no way you could hit a home run, in a professional sized ball park, with a wooden bat, off of a major league pitcher throwing the ball one hundred miles an hour. Admittedly, this is a less visually stunning spectacle than, say, a Michael Jordan dunk from the foul line, but it is an impressive feat nonetheless. To your wider point, baseball is a slow paced, relatively boring game, but have you ever tried to watch golf? Its way more boring. The most exciting thing that happens is that a player smacks a little ball, and then later they cut to a shot of the ball rolling into a hole. This is also an impressive feat, but far less visually interesting than a homerun or an exciting play at home plate.


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

[User]
[40k] What does a Tzeentchian or Nurglite cult look like?

I know Khornate cults mostly start out as military brotherhoods or duelling clubs, and Slaaneshi cults are mostly weird and exotic brothels, but what about those dedicated to Tzeentch or Nurgle?

I think in one of the Ravenor books there was what I assume to be a Tzeentchian cult, and they were basically a bunch of assholes talking about probability and trying to read the future. Is that a good example of your typical cult?

[Assistant]
Tzeentch's sphere of influence includes most warp abilities and sorcery, so any human psyker without an Imperium sanction has a fairly high probability of turning to Tzeentch to stave off the daemons that like to turn those with psychic potential into chew toys. Gather a few together plus some acolytes who hope to gain a power that they lack and you've got a cult going. They would likely spend their time making sacrifices to Tzeentch in exchange for favors, doing research, seeking out knowledge and artifacts to gain power and please their patron, and perhaps plotting to overthrow the planetary governor so they can take over.

Nurgle's cults are much more in flux. Ideally they'd be experts in epidemiology with fully equipped labs spawning and spreading endless streams of diseases for Nurgle. In practice it tends to be the poor souls who end up infected with awful diseases and aren't important enough to be treated. Desperate for some form of relief and angry with the Imperium they turn to the god of disease for respite. Initially they might seek a to trade some sacrifices for a cure, but that isn't how Nurgle works. Instead, he'd offer to protect them from the negative effects of their illness in exchange for their commitment to spreading the disease for the rest of the time that Nurgle gave them.


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

[User]
ELI5: Torque in relation to a car's performance?

I've heard its something to do with rotatational force etc. but what does that actully mean. Is is the feeling of 'got some poke' when you accelerate in a decent car?

[Assistant]
ELI5:

Torque: acceleration

Horsepower: Top speed.

For older than 5, It's a bit more complicated than that, there's a "torque curve" meaning how much torque you have at any given RPM.  If you have torque at low RPM, you can feel the push coming off of a redlight.  If you have good torque at high RPM, you can get a push once you're already moving, good for passing on a highway.  If you have a "fat torque curve" you have good torque at both low and high RPM, a good car for driving on curvy roads.


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

[User]
[Marvel] What if Captain America was never frozen and remained in the 40s?

So, Captain America's been one of the most prominent Avengers and has saved our world numerous times. Since some people can see into other timelines and stuff, I was wondering what you guys think might have happened if Cap was never frozen in the ice for about 70-80 years or so.

[Take your pick between 616 or MCU]

[Assistant] You could read the comic arc "House of M". Basically scarlet witch messes with reality and makes it so that mutants are the majority race and Captain America isn't frozen for some reason. Unfortunately it's a very sad outcome for him which i won't spoil in this comment if people want to read it, which i suggest people do!


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

[User] eli5 - when airplane staff at the gate pre-boarding request to have x amount of carry on bags to be checked because the flight is so full, why does this matter? Arent airplanes designed to have 1x carry on & 1 personal piece of luggage for each passenger?

[Assistant]
Plane carry-on stowing was designed for back in the days when you could stretch your legs because seat rows were far away from each other. Since then, airlines have been squeezing more seating rows into the planes while the stowing luggage space remains the same. It still worked because it was assumed that you would check in your luggage since the first bag was free.

Then your first checked bag was not free and everyone ended up bringing carry-ons to save money. Now there's not enough space for everyone.


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

[User]
Why is dimethylMercury highly toxic, while ethylMercury is safe?

I recently saw a video by Chubbyemu, in which he shows the symptoms of a scientist who comes into contact with dimethylMercury. How does this cause so much neurological damage, while ethylMercury is safe to use, such as in vaccines?

Edit: And what is the chemical reason for this? What makes dimethylMercury lipophilic, causing it to stay in fatty tissue for large amounts of time, while ethylMercury clears from the body much faster ?

[Assistant]
The biological half life for ethylmercury is estimated to be 7-10 days (Clifton, 2007). Dimethylmercury is metabolized into methylmercury, which has a half life of ~50 days. So, dimethylmercury effectively exposes the body to the hazard for a lot longer.

Methylmercury stays in the body because it complexes with cysteine containing peptides. This methylmercury-cysteinel complex is recognized by the body as methionine, an essential amino acid. This lets it get distributed throughout the body.

The biological impacts of ethylmercury haven't been studied as well, though ethyl- also spreads throughout the body. Since the biological half life is about 5x shorter, it most likely gets picked up via a waste pathway and destroyed.


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

[User]
[DC] Why would anyone want to be the Joker's henchman?! He's crazy!

Surely you could make a living being a strongman for one of the Gotham City crime families. Why choose the fucking Joker?! Not only are you more likely to end up with a broken spine a la Batman, you're own boss is likely to do something horrible to you cuz he's off his rocker!

[Assistant] The pay is well above average, and he offers dental. You know how hard it is to find a fucking henchman gig that offers dental? With all these capes that love to **thwack** and *pow*, dental is fucking important. Plus, it seems like every fucking kid in America needs braces these days, and those things are apparently made of spun gold and Nth metal, if the price is any indication.


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

[User]
ELI5: why does a bath or shower produce steam if the water is below boiling point?

I was wondering why there is steam in a bathroom during a shower or bath. The water obviously isn't at boiling point since we can't bathe in watee that temperature. But I was taught that water turns to steam at 100C. How is the steam produced?

[Assistant] What you see is more like clouds than steam. It is condensed water vapor, not steam. In liquid water, there are always some molecules with higher temperature than the average. If one is at the surface, and has a temperature of over 100C, it can evaporate. The molecules cool down and join together into small drops which are big enough to be visible if there are enough of them. True steam is transparent.


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

[User]
[Harry Potter] Are there any wizarding schools that aren't boarding schools?

Hey, maybe some kids get homesick and don't want to go off to a college-like environment when they're 11. Not every kid in the Muggle world is cut out for boarding school, I'd assume it's the same for Wizarding world.

Bonus question: Are there any public Wizarding schools sanctioned by the Ministry, kind of like public schools in our world?

[Assistant] The problem lies in having kids practicing magic (potentially dangerous and unpredictable in their untrained hands) without the supervision of adults who are specifically qualified to put out the metaphorical and literal fires that will result.


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

[User] Why do we gain a tolerance to spicy foods with increased exposure?

[Assistant] The TRP channels that are the heat receptors activated by capsaicin (the 'spicy' molecule) are likely down-regulated in a homeostatic way if you eat spicy food a lot. Taken to an extreme, too much can actually cause dieback of the nerves! Not always permanently, but it can be.


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

[User]
Do picked fruits increase calories as it ripens?

Fruits gets sweeter as it ripes but does it increase in calories? For example, unripe bannana vs ripe, latter being much much sweeter.  But if thats the case where does it get the energy since its picked?  thanks!

[Assistant]
From a physics point of view, no, the calorie content does not increase. A calorie is a unit of energy, and the law of conservation of energy states that the total energy of an isolated system will not change. But from a nutritional perspective, a ripe fruit would have more calories from simple sugars, which are easier for our bodies to absorb and digest. An unripe fruit would have a higher content of dietary fiber, which would just pass through our digestive tract undigested. As the fruit ripens, many of the polysaccharides that make up the fiber will be broken down into the simpler sugars that we can actually digest.

So the short answer is that a ripe fruit has the same amount of energy, but a higher ratio of energy that our body can use or store.


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

[User] [Matrix] Why did the Machines create a talking human head out of swarming drones in order to talk to Neo when he was blind? Wouldn't a simple speaker system be just as effective?

[Assistant] The Machines were created in the image of their creator.  They retain a desire for physical forms and also have a self identity.  Why would Smith bother making all his clones look like himself if agents didn't care what they looked like?  Why would bodies morph at all when agents took over instead of retaining thier old images?  The Intelligent Machines started out as robots and retain some of that even today.


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

[User]
[Pokemon] Why don't other trainers level up?

I'm talking about the games here. We know that some trainers, such as Agatha, have been training their entire lives. So then why aren't all their Pokemon at level 100? How is it that Red's Pokemon can gain more experience than them in just a few months?

[Assistant] It's never explicitly stated (unless you count everyone telling you you have a "bond" with your pokemon as explicit), but Red, Ethan, Brendan, Calem, etc. are all just plain fucking *better* at this than most everyone else.  The walk from Pallet to Vermillion is enough time to train their pokemon to beat a gym leader whose pokemon saw actual combat, while other trainers spend months training their team and never earn more than a few badges.  If becoming the champion was as simple as knocking out wild pokemon on Victory Road for an hour or two, everyone would do it, but it isn't.  Only someone like Red can, because when he works alongside a pokemon something amazing happens.


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

[User] ELI5: Are there any technologies that were invented before the science behind them was understood?

[Assistant]
Tons and tons.

Pretty much every medical technology until at least the late 19th century qualifies. The mechanism of action for acetaminophen (Tylenol) wasn't fully understood until recently. You can also include basically every chemical discovery prior to the 20th century and a lot of early physics stuff (which is why so many pioneering chemists and physicists died of poisoning or cancer).


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

[User]
ELI5: Why are we referred to as carbon-based life forms?

When we're 70% hydrogen and oxygen molecules?

[Assistant]
Carbon can make 4 molecular bonds, oxygen can make 2, and hydrogen can make only 1.  While oxygen and hydrogen have their place in many processes, carbon forms the backbone and structure of all complex organic molecules.

Imagine trying to make a marshmallow-and-toothpick structure where each marshmallow could only have one or two toothpicks attached to it.  You couldn't make anything more complex than a ring or line.  Now try it where you can have some marshmallows with 3 or 4 toothpicks.  Now you're getting somewhere.  Now you can make all sorts of things.  That is why we are considered carbon-based.


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

[User] ELI5: With "unsolvable" math problems, how do people come up with the problem and why do they think the problem is worth solving?

[Assistant] I am assuming you are referring to math problems which have not been solved, but may be solved in the future like the and Riemann Hypothesis. These problems are usually conjectures (sort of like a hypothesis in science) meaning that they appear to be true for every number, but we have not been able to prove it. Testing every number is impossible since there are infinitely many numbers so mathematicians use mathematical rules to try to come up with a proof and show that the conjecture is true for for all numbers. An example of this is the famous Fermant's Last Theorem that no three positive integers a, b, and c satisfy the equation a^n + b^n = c^n for any integer value of n greater than two. While it appeared to be true for all numbers it took mathematicians 400 years to prove that it is using some very complex mathematics.. These problems often do not have obvious real world applications, however the our understanding of the physical world tends to play catch up with mathematics meaning that they may very well be discovered to have physical meanings in the future. That being said there are math problems like the Continuum Hypothesis which appear to be truly unsolvable and they arise from the axioms of mathematics.


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

[User] Why when i fill up my glass with very hot water from the tap it looks cloudy for a few seconds before turning clearer, whereas water from the tap that's cold is clear from the start?

[Assistant]
Hot water dissolves ~~more~~ less gases than cold water. This is also dependent on pressure, where gases stay dissolved at higher pressure, and come out of solution at lower. So if the water starts cold with dissolved gases, and then is heated up and the pressure reduced, those gases come out of solution as bubbles.

If you're in the right range of temperatures and dissolved gas concentration, the pressure drop upon exiting the tap, can allow the gases to come out of solution as bubbles.

This all depends on how much gas is there to begin with. You wouldn't see any bubbles if there were no dissolved gases to start.


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

[User] When you get a nose bleed, where is the blood coming from?

[Assistant] Usually it comes from 2 different areas. Anterior  nosebleeds are common as they come from a collection of  vessels from the septum (the part that splits your nostrils into 2 chambers) called the Kiesselbach plexus, an massive interconnection of various arteries. This is also why pinching your nose can stop bleeding. A posterior nose bleed is hard to pinpoint as pinching wont stop bleeding and the source could be a number of things.


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

[User]
[Hellsing Ultimate] What's the world like after the attack?

So London was literally drowned in blood and hundreds of thousands were killed overnight in the UK alone. Everyone knows that every monster of the night exists and that supernatural organizations are locked in world-deciding war.

So, what happens now? How has the world responded to this earth-changing event?

[Assistant]
I know this is slightly disappointing to hear, but London's destruction is only akin to the current destruction in Baghdad, Damascus, or Aleppo. It has few other long-term consequences.

The show is set in the 1990s, before internet video. The Nazi Vampire attack is covered up as a terrorist action by fascists. As Integra Hellsing promised the Major, public reaction is largely contained and redirected against the proper targets. Seras Victoria and Alucard smashed the Catholic power-grab, restoring the world to the status quo ante bellum, as happens in many if not most wars. The Papacy had a very good chance at entering the vacuum of power left by the massacres in the White House and London, but Enrico Maxwell's foolish overextension led to the Papacy's elite military arm being wiped out by Alucard.

In the aftermath, Seras Victoria is left as a nigh untouchable vampire. England is given time to recover, as is America by extension. The Nazi revenant was eradicated, its human Brazilian units decimated by Alucard and Anderson both. The 9th Crusade's participants are largely gone. In terms of military results, the Major's attack only decimated a first-rate ally to America. America itself was largely untouched, as was Rome proper. In terms of the Vampiric shadow wars, the evisceration of all of Millennium's members restored a world where only the UK possessed vampires, and only the Papacy possessed an elite human force. They still box each other in the shadows, waiting for the moment to strike.


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

[User] ELI5 Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?

[Assistant]
Mostly, you are just getting confused by marketing.

Juice and soap companies are businesses. They are out to make something for the lowest cost which they can sell for the most money. Mostly, the lowest cost is going to be artificial ingredients whipped up in a lab.

Lemon juice is a food product, and subject to certain laws which require ingredients to be listed. Most customers would rather see "artificial flavor" than "di-hydrogenase II flourocarbonhexagen" so thats what gets put on the bottle. Even if it is 99% pure real lemon juice, if there is the tiniest bit of artificial flavor in there, they still have to list it.

Soap is not a food product and is subject to much less strict laws about listing ingredients. It basically does not have to list anything. When it slaps "made with real lemons" on the bottle in huge letters, this really means they added like 2 drops in (the minimum legally required) so that they could make that claim and trick you into thinking it is very high quality.

99% real lemon juice still has to be labled as containing 'artifical flavors'

0.001% real lemon soap can be labeled as "MADE WITH REAL LEMONS!"

Fluff words for cash...


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

[User] Since in nuclear fission a very small amount of matter is converted to energy, is it Theoretically possible to create matter from energy and have we done this?

[Assistant]
Yes, creating matter from energy is perfectly doable.

One example would be particle accelerators such as the LHC. In the LHC, proton beams are accelerated and thereby given a very high amount of kinetic energy. These highly energetic protons collide and produce various new particles. The combination of newly produced particles often has a higher mass than the 2 protons that collided to form them.

Consider for example the production of a Higgs boson. The Higgs boson was found to have a mass of 125 GeV (giga-electronvolt), while a proton has a mass of 938 MeV (mega-electronvolt) or slightly less than 1 GeV. So the 2 protons that collided to create a Higgs boson have a combined mass far smaller than the mass of the particle that was created.

And this is possible thanks to the fact that the protons had such a high amount of (kinetic) energy going into this whole mess.


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

[User] [Harry Potter] Did Voldermort perdonally care about a persons blood status, or was it just an easy rallying point for his followers?

[Assistant]
He cared.

He was absolutely obsessed with blood purity for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that he himself was born to a muggle father.

The feelings of inadequacy from this fact and his lonely childhood in the orphanage surrounded by 'inferior' muggle children cemented his hatred.


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

[User] ELI5: How is it possible that steel has a scent?

[Assistant] Some metals produce volatile compounds when binding with oils from the human body, such as when they are handled. These can produce a taste or smell (the familiar taste of pennies for instance) even if the metal itself does not have much of either on its own.


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

[User] ELI5: How is it that countries can safely test their nuclear weapons without causing permanent damage?

[Assistant]
Typically they test them in unpopulated and unused locations, deep underground, or otherwise far away from anything of value (Since, after all, they'd destroy anything of value).

Nuclear weapons also don't tend to leave that much residual radiation. They are relatively small amounts of radioactive material, which are widely dispersed, and generally have shorter halflives, compared to an event like Chernobyl, where tons of long lived burning material was released.

As you'll note, Hiroshima and Nagasaki aren't unpopulated, but rather began to rebuild not long after they were hit with nuclear weapons.


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

[User] [Harry Potter] why do the bad guys continue to maintain muggle secrecy laws? They could make millions selling potions. They could co-conspire with criminal muggles, they could be wealthy and powerful enough to afford military grade weapons.

[Assistant]
Because big bad guys in Harry Potter always detest muggles. Theyre pretty much all openly bigoted towards them, and actively fight to enslave them. Even having one in your bloodline makes you crossbred trash in a death eaters eyes, there are in universe slurs for it.

Even then, they dont exactly try to keep their existence secret. They blow up bridges and abduct and kill random muggles and loose giants and shit in small villages. A plot point in the books is that even the muggles have begun to notice that shit is going wrong. The Ministry is just playing clean up for them so they dont get TOO exposed.


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

[User]
[MCU] Was Thanos being so sneaky about the Infinity Stones because he knew Odin might notice and kill him?

And he only acted on his own when he knew Odin was no longer a problem?

[Assistant]
Not just Odin, the stones were protected by a few figures that could have been a threat to Thanos.

The Space Stone - Protected by Odin.  As a skyfather Odin is powerful enough to kill Thanos.

The Time Stone - Protected by the Ancient One.  A centuries old master magician and Sorcerer Supreme who routinely bitch-slapped beings far more powerful than Thanos.

The Power Stone - He just didn't know where it was.  It wasn't super protected, but Peter Quill found it.

The Reality Stone - Also very difficult to access, and protected by the Dark Elves.  Thanos could possibly have killed Malekith but this was also being monitored by Odin.

The Mind Stone - Thanos had that one.


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

[User]
ELI5: How can I get a jumpstart on developing stable finances? (more like ELI19)

I am a sophomore at a prominent liberal arts university. Seeing all the business and econ students around me, and being a poli sci major, I am extremely nervous about my understanding of the financial system.

It may be a little early to start looking into this, who knows. But how can a 19 year old like me with little to no understanding of loans, credit, taxes, investments etc get a jumpstart on making sold investments for modest long term returns?

I am not looking for a get rich scheme. I just want to know what I can do right now to get started on developing a sense of financial security.

Maybe many others are wondering the same thing, and I tried googling this question already with no good results.

So can somebody explain to me, without all that fancy jargon, if there is anything I can do right now to get started on securing my future financially?

[Assistant]
1.)  Never impulse buy ANYTHING.  This goes for candy bars in the check out lane to cars and computers.  When you go to make a purchase, make sure you have thought about it and researched the product.

2.)  Pay yourself first on any paycheck.  Set aside at least $20 to $25 bucks in a savings account that is not tied to your debit card.

3.)  When you have enough (usually a $500 minimum) in that savings account, get a Certificate of Deposit using that money.  The shortest CD you can get is 6 months.

4.)  Any job you get that has a 401k or similar retirement system, get into it at the get go.  If you are required to wait something like 90 days or so before you can invest, take what would be the minimum contribution to the fund out of your paycheck every month and stick it in that savings account.  Now you won't miss the money come investment time.

5.)  Never take out loans or credit cards unless you absolutely need them.  Debt is bad if you can't pay.  Never pay more than 15% in interest on anything over 48 months.  You will pay almost double what then item costs in interest alone.

6.)  Live modestly.  You do not need the newest everything.  If you do not need unlimited minutes and data, don't get that phone plan.  You do not need a 1080p 60" t.v..  You do not need a car that you would find in a hip-hop music video or a mid-life crisis mobile.


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

[User]
ELI5: How do hospitals evacuate everyone in the event of a fire?

Hospitals often have patients who are bed-bound, wheelchair-bound, comatose, or even in surgery. When the fire alarm goes off, how do staff evacuate all patients quickly?

[Assistant] Hospitals are designed so that in the event of a fire, doors will close and will prevent the fire from spreading until firefighters can deal with it. The doors are rated, usually by number of hours, for how long they will hold back a fire on the other side.


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

[User]
ELI5: How does wool or microfiber clothing draw moisture away from the body?

In the winter, I always wear a microfiber fleece jacket over a polo shirt and undershirt to work. Even in colder months, I tend to sweat profusely on my upper back, and it was very, very warm (80 degrees F) last week. Yesterday, I noticed that while the outside of the back of my jacket had a sheen of moisture on it, my polo shirt and undershirt were both almost completely dry.

What causes the moisture to be drawn specifically to the outside of the material, rather than getting absorbed into it? My regular cotton shirts get soaked all the way through when I sweat, whereas with this fleece jacket only the outside was damp. Also, how did my other clothing also remain dry? I would have thought that since the undershirt and polo shirt were compressed against my skin they would have both been soaked, but they werent.

[Assistant]
Microfiber - the actual individual fiber - is shaped like a straw and wants to fill itself up with moisture. So it is shaped to pull moisture away from the body into its straw. This also applies to other clothing. It pulls the water off your clothing and holds it.

Wool is similar, but has a different structure. But it also expands and contracts to allow air flow or stop air flow depending on the temperature - remember that wool was once alive on an animal to protect it from the elements.


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

[User]
[Flash] If you asked the Flash why he sometimes moves and reacts at light speed and other times villains with normal speed give him difficulty in fights what would he say?

In one instance he has micro/nanosecond reaction time and others a villain with no super speed successfully manages to hit him or use weapons against him (like Weather Wizard) without him disarming and incapacitating them before they know whats happened.

[Assistant]
Flash can't live in superspeed all the time. He wants a real life with other people, not be forced to experience a year for every minute that goes by in normal time. It would be like playing a videogame with long boring unskippable cutscenes where you're waiting ages before you get to the part that matters. So he usually leaves his superspeed off, even if that allows villians to get the drop on him sometimes.

So Flash would explain it like that, more or less.


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

[User]
[Star Trek] Are any examples of individuals/groups/races that wanted to be assimilated by the Borg?

Most people can think of it as being worse than death, but I think that must be some mindset (people who suffer from a terrible disease, some cult who thinks that the Borg are gods, some other collective races, etc), that could welcome the change.

[Assistant]
A member of Species 116 named Arturis was willing to sacrifice himself to deliver the *Voyager* crew to the Borg as an act of revenge for his race being conquered by the Borg after resisting their advance for decades (and whose defeat he blamed on Voyager's interference with Species 8472's attempt to destroy the Borg). Still, he got himself assimilated like he'd wanted.

Source: Hope and Fear (VOY)


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

[User]
[Star Wars][Spoiler] So did gravity well projectors go out of use with the first order or....

Wouldn't gravity well projectors solved all the first orders problems in TLJ? I can understand not being able to stop the resistance from jumping to light speed. Maybe they where to far away for the projectors to affect them. But how could it not stop Holdo from pulling that light speed 9/11?

[Assistant]
Why would they?

At that point they had no business wasting power to stop Holdo if she was going to do a desperate diversion jump as they were thinking. In fact, it was probably best to let her go so the firepower on the *Raddus* wouldn't be contributing to the fleet at that point. And they could always track her down later.

By the time they knew what she was doing, it was already too late to start the inhibitors.


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

[User] How do radio stations know how many people are tuning in?

[Assistant]
There is little fancy engineering or hard science behind this, because as you might imagine there is no direct way to tell that someone is receiving a radio signal and is actually tuned in / listening to a radio station.

Instead, certain companies compile the so-called "ratings" (which are a measure of the number of listeners) by sampling a small subset of the population. These volunteers will record their listening habits and provide demographic information (age, family composition, socioeconomic status, etc...) and with this data and the appropriate statistical tools, the company is able to make an estimate for the total number of listeners in a market.

In the past, listening activity was logged manually by the volunteer, who would simply write down when they would tune in to the radio and which station they would listen to. These days, it's more common to use a device which picks up inaudible tones embedded in the broadcast and uses this information to determine what station is being listened to and when.