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

[User] ELI5: How does the Options market work and can you use a lifelike example of a put / call position which is relatable?

[Assistant]
You can see Options as a "price guarantee" for something you want to buy / sell in the future, but you want to agree on the price in advance.

**Put Option Example**: You are an American company and get a contract from an EU company. You'll get the payment of one million EUR for your work in one year. Today, 1 EUR is roughly 1.10 USD, but you don't know what the exchange rate will be in a year.

If you want to "insure" that exchange rate, i.e. make sure you really get 1.1 million USD in a year, you can buy a put option on the EUR/USD exchange rate. A put option on EUR/USD with a strike of 1.10, expiring in one year and a total contract of 1 million EUR will guarantee that you at least get the 1.1 million USD in one year. This put option gives you the right, but not the duty, to sell 1 million EUR and receive 1.1 million USD in return. If the exchange rate were to rise, then you just let the option expire (i.e. you don't exercise your right), and do the exchange at the current rate.

**Call Option Example**: For this job above, you'll need a part from a Canadian company which costs 100k Canadian Dollars (CAD). Today, that's 75k USD. You'll need that part in 6 month, which is also when you'll pay the Canadian company. Again, if you don't want to gamble with the exchange rate, you'll get a call option on the USD/CAD at strike 1.33 (current rate), expiry in 6 months, total contract of 100k CAD. The Call Option gives you the right, but not the duty, to buy 100k CAD for 75k USD in 6 months.


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

[User] [Warhammer 40k] Has there been or is it possible to have a ship to ship battle within the Warp?

[Assistant]
I think the question really is whether there would be any point to it. The answer is: unlikely. The extremely volatile and unpredictable nature of the Warp would not only place both ships in extreme danger, but the fact that most known laws of physics are altered might very well render their weapons utterly useless. If somehow they did manage to get shots of it's entirely possible they'll end up blowing each others gellar fields out and being chewed up by hungry demons.

In short, no matter how badly you need to catch someone, waiting for them to emerge from the Warp would be the better choice to going in there after them. Immaterium's a fuckery place, yo.


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

[User]
[MCU] If Marvel obtained the rights to Mutants, is there even room to feasibly introduce them at this point in continuity, or does their absence so far after so much world-building effectively preclude their existence?

(See post title)

[Assistant] Apocalypse could've been active in ancient times. Wolverine and Sabertooth could've been wandering the earth. Magneto and Professor X could've had adventures in WW2 and beyond. As *Ant-Man* showed, there's an entire secret history when it comes to powered beings in the MCU. They could easily say that  mutants have always been around, although very few in number. They're just now beginning to appear in greater numbers. Expect a lot of teenagers.


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

[User]
[skyrim] Why is it that nobody tries to do anything about all the dangers on the roads and cities?

I mean, why didn't anyone try to deal with the skooma dealers in riften and the like?

[Assistant]
This is actually a recurrent problem in medieval settings- when the world is huge and your most effective communication/co-ordination tool is "yell", you just have to live with bandits. You send guards patrols (and you see them) but, ultimately, the bandits can just hide in the woods/mountains/etc and there's not much you can do about that.

The best analogy might be, in our modern world, internet conman. Are people trying to do something about them? Absolutely. But, ultimately, there's too much internet, too many ways to hide and not enough people to check all of it. So we just acknowledge it as fact of life.

Same here. People are doing what they can but when there's countless miles of unmontitored wilderness, bandits are just a fact of life.


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

[User]
ELI5: Losing Fat (When does it happen?)

Why can you weigh less when you wake up, and when does fat actually leave your body? Do you process it out (waste) or what?

Edit to clarify: I don't want "how to lose weight" or "your body burns it off". Looking for the biological process of "burning it off" or what happens.

[Assistant]
The actual elements making up your excess weight are excreted through 4 main channels: Sweat, breathe, urination, and pooping.

Most of it, surprisingly, is your breathe. You breathe out CO2. What's the C? Carbon.


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

[User]
ELI5:Why is the 3.5" floppy disk still being used as the Save icon in programs? Hasn't an entire generation now been raised that has never seen, used or had knowledge of a floppy disk?

Wouldn't an icon of a usb thumbdrive, SD card, external HD be more appropriate and culturally relevant?

[Assistant]
That same entire generation you speak of has been raised with the knowledge that a floppy disk icon = save.

Plus if you intend to change universally accepted icons or practices for that matter you will likely run into a lot of resistance. Look what happened when Microsoft tried to "update" the start button.


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

[User] Why does heterochromia seem to be so common in house cats, when compared to other kinds of pet animals?

[Assistant]
Animals are more likely to be born with heterochromia if they have the gene for white fur. Cats just happen to be more likely to possess that gene.

Heterochromia in cats starts when they are kittens. Kittens are born with blue eyes and their true eye colour only begins to show at around 7 to 12 weeks old when the amount of melanin in their eyes begins to change. When an adultcat has blue eyesit means there's an absence of melanin.

The gene that creates white fur stops the melanin from being able to reach one of the eyes during the kittens development. In cats who have heterochromia, the melanin doesnt spread fully through one eye which leaves it partially blue.

As someone else pointed out, Huskies and Australian Shepherds also commonly have heterochromia. Why? Because those are two dog breeds that often have the gene for white fur.


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

[User] [DC] Why is Batman so convinced he'd become evil if he were to ever kill for any reason?

[Assistant] Batman is aware of how unstable he is and how he "isn't a good person". Once you kill, it's easier to kill again. It's really easy to fall into the habit of killing or start doing things worse than killing. It's better to draw a strict line in the sand so that this doesn't happen.


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

[User]
ELI5:the difference between a singer and a vocalist.

My so called musically inclined friends say there is a difference between the two. Suposedly a singer sings in tune and with the music, while a vocalist is like a screamo or rock singer who instead just lays their vocals over a track. I dont fully trust their info. But if this is true then what would a rapper be?

[Assistant]
A singer is someone who sings.

A vocalist is an umbrella term. It could be a singer, a rapper, or a screamer. You only say "vocalist" when you're referring to someone in a band or ensemble that involves other musicians.

For example, it would be weird, but not incorrect, to say that Lady Gaga is a vocalist. She is, but she doesn't really perform with other musicians. She's just her own artist.


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

[User] [Dragonball] Why didnt Future Trunks use the main timelines Dragon Balls to resurrect all the people that the androids killed in his timeline?

[Assistant]
Considering timelines in DBZ are basically entirely separate universe's, I'd imagine Shenron and Porunga's powers aren't strong enough to do so. If they even were able to transcend dimensions (?) like that, there's still the limit on how long someone can be dead and still be able to be brought back.

I imagine going after the Super Dragon Balls would probably kickstart interuniversal combat considering no one outside of U7 Earth would give a shit to fulfill that wish.


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

[User] What happened to Maverick and Goose's F-14 that caused it to go into a spin and lose control in Top Gun? Is it plausible?

[Assistant] When Iceman pulls away to let Maverick take the shot, the jet wash from the engine disrupted the airflow into one of the engines of Maverick's jet. Because of this the engine had a burnout, meaning that it stopped working. Because of this, the plane was not getting an equal amount of thrust. This caused one side of the plane to go faster than the other, meaning that it started to turn (yawing). This yawing action was too rapid and powerful and rapid for Maverick to recover and the plane stalled.


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

[User]
What's the optimal volume of fluid in a cylindrical container to maximize turgidity from shaking the container?

So, I'm cleaning a lot of baby bottles lately.

Usually, we'll use a bottle 2-3 times before it goes through the washing machine.

In between uses, we fill the bottle with scalding hot water and shake it vigorously to give it a "quick cleaning".  What I haven't figured out yet is, how much water is optimal to put into the bottle to create the max cleaning effect through shaking?

If I put in too much water, it doesn't shake around much.  If I put on too little water, it sloshes around without scrubbing the inner surface.

**EDIT:**  Answering a few common questions:

- The bottle is cylindrical, but with rounded corners (and some irregularities at the nipple end).
- Experientially, I've found 1/3 to be a good volume for cleaning.
- Clean, for me, is when I can no longer smell the previous contents of the container.
- Cleaning fluid is just tap water at it's hottest setting (enough to hurt skin, not hot enough for tea).

[Assistant] The maximum volume of fluid which allows for full range of motion- i.e. all fluid moves during a slosh to a place which did not have fluid before the slosh- is 50%. That would seem like a decent starting point for empiric investigation.


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

[User]
How does the body determine how high to raise a fever?

Is it simply just based on the severity of the illness?

[Assistant] Someone smarter will come along... but the body does not really determine how high to raise its temperature in infection. Its really a product of how whatever insult... be it bacteria, virus, fungus etc triggers immune cells to release cytokines (one way immune cells communicate) and the inflammatory cascade. There are times when this process gets out of control and can lead to sepsis and shock that some people won't survive even in an ICU. So... while the immune system is an amazing evolutionary development, it can be over-reactive and set off a "bomb" when a lesser immune response may have been sufficient.


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

[User] ELI5: Why is the skin on our lips a different color than the rest of our face?

[Assistant] Because the skin in the rest of our face has more melanin to give it color. In areas like the lips, theres less melanin, so you can see the blood cells more clearly, and thats why lips look kind of reddish.


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

[User] ELI5: How were subway systems built in cities like NYC, Rome, etc. without the buildings above them collapsing?

[Assistant]
Massive amounts of engineering, and braces are installed in the tunnels as they are being bored out. Usually big reinforced-concrete casings are added to each successive length of tunnel.

There is a lot that goes into a subway system  the tunnels usually have to allow for drainage, and they have to account for the groundwater levels, as well. It complicates things when the groundwater level isnt below the tunnel.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do some big-budget movies, for instance 'The Grand Budapest Hotel,' open only in 'select cities' before wider release?

[Assistant] It serves as a good measure for how big the demand is going to be when they release it nationwide. If it performs poorly in New York and LA, it probably isn't going to be worth it to send 30 prints to Topeka.


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

[User]
Does stomach acid just sit in a pool at the bottom of your stomach? On the ISS, does it form a bubble?

I'm trying to digest the implications.

[Assistant]
Yes, but 'just' is a little misleading because it's also at the top, the edges, and any other nook and cranny that your stomach might be folded up into. As soon as there's unfilled space above the gastric juices, what you actually have a stomach with gas that's ready to come out of you at the first opportunity. That's exactly what happens when you burp!

On the ISS it won't be pulled towards your feet any more, but your stomach will fold down accordion-style so that it snugly encompasses any gastric juices all the same, waiting for the next meal.

(N.B. Off-topic and onto science communication, but a true 'bubble' is technically a grouping of gas particles held together by pressure from a fluid that surrounds them. In that sense, were your stomach to have a lot of gas in it, the gastric juices would potentially be able to float in the centre in the form of a 'droplet'. There'd have to be an aaaawwwful lot of airspace to allow the gastric juice to ball up in the centre and float; more likely it'd just coat the inside of the stomach due to surface tension (maybe a physicist would have a more accurate name for the forces holding it in place), like the soup that's left clinging to the sides of a bowl after you've eaten the majority of it.)


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

[User]
[Heroes] How does Sylar steal powers?

So, the character Sylar cuts open peoples heads and take their powers. When we see him do i on Claire, he scrathes a bit of the brain, but it's not really explained. Also, why does he steal the brains after he's done?

[Assistant]
Sylar possesses a power The Company has come to call "Intuitive Aptitude": the ability to understand something perfectly just from studying it closely enough, to the point of being able to copy it fully.  He can learn anything by studying it closely, including how to use a biological mutation.

Intuitive Aptitude is actually a more evolved form of Empathic Mimicry, an abilty once posessed by Peter Petrelli.  Sylar does not realize this initially however; the ability to understand everything creates a deep desire to know everything, which results in him taking the most direct route: killing people so he can examine their brains directly.  Once he examines exactly how their brain is altered (to allow their power to work), he can use it to its fullest extent.

Since his ability is a more evolved form of Empathic Mimicry, he can still use an empathic connection to access someone's power, but he won't be able to use it on a level of understanding as if he had studied their brain.

However, empathic connections are much stronger than simple learned knowledge:  this is why, even after having his powers "muted" by The Company's efforts in the past, when he regains his base ability, he still has access to Telekinesis.  Although he did study Brian Davis' brain to originally learn the power, it was his first kill.  The raw amount of guilt he felt over killing Brian after just learning his name and ability actually formed an empathic bond to the power, not a simple knowledge bond.

He most likely steals the brain just in case there's someone else like him (in his first encounter with Peter, he recognizes that their abilities work off of the same base).  Beyond his power, Sylar has a drive to be unique - "Special" - and that means he doesn't want others having the same abilities he does.


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

[User] ELI5: how do self-filling/gravity fed pet water bowls not overflow and spill everywhere?

[Assistant]
Same reason when you put your finger over the top of your straw and pull it out of your drink, the liquid doesn't pour out of the bottom of the straw. When you block the flow of air, air can no longer replace the space that's occupied by liquid. This creates a negative pressure zone that essentially holds the liquid in place.

With a gravity water bowl, when the bowl fills up it also blocks airs path up into the tank. This is essentially the same as putting your finger over the end of the drinking straw.


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

[User]
ELI5: How do civilizations first learn a new language

How did the Spanish figure out how to communicate with the Aztecs or how did the Portuguese first start communicating with the Japanese when they'd never interacted with such a language before?

[Assistant]
It's not ask that hard, just more symbol based at first until you catch on. Friend went to Spain for an internship (his company was English based). In the heart of a Spanish speaking country. He would point to a beer he wants, bartends says cerveza? Quntos? And hold up one finger. Uno?  Friend shakes his head. Dos? Friend nods.

From that small interaction he learned how to say beer, how to ask a quantity, and how to count a few numbers.


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

[User] [Epic Rap Battles] What sort of world do these figures live in, and why are all conflicts solved through rap?

[Assistant]
A nexus of time and space only meant for two opposing parties to meet and rap battle.

All conflicts are solved through rap because that's all the continuum exists for. One only goes there to do that. Everyone else is just fated to watch and judge.


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

[User] ELI5: Is it incredible that we only see the same side of our moon or is this common in the universe? Why doesn't it rotate and is there an explanation?

[Assistant]
It's not really incredible.  It's a relatively common situation called "tidal locking".  A bunch of other moons in our solar system work the same way.

Basically the earth pulls on a bulge on the moon slightly stronger which changes it's rotation just slightly over a long time until it matches the orbit and becomes tidally locked.

Pluto and it's moon are actually tidally locked to each other like the moon is towards the earth!


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

[User] [Harry Potter/James Bond] As we know that the Wizarding World maintains an official relationship with the UK Muggle government, under what plausible situations might we see Aurors working in joint operations with agents of MI6 and how might they view one another?

[Assistant]
Most likely none, the wizarding world is very adamant about keeping their community separate from the muggles as much as possible, the only person in the muggle government that knows about wizards is the prime minister and he has absolutely 0 input into the comings and goings of the Ministry of Magic.

Just read the first chapter of The Half Blood Prince and you get a very clear picture of how the 2 governments interact with Minister of Magic only seeing the muggle Prime Minister when they first get elected to fill them in and to give them a heads up when something very serious is happening in the wizarding world that could affect the muggles.

If a job ever got too big for the aurors then there is nothing the muggle government can do to help, just look at the the second Wizard War, and the aurors would view the MI6 agents as useless and prefer to just do it themselves.


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

[User] [Kingsman, The Secret Service] How many people died when Valentine's signal was activated?

[Assistant]
Difficult to estimate.

Assuming 7 billion people, nearly all affected, for...what, five minutes or so?

It's surprisingly hard to kill another person if you're not trained to, and they're actively resisting. However, it's extremely easy to kill someone if you're in a car and they're not. So most people probably had 0-1 kills, but a significant fraction of people could have body counts in the tens or more.

Anyone with a gun could easily get upwards of twenty, depending on ammunition supply and availability of targets.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do they use a hose to splash water during high dive competitions?

[Assistant] It makes the surface of the water visible, so the diver can see where it is as they are aligning to go through it.  If the water was still, it would be very hard to see where it started.  As others have said, it also ripples the surface, giving a little smoother transition from air to water and air to water.


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

[User]
[Spider-Man] If Spider-Man is stronger and tougher than Kingpin, why does it feel like its the other way around?

Every time they fight its like hes fighting the Hulk or something. Every Spider-Man/Woman acts like this, especially Miles in Spider-Verse and Pete in the PS4 game. Are they pulling their punches just to not kill him? While Kingpin himself doesnt care if he kills Spidey or not?

[Assistant]
When Peters identity became public knowledge Kingpin put out a hit on him from prison and Aunt May took the bullet by accident. With zero fucks given Peter breaks into the prison and demolishes Fisk in hand to hand telling him hes just a fat man waiting to die if May doesnt make it. He even threatened to empty his web cartridge into Fisks lungs if that happens and he has to come back. For me that was the defining moment as a Spidey fan that hes ALWAYS holding back and even he can get pushed too far. Kind of like when Superman tells Darkseid hes always held back and people are like paper to him.

Edit: Im pretty sure that was from the Spider-Man Back In Black graphic novel.


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

[User] What does Marshall McLuhan mean by "the medium is the message"? Is this idea useful in current times?

[Assistant]
It is useful, but you need to be willing to extend credit to McLuhan and do some heavy lifting on the exegetical side, mainly since he isn't around to do any of that work himself.

The phrase "the medium is the message" means essentially that a given form of media communicates/transmits something to you irrespective of its content. That is to say, the characteristics of the medium itself carries a cognitive payload. Whether a medium is slow or fast, whether it contains pictures or text or sound, whether it is high or low resolution, whether it is interactive and to what degree, whether it is a private or shared experience, whether it is information dense, and so on. All of these questions can be asked of a given medium without even beginning to consider questions of "content". McLuhan suggests that these characteristics are, in fact, more important than so-called "content" with respect to the effect it has on us and our behavior.


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

[User] Which element on the periodic table WOULDN'T kill me if I drank it in liquid form?

[Assistant] Gallium.  Do a search on gallium spoons for examples of people actually drinking it.  The Wikipedia article for gallium states that "Gallium has no known natural role in biology".  It melts at 29.76 C (85.57 F).


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

[User]
ELI5: Why is everything so cold? Why is absolute zero only -459.67F (-273.15C) but things can be trillions of degrees? In relation wouldn't it mean that life and everything we know as good for us, is ridiculously ridiculously cold?

Why is this? I looked up absolute hot as hell and its 1.416785(71)10(to the 32 power). I cant even take this number seriously, its so hot. But then absolute zero, isn't really that much colder, than an earth winter. I guess my question is, why does life as we know it only exist in such extreme cold? And why is it so easy to get things very hot, let's say in the hadron collider. But we still cant reach the relatively close temp of absolute zero?

Edit: Wow. Okay. Didnt really expect this much interest. Thanks for all the replies! My first semi front page achievement! Ive been cheesing all day. Basically vibrators. Faster the vibrator, the hotter it gets. No vibrators no heat.

[Assistant]
The more atoms vibrate the hotter the temperature. The slower they vibrate the lower the temperature. They can vibrate as fast as they want but once they stop vibrating the temperature doesn't go any lower.

In other words, the lowest temperature means they are standing still. But they can always vibrate even faster no matter how fast they are vibrating right now.


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

[User]
What is it is called when a powerful company in one sector runs an unprofitable business over the long term to capture a market?

I remember learning about monopolies and one subject that came up in undergrad was that a powerful player in one market may do things like sell a cheap way of entry and then more expensive products as accessories. Razor blades, printers, etc. But what is it called when a company that makes, say coal, enters a market for consumer goods like TVs, and sells them way below cost to gain majority market share? So its not a closed system, even if they make a little back on sub auxiliary revenues like expensive repair services or licensing. It could not be profitable without the main revenue stream in coal, and thus no one could enter the market and copy the business model with a better product.

[Assistant]
generally it's called "dumping", from PoV of international trade (and as such you'll see it mentioned in international law - EU...)

in terms of pricing strategy (from perspective of domestic trade and names usually used in management / marketing theory) it's "predatory pricing", which is an extreme form of "penetration pricing" (because of focus on penetration of the market, to quickly gain market share)


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

[User]
I think women should be able to go out in public topless CMV

If men can do it why can't women?  It's sexist.

[Assistant] Where are you from? Because in Canada it is legal for a woman to go topless. Personally think people should be allowed to go naked in public. Obviously not recommended for obvious reasons, but it should still be allowed.


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

[User]
ELI5: What is "irreducible complexity" in regards to the theory of evolution?

I've read a few things but still don't think I get it.

1.  What does the term originate and what does it mean?
2.  Why do creationists use this as "proof" against evolution?

[Assistant]
One of the main ideas of evolution is that small changes add up, resulting in big adaptive changes over time. For instance, fish using fins to crawl across land to new mud puddles, fins get bigger, blablabla legs.

Irreducible complexity is saying, "Well how would a creature incrementally evolve a wing? Half a wing won't help you fly, so it never would have been selected for in the first place. And what about an eye? 'Half' an eye is completely useless, so obviously a creature born with half an eye would not be selected for by evolution."

So, its saying that things like eyes and wings are "irreducible complexity." That is, they cannot be any 'less' and still have function. The conclusion being that incremental changes, as theorized by evolution, would never result in their existence.


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

[User]
[DC] Can superman combine all of his types of vision?

Superman has all kinds of Vision; xray, telescopic, microscopic, infra, EM Vision can he combine them all into or atleast some of them and have some sort of Super Vision?

[Assistant] He can. In the story All Star Superman, Lex Luthor was able to obtain Superman's powers for a small amount of time. While Luthor is powered up, he talks about all of the things he can see, and this leads him to some sort of epiphany about the universe.


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

[User]
[WH40K/The Matrix] Would The Emperor have revealed himself, and if he did, how would he destroy The Machines?

Do his powers as a psyker have any effect on machines? Would he be able to fight them when the war started?

[Assistant]
Being a psyker in 40K goes far beyond being able to read minds and see the future. More powerful psykers can summon warp fire, project their consciousness across light years, crush buildings, mind-control thousands, and manipulate living biological tissue.

The Emperor is the most powerful psyker to ever exist by an extreme margin. Not only would he be able to fight them, he could obliterate every single one of them single-handedly.


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

[User]
ELI5: How are butterflies/moths able to remember what they learned as caterpillars?

There was a study years ago where caterpillars were taught to avoid ethyl acetate by shocking them every time acetate was in the environment.   They let the caterpillars transform into adult moths, and then tested the moths again to see if they still remembered to stay away from the ethyl acetate smell.  It turned out that the moths still avoided acetate.

How is this even possible?  During the metamorphosis, the caterpillar essenntially turns into a liquid goop and the nervous system turns into gloop.  How does the goop get reconstructed into something as complex as a memory?

[Assistant]
> How does the goop get reconstructed into something as complex as a memory?

How does the goop get reconstructed into something as complex as a butterfly?

Well, it never really turns into "goop" in the first place. There's still plenty of structure within the chrysalis. It breaks down what it needs to to form the new butterfly parts, but it's hardly a matter of "dissolve" then "reform". It's a very controlled process.


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

[User]
CMV: Marriage equality (gay marriage) does not threaten or endanger marriage for religious, traditional and straight couples.

Marriage is not in need of protection and gay marriage does not threaten marriage.
UPDATE: Thanks to some posters I better sympathize with why people feel the recognition of an expanded definition of marriage feels threatening. Among other reasons, that is attributed to
\*gatekeeping
\* losing the authority to set the definition as it applies themselves
\* the loss or dilution of legitimization of their religious/moral code
These reasons are difficult to recognize in one's discomfort and probably why it's hard for me (and others) to find the blanket statement of  "'marriage' is threatened " justifiable. Thank you all who participated.
(Edit: if you agree with me, please respect the rules of the subreddit and not echo. I just don't think it's a threat. If you think it's a threat to marriage, I want to know why)

I understand and accept that religious and 'traditional' people might not support marriage for same-sex couples. My view on supporting gay marriage is not up for being changed.What I find no logical support for is the argument that marriage as an institution is undermined or threatened by gay marriage.  A US Representative, in her arguments against the US Marriage Equality Act, pleaded, " Protect religious liberty. Protect people of faith. And protect Americans who believe in a true meaning of marriage."  Since I am convinced there is nothing under threat, traditional marriage still exists and is equally recognized, there is nothing to protect.  I cannot find any legitimate arguments that marriage itself is under threat and consequently becomes a validated reason to stand against gay marriage.

Civil marriage, which is the marriage that is enacted by the government, is rather simply, a legal contract. Originally, one way to keep 'traditional' people happy, from feeling threatened, was to introduce  'civil unions' for same-sex couples that mirrored 'marriage'. To not have to reinvent the \[marriage\] wheel, it makes sense to include any two consenting adults wanting to enter into a civil marriage contract with each other. Religious marriages are defined and recognized by that religion.

Civil gay marriage does not intrude and it does not threaten traditional marriage.

[Assistant]
Historically, "marriage" as an institution was not created as a private matter between two people, or as a love matter. The old and new versions of marriage are representative of the shift from a communal to an individual view of ourselves and of society, and the new version of marriage does threaten the communal view of society, and therefore threatens the identity of those who share that view.

People, historically, have seen themselves as members of a group more than as individuals. In Ancient Greece, banishment was considered a fate worse than death, because you were cut off from the group, from your identity and purpose.

Marriage was part of that - it was primarily a way for two families to become one, as part of a deal between the families. Part of the deal was children, because children ensure continuity, can contribute to the welfare of the new united family, and are a living representation of that union.

A marriage that is no longer about families uniting but about individual people uniting, a marriage that isn't about children, is a completely different thing, a thing that doesn't make sense in a communal society but makes sense in an individualistic one.

That's what religious people are REALLY upset about. A communal society only works if everyone follows the same rules, so when some people are following other rules, that's a threat to their view of the world and identity.


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

[User]
How do scientists know that 1 Billion crab went missing ?

If they are tracking them that accurately it seems like fishing then would be pretty easy, if theyre trying to trap them and just not finding any it could just be bad luck.

Canceling the crab season is a big deal so they must know this with some certainty. What methods do they use to get this information?

[Assistant]
There are a lot of ways you can estimate the population of a species. In fisheries we usually do surveys exactly the same way every year to get a general idea of the population size and trends, and mark recapture studies. If you tag 100 Cod and then next year you catch 100 Cod and three are tagged, that would suggest that you tagged about 3% of the population. Actually it's a lot more complicated because you have to correct for things like the tag causing mortality but that's the gist.

The big one though is catch per unit effort. You track the number of boats fishing in a certain way, how many hours they spend fishing, and how much they catch. If it takes three days at sea for a guy with a fishing rod to catch a Cod one year, and the next year it takes six, the population was probably cut in half.

Obviously 100 fish or one guy with a rod is a tiny, tiny number compared to the amount of data that actually gets collected- it's usually tens of thousands of tags or data from every fishing boat in a fishery. Even that ends up being a tiny sample of a commercially harvested species numbers though, so often fisheries management ends up depending on fairly imprecise estimates of population sizes. It's far better than managing with no data at all though, and a drop of 90% is large enough that they're almost certainly right that the fishery is imploding.


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

[User]
Does having non-academic publications in garbage outlets make you look bad?

I have a popular article I wanted to publish, but it was only accepted at opinion/blog sites (sort of like HuffPo) that will pretty much publish anything as long as it's coherent and well-written.

My advisor gave me some advice when it comes to academia: never publish in garbage journals.  He does a lot of hiring for the [philosophy] department, and he told me that if you have academic publications in journals that will publish pretty much anything, that's a massive red flag.  The way he put it was something like :

"It's better to have published nothing at all than to have published in crap journals.  If you publish nothing, you might have potential.  Your unpublished stuff might have to cycle through the major journals, but it could find a home one day.  If you publish in trash journals, that tells me that somebody (either you or the reviewers) thinks that your work just isn't good enough to publish in a decent journal."

I'm wondering if the same rules apply to non-academic publications.  I don't think any of the stuff I say in the article would hurt me.  It's something I'm happy to discuss with people and to have my name attached to, I'm just worried if people judge non-academic publications like they judge academic ones.

[Assistant]
There's a major distinction between putting something into questionable "academic journals" - like those which have a horrible reputation because they only have a veneer or peer review or because they will "publish" anything if you pay them, and something intended for mass consumption (like HuffPo).

You are tailoring your writing for both audiences, right? Because if you put most journal articles into mass media publications verbatim they simply wouldn't be read.


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

[User]
[MCU] Why didnt Cap Marvel take the gauntlet and just, fly away?

The Sanctuary 2 was down. Leviathans cant fly fast enough to catch her. None of the Black order can fly. neither cant thanos. If a ship from Thanos' army chased her she could have just blasted it into bits.

Why stay in the battlefield when the obvious solution to the problem is to just run away? Wanda could have killed Thanos herself after that.

[Assistant]
Tunnel vision.

One of the biggest problems in any emergency/combat situation is that people become focused on the goal at hand and not the bigger picture.

Carol had been told to get the Gauntlet to Tony.  Deviating from orders wasn't going to happen.


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

[User] Is it possible to cold weld the repelling ends of magnets together? If so, would their magnetic fields align?

[Assistant]
Magnetic fields are due to the spin of electrons within the magnet.  Placing two magnets together would not change the spin of the electrons, so the magnetic fields would not align.

However, over a long enough period of time, if you keep magnets near each other, the magnetic fields from one will affect the spin of the electrons in the other, so eventually the magnetic fields will align.  This can take several weeks/months or even years if the magnets are weak.


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

[User]
[MCU/Dr.Strange] In the film, the sling rings are said to allow travel through the multiverse, yet all we see Strange do is travel to different parts of Earth. Why not use them to open a portal to a timeline without Thanos?

So I found it weird that it is mentioned the sling rings could allow the user to traverse through multiverses, but Strange merely uses it as a teleporter within the current universe, going from point A to B.

Why not use the rings to their full potential and go to a different timeline altogether? Certain threats and outcome could've been avoided that way, no?

[Assistant] The "multiverse" in _Doctor Strange_ isn't the "alternate timelines" kind that's common in sci-fi, where there are lots of universes that are basically the same but with slightly different histories. The alternate dimensions that Doctor Strange has access to are ones like the Mirror Dimension, the Dark Dimension, and the Dimension Where Everything Is Just Hands.


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

[User]
CMV: The Federalist Society is the real judicial "deep state" that conservatives try to claim liberals and leftists control, yet they are actually the ones controlling it.

Six of our Supreme Court judges are members. Every right wing Supreme Court judge appointed in the last 30 years has been a member. They exist at almost every law school and are trying to control future political sentiment by pushing conservative ideals on those campuses. Half of all of Bush's nominees for appellate court judge positions were Federalist Society. According to Senator Whitehouse (could not find independent corroboration) "nearly 90% of Trump's appellate judges, and both his Supreme Court justices, are members of the so-called Federalist Society."

How is this not a judicial "deep state?"

[Assistant]
The deep state implies some sort of hidden government trying to subvert the will of the visible government.

The Federalist Society, and their tendrils in the judiciary, arent hidden and arent subverting anything. Theyre openly the ones in control.


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

[User] [American Dad] So how many people outside of the Smith family know about Roger being an alien?

[Assistant] A couple, but not many. The one that leaps to mind is Bob Todd Williams, the guy on the mountain who makes moonshine in For whom the sleigh bells toll. Roger walks up to him and he instantly goes well if it aint an alien in a wig and roger replies what you say is true, sir.


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

[User] How do astronomers determine masses of planets and other celestial objects? It's not hard to scale their volume, but it's not enough to find mass out. Do they define prevailing materials and substances and speculate on the density to calculate mass using volume or what?

[Assistant] Usually masses are determined by observing the orbits of things around them, in the case of planets it's usually the planets' moons that are used. A lot of stars are in binary systems, and the binary orbits were used to understand the relationship between brightness and mass, which can be used to determine the mass of solo stars. For more distant things like galaxies, we can see how much the light of even farther objects gets deflected by gravity, and use that to calculate the mass.


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

[User] ELI5: How do animators sync video and audio so fluidly?

[Assistant]
It's easier than you think, with animation tools, you can play 1/30 a second of sound to know exactly what sound the voice actor is making, and draw based on that. With practice, you can do this very intuitively. Mimicking the words IRL helps with what mouth shapes you need to draw, and with most animation you dont need to be extremely accurate.

And in most cases, lip syncing is done after the voices have been recorded.


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

[User] ELI5: "The only thing to fear is fear itself"

[Assistant] Fear causes panic. In his famous speech he was stating that we should not be afraid of our enemies but rather be afraid of being afraid. For when one panics they make bad decisions, rash decisions, and lose light of the original objective.


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

[User]
[Harry Potter] Vampires in Hogwarts

After reading the unholy grail of fanfiction about a certain vampire oc, there are little denial that it doesn't actually stick to canon.

That got me thinking, let's say there indeed was a witch roughly the age of Harry Potter who got accepted into Hogwarts. Said girl was so unlucky to be bitten and turned by a vampire yet still lucky enough not to be banned from Hogwarts. (Dumbledore has canonically shown tendency to make exceptions like: Hiring Lupin a werewolf or Firenze a centaur not to mention Hagrid) And that this work wasn't written by Tara Gilesbie but someone who actually knew the Potter universe. How would her life be?

Finally, this witch-vampire will most likely become familiar with the Society for the Tolerance of Vampires at some point in her life.

Edit: After reading the comments, I think another question is: Is their any way for her to survive Umbridge?

[Assistant]
Life would suck.

The witches and wizards of Hogwarts are by and large *not* accepting of even minor differences.  Yes, Professor Dumbledore is progressive and sees the humanity in everyone, but he does not reflect the student body.  The vampire would either have an incredibly hard time trying to hide that she's a vampire, or she'd deal with taunting from the other students.  There would be zero tolerance for her to actually act on her vampirism, if she attempted to bite another student a professor would cast a sunlight spell.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does the campfire smoke keep following me?

[Assistant] Hot air rises...So when your campfire creates warm air, it will rise above it...The cooler air around the fire gets drawn in towards the rising air...Because you are near the campfire your body blocks the path of the air heading towards the fire which causes lower air pressure and thus pulling the rising smoke and warmer air towards you...


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

[User] ELI5 Why do so many juvenile animals, including juvenile people, experience so much hyperactivity?

[Assistant]
All animals must learn to survive as rapidly as possible. One way this happens is through mechanisms in the brain that reward curiosity and learning. When an animal makes new discoveries, it gets a powerful sense of reward.

Over time, animals also learn about dangerous things. That generates fear, and fear tempers curiosity. As a result, animals that live in very safe environments will tend to be very curious. Animals that live in extreme fear will stop being curious.

Babies with protective parents will feel safe and display a lot curious, stimulation-seeking behavior.


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

[User]
[Star Trek] What is the Borg endgame?

Ok, so let's say you're the Borg and you've assimilated the entire universe. Every single sentient being is now part of the collective and is stuck in full BDSM gear and an eye snorkel. What now?

[Assistant] Their end game is perfection. They want to become the ultimate species, and the assimilation of cultures is their means to that end. If they were to actually assimilate every species in the universe, they would probably turn their resources toward full-time experimentation on individual drones, attempting to improve their biology or cybernetics.


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

[User]
ELI5: How come solid state drives (SSDs) are mostly only available at storage spaces of 64, 128, 256gb and hard drives are available at more "rounded" spaces like 150, 500, 600gb, etc.?

Sorry if this is terribly worded, but I couldn't think of a good way to word this.

[Assistant]
Let's say you have a swimming pool and you want to fill it with candy.  How many pieces of candy fit?  Maybe it's 1,000,000 pieces.

You decide that you want to fit as many pieces of candy into the pool as possible without making the pool bigger, so you make the candy smaller (to your five-year-old self a piece of candy is a piece of candy, no matter what size it is).  You start finding ways to make the candy smaller and smaller until you can fit 1,500,000 pieces of candy in your swimming pool.  You tell all your friends about that feat, then you go back and try making smaller and smaller pieces of candy.

That's an analogy for the manufacture of hard drives:  there's a certain physical space that they have and they're trying to fit as many bits on a platter as possible.  When they hit certain milestones they push that design into production.  There's no preference for numbers that are nice and round in binary, so they stick to numbers that are nice and round to humans.

*******

Now imagine you go into the candy production business. You release a pack of candy that has 8 pieces of candy in it.  It's popular, but all the kids on the block want more pieces of candy.  To satisfy that demand you release a package that just has two of the previous packages in it, wrapped together.  This new 16-piece package sells great, so you fix up your machines to make the 16- piece packages the standard.

Over time the demand for candy increases so you do just what you did before:  you tie two packages together and sell that as a new product.  Now you're selling 32-piece packages (which we know are just two 16-piece packages tied together, each of which are two 8-piece packages).

Repeat this cycle several times.  As you move to larger and larger packages you streamline the packaging for the smaller packages ("this unit not marked for individual sale").  Eventually you're selling 64-billion-piece packages and 128-billion-piece packages (where "billion" here is actually 1024\*1024\*1024).

This is the analogy for flash memory (SSD) as well as things like RAM.  You have a design for a single bit of data storage, then you copy/paste that and add a bit of control logic and you have a two-bit memory cell.  Then you copy/paste that and add a bit of control logic and you have a 4-bit memory cell.  Repeat that process a few dozen times and you may arrive at an 8 GB memory chip.  Put a few of those on a board with some control logic and you have a 64 GB drive.

******

The real key difference between these two setups is that with hard drives you have a blank slate on which you try to write as much as will fit, while with flash memory you're constructing the memory cells individually using a repeating pattern.


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

[User]
[MCU] Why did the Infinity Stones punish Red Skull?

We've seen multiple people holding one or more Infinity Stones. We've seen multiple people trying to assemble them. We've seen multiple people using one or more stones for evil/selfish reasons. But only Red Skull was punished for this. Only he was cursed by the stones. Why? Loki tried to do worse things than Red Skull, and he was holding 2 Stones. Why wasn't he punished? In IW, Thanos wanted to kill half the universe, and in EG he wanted to use the stones to destroy the whole universe. Why didn't the stones punish him for this? Why only Red Skull was punished by the stones?

[Assistant]
In a way, Red Skull *wasn't* punished. He grabbed the Tesseract, seeking to use it as a weapon against Cap. He didn't understand its power, so when he activated it looking for a weapon, it opened a gateway and sent him to the most powerful weapon in the universe: one of the other stones.

Presumably he then sat on Voromir for a while, foiled by the fact that the only thing he loved was power & himself. In a way, he made his one punishment.


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

[User] ELI5: How is a saw stop able to tell when a finger comes into contact with it?

[Assistant] It works similar to a lamp with a touch switch. The blade has a very low electrical current in it. It can detect when it contacts something conductive. That signals the block to release and jam the blade in place.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why would a company like Mars modify one flavor of a candy like Skittles and then refuse to go back to the old flavor in the face of monumental backlash?

Were the lime skittles causing cancer or something? Is it somehow incredibly cheaper to produce green apple, to the point that lost sales are less of an issue than the cost?

edit: okay guys i get it nobody who ever takes issue with anything is in the majority, or something. But why would they change to begin with and then *completely ignore* all negative feedback?

[Assistant]
"Monumental backlash" often is nothing more than a vocal minority complaining loudly and often about something they don't like. Those people are also likely to continue buying the product in spite of their vocal distaste.

Mars knows that these people will fade away soon, and they probably haven't seen any appreciable drop in sales numbers, so they're not going to change their minds.


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

[User] If a grenade exploded in space, what would it look like?

[Assistant]
It wouldn't look like very much at all; a grenade doesn't produce much light so there wouldn't be much of a flash and all the fragmentation debris, smoke and gas would be travelling at around the speed of sound, give or take, so you'd see the grenade one moment and the next moment there wouldn't be anything there and if you survived, you might see the sunlight glinting off of a few specks of debris before it was all too far away to see anything.

Explosions in space are a bit underwhelming and tend to be less impressive than they are on Earth where there's an atmosphere to confine the explosion and give it something to push against and interact with.  Without an atmosphere, the energy of the explosion mostly goes into the kinetic energy of the gas and debris, which just whizzes away, never to be seen again.


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

[User]
ELI5 why credit inquries lower one's credit score

If one is simply looking up her or his credit score and is not making a purchase on credit, why does his or her credit score take a hit?

[Assistant]
You may check your own credit rating as often as you'd like with no impact to your overall rating.

Creditors (without your knowledge, i.e., those credit card offers you get in the mail) may check your credit rating as often as they'd like without impacting your overall rating.

Creditors (acting on your behalf, as in you applied for some sort of credit) checking your credit rating **will** impact your overall rating.

The third situation has the potential of impacting your overall credit rating because this type of query is only done when you apply for credit.  The presumption is that if you have applied for additional credit, you are planning on borrowing for something.  The impact of the query is nominal and short lived if you don't borrow the money.  If you do borrow, then your score would be recalculated based on the other factors (overall credit vs debt, credit history, etc.).


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

[User] [The Simpsons] How popular is Krusty the Clown's show? Is he a national celebrity?

[Assistant]
Classic Krusty was a respected variety show host in the 60s-70s. Not so much now a days.

He has a million dollar a day moon rock habit and signs his name to any shoddy product his agent gets his hands on.

So he may be quite well known, but his reputation and career have been damaged by an inflating ego and enabling psychophants.

Mr. Burns is similarly in a rut due to surrounding himself with the same kind of yes men as Krusty but the stakes are higher, so too was his loss.


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

[User] ELI5: Why is it so much more enjoyable to spend hours and hours doing repetitive tasks in a video game than it is at work?

[Assistant]
Usually video games have a reward system in place that you can easily track your progress and see a "real" reward for it in real time. If you grind more enemies, you get more points, new items, new stats, unlocks, etc. Numbers go up. Even on something like Minecraft, you may set out to simply dig a really big hole in the ground with no benefit other than having done it. However, you've set a goal and accomplished it, and that feels good.

Work is often times you doing stuff you don't have a vested interest in. You also don't necessarily have incentive to do the work other than keeping your job and getting a paycheck.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why are tips based on how expensive a meal was?

Why are the tips we give in restaurants relative to how expensive/luxurious my meal was? How much harder is it to carry out a $30 steak from the kitchen compared to a $8 sandwich? I don't get it... Can't tips be a set rate? Or a per person rate?

[Assistant]
At an expensive restaurant you are not just paying for the cost if the food. Part of why you are paying for is food service, ambiance etc. By tipping proportional to the cost of the meal waiters at expensive restaurants will be the ones with the most experience and will be the cream of the crop.

The other reason is that in fancy restaurants the tip has to be split more ways. The guy going around refilling waters, the people who bus in between courses, the people who bring out new fancy silverware depending on what you ordered, all if those people get some of the tip you leave.


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

[User]
What if pixels were hexagonal rather than square?

Hexagonal packing is a more "natural" packing pattern than square packing. Are there any reasons beyond the obvious that modern display screens use the latter?

For example, the rasterization of a horizontal or vertical line on a square-packed display is trivial, but on a hexagonally-packed display, the rasterization of at least one of them is not. But what about an arbitrary line? My intuition tells me that an arbitrary line would have a "better" rasterization on a hexagonally-packed display. Would this carry over to an arbitrary image? Would photos look better with hexagonal pixels than they would with square ones?

[Assistant] A big problem with a hex grid is that straight lines are angled 60 degrees apart, not 90 degrees, and so you can choose high fidelity for vertical lines or horizontal lines, but not both.  This would not be a problem for most images, but fine vector graphics (such as a cursor or a fine border) would have problems.


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

[User]
[MARVEL] Would Ghost Riders Penance stare work on Jean Grey?

Didn't she commit genocide as the phoenix?

[Assistant]
Technically, Jean did not commit genocide. The Phoenix Force created an exact copy of Jean's body, memories, and personality, and used that as a physical vessel for itself - it hid the real Jean in suspended animation. Jean later gained all the memories of the Phoenix during the time it believed itself to be Jean Grey, so in most ways, the difference is pretty academic - the Phoenix was psychologically identical to Jean, and the now-living Jean has all those memories too, so in most ways they might as well be the same person.

However, Ghost Rider's Penance Stare affects the soul, not the mind. Jean's soul was not present when that genocide occurred.


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

[User]
Will the light from my flashlight touch the moon?

It's a dark night, Little urban light pollution. I have a standard-issue flashlight pointed at the moon. Will the beam hit the moon, however weakly? ALSO: when I turn the flashlight off, does the light beam "clip off" and continue its journey or, have I turned off a proverbial lightsaber? What happens to that beam?

Silly questions I've wondered about since about age 5! Thanks!

P.S. I asked this last night but I think I may have submitted incorrectly; apologies if it's a lame repost.

[Assistant]
Photons generated from a standard flashlight can reach the moon - however, from said flashlight, as soon as they are generated they begin to disperse in a cone type form. By the time the photons have defeated atmospheric interference and reached the moon, they are so far spread out and dissipated that they are absolutely imperceptible

When you switch off the flashlight, the photons continue to travel - they don't just disappear. But photons move at the speed of light...so as you say, yes, it does "clip off"

One more edit: local light pollution only effects perception.


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

[User]
[Pirates of the Caribbean] How many generations does it take until Bill Turner's descendant's blood is not pure enough to cure the curse of the black pearl?

Will Turner has half of Bootstrap Bill's blood. Say he had kids who now have 1/4 of Bill's blood, then grandkids who have 1/8, all while Barbosa's crew is still eternally living and feeling nothing.

At what point is the blood no longer pure?

[Assistant] Curses and magic tend to not work like that. Curses usually follow the family until the curse is lifted or the bloodline extinct. As long as you are a blood descent of Bootstrap Bill, then you can lift the curse.


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

[User]
CMV: If your shower thoughts are your most interesting thoughts, you're not taking enough time to just think

Shower thought are known to be these weird or interesting thoughts, that you could only think about about in the shower. My friends were talking about this, and there was a consensus between them that their best thoughts come to them in the shower. There's even a subreddit for these interesting thoughts and revelations that people had while in the shower.

This lead me to think about what makes the shower so unique compared to the rest of daily life, and what about the shower allows for thoughts to flow freely. From what my friends' said, the shower is a time where they can just think and do nothing else, so it gives them the place to have thoughts that are more interesting than daily life things.

This makes sense to me, but if this is the reason for shower thoughts, it also implies that people don't take the time to think about things outside the shower. Not only that, but people have to shower, so the reason to set this time aside to think about stuff is because you have to in order to be clean. Meaning that just thinking about things is not the first priority while taking a shower and it's only a byproduct of needing to stay clean.

So since we've established that the source for shower thoughts is the fact that the shower is a place where you can just think about whatever, I think this means that if you only have interesting thoughts in the shower, that you're not taking the time to just think about stuff. Same goes for interesting thoughts before you fall asleep - if that is the only time you can think freely, you're not investing any time in allowing yourself to think.

I think thinking is so important, and it's numbing to think only about daily life during the day. If I don't have enough time to think during the day I have a hard time falling asleep, since that's the only other time I have if I can't find the time during the day. How are you supposed to lead your life if the only time you get to think is your 15 minute shower?

[Assistant] You could take the time to "just think" and come up with good interesting thoughts and many of these shower geniuses do this. But what makes their shower thoughts their most interesting thoughts  is because they come up with them through different and unique pathways in the brain often giving these thoughts a unique and "interesting" feel. Let me explain. People in general use their sense of sight most of the day and their minds react and think thoughts based on what they see and how they relate to what they are seeing.  You could be relaxed on a park bench people watching and youre doing exactly this. Whatever the other senses of your body are doing your not really registering or consciously thinking about them so separate pathways in your brain that could give you more interesting thoughts (not necessarily better) arent being triggered. When showering, sight is not used as frequently and your less commonly used senses are all being stimulated while in a very relaxed state. Close your eyes, Feel the warm water cleansing your body, smell that awesome shampoo refreshing your hair, become hypnotized as you hear the water splashing onto the floor, think interesting thoughts, and thats your shower. These shower thoughts are thought about and formed differently than thoughts we have 95% of the day, and therefore, are more interesting.


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

[User] ELI5: How come the ISS needs regular corrections to it's orbit so it doesn't fall and yet, there are space debris from the sixties that no one is expecting to burn in the atmosphere anytime soon?

[Assistant]
1. Debris do fall. But some debris (like Apollo parts) are on very high orbit and are unlikely to fall any time soon.

2. Stuff falls because of atmospheric friction. The higher you are - the less atmosphere is there. The smaller you are - the less surface you have for friction.


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

[User]
ELI5: Airbus/Boeing Advertisements, Who are they trying to target?

the A350XWB just delivered to its first costumer today,
this question just popped up in my head,
I have seen Airbus and Boeing advertisements in airports, on the streets, magazines, youtube... promoting how efficient their products are and passenger comfort onboard, etc.
It makes me wonder who are they trying to target? I doubt if any (most, at least) of us can afford one. It's airlines who make the purchase, and their job to promote their products. So, why are Aircraft manufacture like Airbus and Boeing spending millions on those advertisements seem to target the general public? Attract Investors? For public image? I wonder how many people care what kind of airplanes they are taking as long as it takes them from point A to B.

it could also apply to many other things, not just airplanes.

[Assistant] They're trying to drum up public confidence.  It gets people to invest in shares.  Also, when you (and millions of others) book your next flight, you might choose an airline or flight that flies your preferred aircraft, rather than the airline that flies some other aircraft.  This signals the airlines to buy more of your preferred aircraft.


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

[User] ELI5: Why are low poly 3D models made of triangles and not squares/rectangles?

[Assistant]
In the early days rectangles *were* used. A games console in the late 90's rendered everything with rectangles.
However, that was a really bad idea, and triangles are much nicer to work with for a couple of reasons.

First, of course, you can easily make a rectangle out of a pair of triangles *anyway*, so you're not really losing out on anything by using triagles. At worst you'll have twice as many of them. But the trade-off is that they're simpler to work with, so that's really ok.

But the main advantage of triangles is that they are *always* flat. If you pick three random points in a 3d space, you can *always* connect them and the result will be lie on a flat plane. That means you can connect these three points, and know you'll get a straightforward triangle.

If you pick four points at random, you probably won't be able to connect them into a rectangle at all. The four points probably won't lie on a plane, and it's not really obvious what shape would be created if you tried to connect them. It woudl depend on *how* you connect them.

So if you're working with rectangles, you have to constantly watch out for these "broken" shapes and that's just a lot of extra work.

Computers like working really fast with really simple things. And triangles are great for that.


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

[User]
[Marvel] Would vibranium be an be an effective defense against Covenant [Halo] plasma weapons?

If the UNSC possessed it, how would it have changed the course of the war? Would it have made their ships more durable? Would MJOLNIR armor be stronger?

[Assistant]
Probably not by much.

We don't know the melting point of vibranium. We do know it stops kinetic weaponry, but the covenant don't really use those.

Plasma weaponry is extremely hot (wiki says 28,000 C or 50,000 F), it works by melting the hell out of whatever it hits. No matter what melting point vibranium has, it is unlikely to be a perfect insulator. Any vibranium armor, whether it be on a ship or on a person, is eventually going to transfer the heat into the interior, killing and cooking whoever is inside.


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

[User] ELI5: What's the point of the "press any button to continue" screen in some video games, why not just boot to the main menu?

[Assistant]
Artistically maybe they wanted to show a "clean" screen without a bunch of menu options on it. But there's really no technical reason to have one. A bunch of games boot directly to the main menu.

A better question is why are there unskippable splash screens? And the answer to that is that the game is loading in the background, sometimes the menu itself is loading in the background (ex: Just Cause 3, though for a cool reason, because there is no transition from menu to game when you're ready to play, the menu is created from your save file progress... look up a video of it, you'll understand)


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

[User] Eli5 Why do microstates (Liechtenstein, Monaco etc) have such high GDP per capitas?

[Assistant]
So most of these nations are set up as tax shelters. For example, Lichtenstein income tax tops at 8%. Monaco doesnt have a personal income tax at all. Thats your reason.

Another interesting observation, however, is that even if not for this microstates would still probably occupy the upper echelon of GDP per capita. Why? Because the lower sample size you have, the higher a distribution youll get. America used to give funding incentives to schools based on test performance until they discovered both the highest and lowest performing schools were the districts with the least amount of students. Not because they were necessarily doing anything right or wrong, but because their natural variability was much higher. You see this with all sorts of statistics, such as crime rates. Or suicide rates. Or lottery winners. Or population with a PhD, etc.


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

[User] ELI5: how exactly does battery "give power" to a smartphone or laptop? What magic does electricity do to a battery?

[Assistant]
A battery sort of burns some substance, very slowly, in a way that makes the energy come out in electricity, instead of heat.

The basic idea is that you make the chemical reactions happen in two steps, one of which happens at one side, and the other happens at the other side. One reaction needs an electron, which is a particle that has an electric charge, and the other reaction releases an electron. This means that the first step pulls electrons from the first side, leaving it with a positive charge, and the second step releases electrons to the other side, making for a negative charge. And if you have too many electrons in one place, and not enough in another, then you can connect a circuit, like a light bulb or a phone, between the two places, and electrons will be forced through the circuit - and we call this electricity.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why don't we already know everything that's inside the pyramids?

In response to the news about temperature scans revealing "anomalies" in the pyramids that may be additional burial chambers etc. - why don't we already know exactly what's in there?  These are some of the most famous buildings in the world, they are not new discoveries and I don't understand why they haven't been explored from top to bottom by now.

[Assistant] Two people ahve answered that the pyramids are "incredibly complex"- they aren't- they're giant piles of rocks, with narrow shafts and a few small rooms inside.  We know about those because the shafts reach the surface.  There may be other rooms, but it would require tunneling through tons of rock to access them, because there are no doors or hallways to these rooms, and millions of tons of rock on top of them.


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

[User] [Phineas and Ferb] How do Phineas and Ferb get the money needed to create their projects?

[Assistant] The rollercoaster episode shows that the duo are not above making money off of their projects (Phineas dryly remarks that he and Ferb should have charged more to ride it after it unexpectedly gets even more exciting than was initially planned).  Chances are, they're probably funding all of their projects with the *massive* profits they earned from one or more of their earlier ones.


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

[User]
eli5 how does salt support hydration in the body?

Ive always thought that salt actually dehydrates us (which is why we cant drink salt water), but apparently it supports hydration can someone please explain?

[Assistant] In the gut there are water transporting channels.  For them to work, you need energy, sodium and chloride ions (salt), and glucose.  The World Health Organization uses a solution of water, salt, and sugar for cases of severe dehydration from things like cholera.  It's like Gatorade but a lot less sweet.


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

[User] ELI5: Why is raising our hear rate from exercise considered healthy while stimulants are considered bad for the heart?

[Assistant]
The heart rate increase from exercise is self-limiting - e.g. if you over-exert you generally get tired and slow down.  Your exercise pushes to the limits, slowly extends them, but "tells you" when you need to back down.

If you take stimulants you bypass that entire self-regulation system and can easily overdo it.


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

[User]
[Real Time Strategy] Why are rockets so ineffective against infantry?

I think in most CnC games an infantry unit can take quite a few rockets before they go down but much fewer bullets.

[Assistant]
Because this are Armor Piercing Rockets.
If you want kill person with a rocket you use anti personnel one. The one that creates lot of shrapnel. However such rocket are useless against flying and ground vehicles.
So you put in to rocket engine, some kind of guiding system. And warhead that can damage something Like Mammoth Tank.
Adding shrapnels will make rocket to big. So they specialize equipment.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why do doctors focus on LDL cholesterol scores when Coronary Artery Calcium scores are exponentially better at predicting heart disease/heart attacks?

Is there something I'm missing outside of cost?

[Assistant] Because apparently a coronary artery calcium score is an application of a CT scan, which is expensive, exposes your body to radiation, puts you on a waiting list, etc... and you can just get an LDL cholesterol by a simple blood test.


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

[User] [Marvel] Tony Stark has upgraded the Iron Man suit to keep pace with his enemies, but War Machine is just an old Iron Man suit. Why is War Machine still able to compete?

[Assistant]
Tony's got 42 but they're all specialised for specific tasks. He feels like without his suit he's nothing so he needs one for every foreseeable event. Many of them are also just prototypes and not necessarily ready for combat.

The war machine suit is a great all rounder. For a terrestrial and conventionally armed taliban style force it'll do, hell it's great. It's just not designed for taking on Gods and aliens.

By the end of the extremis event Tony realises he *is* more than just a man even without a suit for every single occasion and destroys them all.


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

[User] [Star Wars] Did Tarkin outrank Vader?

[Assistant]
The Sith Order completely outranks the military in the Empire. Even Vader's own words during the meeting were a subtle implication of that:

>*Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.*

The Empire serve the Sith. Vader did not have to listen to Tarkin at all, but did so on a whim or out of respect for Tarkin.

The only exception would be if the Emperor commanded Vader to listen to Tarkin, but in such a case Vader is only under the command of Tarkin by proxy.


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

[User]
ELI5: How can millions of people use the ~400 underwater cables for internet simultaneously?

I'm aware each cable is branched into many many smaller cables but surely there still can't be one cable per person so how is the issue of overlapping data signals solved?

[Assistant]
There isnt one cable per person. Many (many many many) people are taking tiny slices of transmission time in turn.

In addition, if its a fiber optic cable, you can run multiple light beams down one fiber and they wont interfere with each other.

So one physical cable will contain many individual fibers, each fiber can carry multiple signals, and each signal is time shared between a huge number of individual users.


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

[User] ELI5: How does moisture sometimes generate more friction (aiding better grips then dry hands for example) but other times generate less friction (slippery floor for example)?

[Assistant]
Water sticks to surface.

Water glides over water.

When there is a lot of water, water acts as a gliding film between two surfaces.

When there is little water, water sticks to a surface on one side, sticks to another on the other side, but there's not enough water to form the gliding film, thus 'increasing friction' not unlike a double sided tape.


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

[User] Why is there such a massive gap between galaxies? Why isn't the universe just one giant cluster?

[Assistant]
The gaps between galaxies are not all that large. The distance between the Milky Way and Andromeda  is around 2 million light years, and the diameter of the Milky way is around 100,000 light years- so the ratio of the size and distance between galaxies is around 50. Compare that to stars - the ratio between the distance to Alpha centauri and the Sun's size is around 50,000,000.

Galaxies are close enough together that they interact all the time. In fact, we think that the Milky Way and Andromeda will collide in a billion years, forming a giant elliptical galaxy. On the other hand, the distance between stars is so great relative to their size that no stars are expected to collide during this galactic collision.


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

[User]
[Fear the Walking Dead] Why does Mexico seem so much better off than the USA in terms of maintaining a society in the apocalypse?

So, we see some undead in Mexico in FTWD, but... nothing compared to the destruction and infestation in America.

Is it because Mexico is more spread out? More arid, which might contribute to the dessication/decomposition of the undead?

Is it because the cartels have a metric fuck-ton of guns and no hesitancy to use them when "rioters" start feasting on the flesh of the living?

[Assistant]
Mexico is very sparsely populated compared to the states. Outside of a handful of tourist cities and state capitols most of Mexico is about as densely populated as the US midwest. People are there but 40 minutes or more of driving between towns which is equivalent to a days worth of walking or more.

The united states has several differences in consumer products as well that while not a major difference will provide Mexico a slightly better survival odds as supply chains are shorter and many goods like dry milk and non refrigerated food stuffs are more readily available in markets. This means people will be better fed and supplied even if the supply chain collapses unlike many regions in the USA where local production of food is impossible.

But the largest difference between the USA and Mexico in the universe is the response of the public. The Americans were told to evacuate to large cities and protected by the military which unfortunately turned many more people than would have happened otherwise. This makes large cities in the US like turned over anthills spreading the walkers into the surrounding regions. Mexico by contrast is more spread out and the military controlled by much more powerful state governors who could direct them differently rather than following a nationwide mandate. Since their population was so spread out and unable to congregate as easily the military was deployed against outbreaks rather than trying to create a "fortress" against outbreaks.


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

[User]
If the boiling point of water is approximately 100 C, why does water evaporate on an average day?

I'm a third year meachanical engineering student with a basic thermodynamic background, so don't hesitate using scientific terms.

I've considered varying pressures, but the few ideas that I've come up with seem far fetched and not too plausible.

The reason it confuses me, is that a substance cannot change phase without passing it's boiling point and staying at that specific temperature for the duration of the condensation or evaporation. If this is true, why does water evaporate even at low temperatures? Is what I have just mentioned only an approximation?

[Assistant]
A liquid exists at equilibrium with its vapour. At any given point, individual molecules near the surface may have enough energy to break free and enter the gas phase, while gas phase molecules may hit the liquid with little enough energy to be absorbed into the liquid.

When the atmospheric vapour pressure is lower than the equilibrium vapour pressure, obviously water will continue to enter the gas phase until either equilibrium is established, or you run out of liquid water.

Keeping in mind that temperature is the *average* temperature of a substance, individual particles may well have enough energy to enter the gas phase. This also explains why evaporation is an endothermic process (aside from the thermodynamic explanation of the latent heat of evaporation). As the most energetic particles are removed from the liquid, the average energy (and therefore temperature) decreases. The cooler water then absorbs heat from its surroundings, and the process continues.

The boiling point of a liquid is simply the temperature at which its vapour pressure (which increases with temperature) is equal to the ambient pressure. Hence why water boils at much lower temperatures at higher altitudes.


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

[User]
[Doctor Who] What would happen if you threw a blanket over a Weeping Angel?

You can't technically "see" it, at least not directly.  Could it move if you were looking at the blanket?

[Assistant] You technically aren't seeing one recorded on film either, but it still stops moving when you view the image of it. Being 'observed' and 'seeing' something are different, even if it has a sheet on it, you are still observing it.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do children's stomachs look bloated when they are malnourished?

[Assistant] It's called kwashiorkor, and is caused by a protein deficiency. In normal conditions, we have proteins floating around in the blood, which causes fluid to be retained due to osmotic forces. However, this protein needs to be replenished. When it isn't, fluids will pool in the soft tissues of the body, and will cause the bloating effect in malnourished children.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does NASA use russian capsules instead of making their own capsules?

[Assistant] Nasa does not "use" russian capsules, instead they book seats on the soyuz capsules which fly from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. There are currently efforts in the USA to develop capsules, by NASA itself but also mainly by private companies like spaceX and ULA. But as long as these are not fully certified and tested they will need to continue to book seats on the soyuz capsules.


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

[User]
Can other species get Down syndrome/trisomy 21?

Some species dont have 21 pairs of chromosomes but can they get a Down syndrome like disorder ?

[Assistant] Due to the differences in the genomes, there is no direct equivalent to Down syndrome in animals, but they can get trisomies. One example is trisomy 28 in cattle, which is usually fatal shortly after birth or during gestation. Another example is trisomy 16 in mice, which is used as a limited model for human trisomy 21.


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

[User]
[Doom]Where on earth does Doomguy carry his huge arsenal?

I hope its not where I think hes carrying it...

[Assistant]
Weapons that fold down to make them easier for transportation, plus some localized teleportation technology.

Or he summons them with his anger, like an extremely pissed off wizard. It... might explain why ripping a demon apart with his bare hands may turn their blood into bullets and healing items.


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

[User]
Student Evaluation Question

I taught an adjunct class and received poor student evaluations. The comments all cite the fact that the students were told there would be a final only two weeks before class ended. This is true. When I was hired, my syllabus was approved by the Dept head. I was told I should require a full term paper and no final exam. We even sat down together and discussed my syllabus in her office. Then, later in the semester, the Dept. Head changed. Two weeks before the end of the semester, the new Dept head told me I needed to give the students a final exam. I argued bc I knew I would receive poor reviews as this was unfair to the students (who Im sure signed up for the class specifically for its lack of an exam) but he insisted and I complied because I was an adjunct and afraid of angering him. I even remember telling him I cant do that to them; its not fair and him saying something like, you are the professor and anything is fair. Now, I am applying to another teaching position and this is the only class that has student evaluations and my new position asks me for evaluations.

How do I explain this to my new potential employer during the job application? I want to take responsibility but I also truly dont know how else I could have handled this situation. I want to explain the situation but I dont want to seem like Im blaming my Department Head for the bad reviews, though I absolutely blame him. I worry blaming him will look like poor character during a job interview. All poor reviews specifically state this issue as the reason for my poor reviews- and I dont blame them. The students should have been angry. I made it an extremely easy exam but it wasnt fair to me or the students that my boss suddenly told me I needed to do this.

Maybe more importantly, if a situation like this happens again- in which a Dept head insists I change my course or do something I know will be disruptive to the students after the course has already begun- what can I do to stand my ground and refuse to do it?

[Assistant]
For future reference, you could have tried pushing back due to academic freedom, perhaps with the support of a faculty senate, union, or other department members. Or just refused to give in even without such support. Basically, the reasoning behind pushing back is that theyre not going to rehire you with shitty evals anyway, so might as well make a stand for academic freedom.

Can you be selective about which parts of the evals you show?

First semester teaching evals might not be weighted too heavily, especially during the pandemic.

If you do choose to include them as is, make a point in your teaching statement (or cover letter) about the importance of balancing being a team player, with what is best for students learning and the rigor of the class, and that students enjoyment of a class (which is what evals usually reflect) is secondary (or tertiary) to those.


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

[User]
Why do elderly people sound old?

What is it about ones vocal chords/intonation/enunciation that causes them to physically sound older? I can tell when the person who answers the phone is young, middle aged or elderly. Why?

[Assistant]
Voice and speech pathologist here. The aging of the voice is known as vocal senescence. The auditory characteristics that cause a perceptual change in aged voices were studied by Iwao Honjo and Nobuhiko Isshiki in an article in 1978 in the journal Oto-Rhino-Laryngologica entitled Laryngoscopic and Vocal Characteristics of Aged Persons They reported that laryngoscopic and vocal changes in aged persons were examined in 20 males and 20 females whose ages ranged from 69 to 85 years, with the mean of 75 years. From their recorded voices, assessment of voice quality, measurements of both the fundamental frequency, and the pitch perturbation were carried out.
The characteristic findings obtained were as follows: (a) the aged males tended to show a marked vocal cord atrophy and/or edema with a higher fundamental frequency of voice (mean of 162Hz) than that in adult males, (b) the aged females tended to have a vocal cord edema and slight hoarseness with a relatively lower fundamental frequency (mean of 165Hz) than that of adult females.
Vocal changes in senescence are characterized by slight hoarseness or a noticeable change in fundamental frequency of voice.
The change of vocal cords in terms of mass, such as atrophy or edema is considered to be the most responsible factor in the above vocal changes during senescence.


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

[User]
ELI5: How insurance companies can legally not cover your various bills based on loop holes but are not required to pay you back for all your payments over the years?

I have always found this as one of the saddest things about the world we live in today, and never understood it. How can one side not hold hold up their end of a deal and still keep all the payments they have recieved for that service?

[Assistant]
You bought insurance against X.

You didn't buy insurance against Y.

If Y happens, there's no reason for the insurance company to do anything.

If you thought you were insured against Y, this would be frustrating for you, but still nothing to do with the insurance company.

If the insurance company deliberately made it difficult to understand what was and wasn't covered, or even led you to believe that you were insured against Y, now you might have cause to say they owe you something. But it's not having a loophole that would be the issue but deliberately concealing the loophole would be.


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

[User]
[Spider-Man] How did Peter hide his massive new muscle build?

If his transformation was at the level of, say, Captain America, how could he have hid it from his parents? Also, how did he justify not needing glasses?

[Assistant]
Peter never got massive. His strength is superhuman (and technically supernatural in many continuities), so while he's very well toned from his activities, he never got bulky.

Meanwhile, Cap got a boost up to be the fastest and strongest that a regular human could be, a theoretical "peak" human who went from the stereotypical 98-lb weakling to well over double his original weight due to the massive physical gains.


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

[User]
Wondering if theres a specific name for this fallacy...

I have a lot of trouble with thinking Welp. Ive already fucked it, may as well give up completely.

For example, if I get a bad mark on an assignment I lack motivation to keep trying for the rest of the course. My partner has taking to calling it Reverse sunk cost fallacy.

[Assistant] This sounds more like a cognitive distortion than a fallacy.  Perhaps "faulty generalization", "jumping to conclusions", or "negativity bias".  You could look up a list of them online and see which apply to you.


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

[User]
CMV: The play video/movie button (Triangle) should be shown when the video is paused, and the pause button (Two vertical lines) should be shown when the video is playing.

This is a minor UI thing in video/movie streaming services, but it bugs me for some inexplicable reason. Recently, in streaming services like certain versions of Disney Plus, the pause indicator appears when the video is paused, and the play button appears when the video is playing. Let's call this **Type A**. In many other services, the inverse is true: the play button appears when the video is paused, and so on. Let's call this **Type B**.

The reason why I think Type B is better is because the two buttons act as toggles. When you click the play button triangle, the video should play: the action matches the icon that you clicked. When you click the pause lines, the video should pause. In real life, when you press a labeled button, the action that resembles the label is what follows.

TLDR; When the play button (Right facing triangle) is visible and you click it, the video should play. When the pause button (Two vertical lines) is visible and you click it, the video should pause.

I'm open to having my mind changed.

[Assistant]
Type B works for pcs tablets and phones where you interact with the screen (finger or mouse). But for TVs type B makes no sense. There is no toggle, you use a dedicated button.
So if your service is mainly targeted for TVs go with type A.


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

[User]
ELI5: How does the Nintendo 3DS work?

How does the 3DS display 3D gameplay with just turning the switch on?

[Assistant] The screen is displaying two images at once, in alternating vertical columns.  In front of the screen is a barrier that blocks half of the columns.  When you're at the right distance away from the screen, the barrier blocks one image entirely for one eye, and the other for the other eye, creating a 3D effect.  At the wrong distance, you get a garbled mess of both images.  Turning the effect off just causes the entire screen to display the same image.  The barrier is still there, but now it doesn't matter what angle you view it from, both eyes will see the same image.


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

[User]
When a star goes super nova, is the gold fused inside the star's core, or does the shockwave fuse matter in it's outer orbit? Neither/both?

Just wondering. You folks are great.

[Assistant]
The "core" never really fuses gold, as the core is only ever capable of fusing up to iron, and only the heaviest stars will ever get to that point. Smaller stars like our sun can only provide enough temperature and pressure through gravity to fuse up to oxygen and carbon, and then die out as white dwarfs. As gold is significantly heavier than iron, a star's core can never produce it while it's still "alive."

Iron is the point at which further fusion reactions require you to add energy rather than the reaction producing any. That's the point at which the core suddenly collapses and begins the supernova, because the iron is not producing energy pressure to hold up the weight of the rest of the star anymore.

As the core collapses, unless it's so heavy that it collapses straight into a black hole, it stops and "bounces" at the point it creates a neutron star, which can hold itself up through other methods than fusion. The rebound shock wave  briefly produces energies and pressures even higher than the fusion core of the original star. This brief period is capable of fusing the rest of the elements heavier than iron on the periodic table.

However it's funny you ask about gold, because up until now, we didn't think this brief period during a supernova was sufficient to create the amount of gold we actually see in the universe. Very recently, we observed two neutron stars orbiting and colliding into each other. This seems to create enough temperature and pressure for long enough to explain the rest of the gold out there.


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

[User] [Star Trek] We just made first contact! The aliens say our planet is inside something called the "Klingon Empire." What happens now?

[Assistant] You prepare a parade to welcome your new overlords. And thats to buy time for you to stockpile your valuables at the end of the parade route so they don't have to go looting. you don't want them to loot. Welcome to the Empire!