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

[User] ELI5: Japanese business culture. What are its main tenets/unspoken rules? Why is it so different from those of other cultures?

[Assistant]
Most of the Japanese specific stuff relates to business cards and introductions.

Business cards are mandatory. You'll exchange one with EVERYONE you interact with. Bring extra.

When you meet someone, introduce yourself (in Japanese, if you can - practice Hajimemashite), then trade cards. Use both hands on your card, and receive theirs with both hands. Do not put their card into your pocket/wallet/billfold. Leave it on the table for the duration of the meeting.

Don't write notes on their business cards.

Don't shake hands or pat on head/back/shoulder, unless they initiate a handshake (if they're very used to dealing with US, they may initiate)

Other than that, normal business etiquette
- Don't fidget

- Not everyone wears suits, but dress to match their environment

- Don't blow your nose in public

- Don't speak down to your coworkers, or make jokes mocking people/groups. Self deprecating humor works in the US, not so much in Japan.

- When you see hesitation in responses/answers, assume the answer is unfavorable, and they're trying not to dishonor you by saying no directly. If you ask to see a copy of a document, and they say they need to check to see if it's OK, that means no. If you ask if they want to go to dinner later, and they say they have a lot of work to do and they'll follow up later, that means no.


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

[User]
[DC] Why is magic always listed as a notable vulnerability for Superman? Aren't beings like Martian Manhunter similarly affected?

Magic is one of Superman's vulnerabilities, as he isn't weak to it like kryptonite; he just doesn't (usually) have any resistance to magic.

But individuals like MM are the same, right? If a god-tier entity cast a spell on MM, it should work like intended.  Why is magic vulnerability so notable for Superman, as well as other Kryptonians?

[Assistant]
Because so little else bothers them. Martian Manhunter can be disabled (at least mentally) with a flame thrower. Taking down Superman isn't nearly as easy.

When you've got a guy who can tank planet-busting attacks, being able to say "this bolt of lighting will do to him exactly what it would do to a normal human being" is a pretty big deal.

Also, people tend to forget that Martian Manhunter is as powerful (if not more so) than Superman. He mused on that fact himself in one of the JL books. MM can do pretty much everything Superman can, *plus* turn invisible, shapeshift, and control the minds of damn near everybody on the planet. But he doesn't look human, and so people forget about him.


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

[User]
[Harry Potter] Why are there no junk howlers?

Howlers seem to be used solely to shame people in Harry Potter, but their much more obvious (and often, moral) use would be advertising. Even if it's illegal, that doesn't stop scam spam filling people's inboxes. If the issue is that it's towards a crowd, making illegal/dodgy advertising harder to get away with, then howlers could be limited to propaganda; spreading misinformation (or even true information) about commercial or political competitors, without any clear affiliation or even affiliation at all with those its trying to help.

[Assistant]
Theres no point to them. Junk mail needs to reach millions of homes- the 1 person who responds to the ad covers the cost of the 99,999 people who chuck it in the bin without even looking.

The population of Magical Britain is small, and tightly interwoven by marriage and shared experience (work, school, etc.) You cant run a business by alienating 99% of your market to zero in on the 1% who might place an order. Instead, you place ads in high profile areas where the vast majority of wizards end up like Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, and networking by word of mouth.


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

[User] [Wizard of Oz (1939)] How did the Wicked Witch of the West lived long enough to own a castle, lands and form an army while having a fatal weakness to only a few drops of water?

[Assistant]
Its not hard to avoid water, especially if youre some powerful witch with a big ass castle and an army of people who will do anything for her. Also it takes more than a few
drops to kill her, so its not like shell die to a sneeze or a humid day.


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

[User]
[Marvel] Where does Xaviers Institue for gifted youngsters, and its instructors, generate revenue?

Does it charge tuition like other private schools? What about poor mutants that need help? Is it really just a pyramid scheme?

[Assistant]
Professor X's family are known to have been wealthy and he inherited a large sum, as well as the mansion they use as a School. He bankrolled the team for many years but there *have* been periods where comments about the School going bankrupt have been mentioned, so it may be that his wealth is not inexhaustible.

In the past they have received generous donations from Warren Worthington III (Archangel) who has at points been a Billionaire and various members of the tea, including Rogue and Gambit have been shown to have significant amounts of money, so they may help out too.

It is likely that Charles has invested well, having somewhat of an advantage in the stock market and so is able to keep them going, but there is outside help which keeps them going if they need a new spaceship or something.


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

[User]
Do neurons or other cells generate biologically functional magnetic fields?

Just learning about electromagnetism, and Im curious whether anything is known about magnetic fields generated during action potentials.
Do charged molecules interact/move with magnetic fields for functional purposes in our body?

Further, do any human cells use magnetic interactions to communicate? Do any other animals use magnetism to communicate? Is there a magnetic-gated channel perhaps, similar to a voltage-gated channel?

Thanks!

[Assistant]
Yes action potentials induce magnetic fields, as you'd expect with Maxwell's equations. No we don't communicate with them, they're pathetically weak. Some animals are receptive to Earth's magnetic field, but through a different mechanism. If there are receptors, we haven't found them.

The only reason it ever comes up really is transcranial magnetic stimulation, and magnetoencephalography. But they're not the most robust techniques.


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

[User]
Do Utilitarians tend to view punishment itself through a consequentialist lense?

My philosophy professor (who has expressed clear dislike for utilitarianism) said in class that a Utilitarian would support punishing a driver who ran a red light and killed a pedestrian more than a driver who ran a red light and didn't kill anyone. According to her this is because Utilitarians would assign moral blame based on the extent someone's actions have caused suffering or happiness. She claims this is a good argument against utilitarianism as it is unfair to punish someone more just because factors beyond their control resulted in more harm.

Although I am not a philosopher (or even a philosopher major) I disagree with this. In my view, a Utilitarian would view punishment itself through a consequentialist lense, and would opt to punish both drivers equally because they would view punishment as a tool to prevent the harmful behaviour (running red lights).

What do Utilitarian philosophers tend to think about this question? Would they opt to punish the person who did more harm more, or would they opt to punish both drivers equally for the reasons I stated above?

[Assistant]
The utilitarian will opt to dole out punishment along utilitarian lines. So, if that means punishing the person who killed the pedestrian more, then they will do that. If it means punishing them equally, then they will do that. If it means punishing neither of them, then they will do that. Etc.

Precisely what kind of policy will produce the most utils is an empirical question that we would have to investigate. We probably can't resolve this empirical question from the armchair. Maybe it is the case that punishing the person who kills the pedestrian results in the most utils-- like, maybe doling out punishment in this way deters driving in this fashion, creates a sense of happiness among the population, etc. Or, maybe it turns out that punishing everyone who runs a red light equally results in more utils. Or maybe the most utils result from some other policy. The point is: the utilitarian will be a utilitarian about blame and punishment.


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

[User]
[Marvel] Is there a criminal that Punisher wouldn't kill?

Let's say that i'm a dealer, i sell weed, LSD and similar non addictive drugs. I don't kill anyone, don't force anyone, just a regular dealer selling in raves and such; would the Punisher kill me? I know he wouldn't come looking for me unless every other crook is dead, but we cross paths in a party and he catches me dealing, what's the result?

[Assistant] Generally Frank reserves punishment for people who kill, destroy lives, and so on, and otherwise will never see justice done to them. So he might pound on you a bit if he needed something from you and you weren't cooperating, but if you recognized him, respected him, and did what he said, _and_ weren't a scumbag selling to kids or taking advantage of your customers, then he'd probably let you slide. You wouldn't be worth his time.


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

[User] [Ferris Bueller's Day Off] What did Cameron's dad do when he discovered his Ferrari was destroyed?

[Assistant]
Dad never spoke to him again.  Dad sued the architect, the window installer and the glass makers for the obvious fail of their break proof safety glass. He also sued the company who sold him the car because cars shouldn't be able to just drive off with no one in them.

Cameron spent the last of his high school days in a military school. He's currently the leader of a splinter quasi-military junta in South America.  They have complete possession of almost 100 miles of beachfront property and are beloved by thousands of villagers.


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

[User]
It is said that if all human scientific discoveries were lost, they could be rediscovered; is this true of philosophy too?

Would humanity, supposing we lost all of our philosophical knowledge, rediscover the same philosophical concepts that we had before, or would something different arise?

[Assistant]
Something different would arise. According to Hans-Georg Gadamer, the way we see the world and read the world is dependent on our culture and tradition. If we lost that tradition, we could not reconstruct the same tradition.

However, we could come up with some of the same concepts depending on your philosophical view. If you believe in Aristotelian natural law (that all knowledge is inscribed in nature) you could reason out the same concepts.

Thus the answer to your question depends on your point of view. If philosophy is a product of culture, then no. But if it is a product of nature, then yes.


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

[User]
Would a great scientist or intellectual be able to skip the rungs and jump straight to the top of the academic ladder or does he have to rise up as everyone else?

Suppose you are an ordinary person to the world but secretly you are a genius and you discover or create something extraordinary that puts you on par with Einstein, Newton etc. However you are not famous in the media or in the international scientific community and you live a low profile existence.

In such a case would you have to start from the bottom of the academic career ladder and go up the rung at the same speed as the rest of the academics/lecturers? Or would you be quickly sent up at the top (like from lecturer to full professor)?

PS: I meant jumping from the bottom of the academic career ladder to the top with groundbreaking work. I did not mean becoming a tenured position from a contractual one.

[Assistant] With a combination of talent, charm, and being in the right lab at the right time, people sometimes get to skip the postdoc phase and go straight from Ph.D. to tenure track.  It's rare, but it happens.


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

[User]
[Outlaw Star] Questions about Caster guns.

Do I need a special skill set to use those guns? Is there more than one model of gun? Could I make the shells in my basement? How hard would it be to make fake shells for a quick buck?

[Assistant]
>During the Fixed Star Era, Caster shells were created by wizards who used mana as their primary source of power. When mana began grow scarce, the wizards attempt to harness its power within specialized cartriges. However, caster shells only proved to be a temporary solution to a persisting problem. Caster shells and their weapons eventually fell to wayside and became antiques in the Toward Stars Era.

These things are antiques over a hundred years old harnessing the already disappearing magics of a planet and loading them into shells.

Caster guns = Spell Caster guns

Its literally a magic bullet rated 1-20 on strength. You could try to make fake shells but the people peddling these weapons are not people who you want to have pissed off at you. Unknown whether or not there is a litmus test to discern real from fake but presumably if its magic based there must be some way of an experienced user to be able to tell if its legit or not.


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

[User] ELI5: What does the North Korea nuclear weapon testing mean for the rest of the world?

[Assistant]
First problem is that NK having nuclear weapons combined with the fact that one dictator with no one to put him in check is in control of them means that he could lose it one day and hit SK or China with a nuke.  Probably unlikely unless some nation tries to take him out and he gets pissed.

The more likely bad scenario is that NK could and probably would sell nuclear weapons and/or nuclear material.  The world has yet to see a terrorist attack using a nuclear weapon.  The more crazy, power hungry people in this world that have access to them, the more likely it will be to happen.


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

[User]
[Stranger Things] The Mind Flayer is the most powerful being in the show. So why is it difficult for him to pass between dimensions?

In season 1, the Demogorgon could easily pass between dimensions without having to use the Gate in Hawkins Lab (the Buyer house, the forest, Hawkins Middle School, etc.).

Eleven was able to open the Gate in season 1 and eventually close it (when its much bigger) in season 2. It was by accident in season 1, but still impressive.

And later in season 3 the Russians made a machine that opened the Gate. Or at least cracked it open enough for the Mind Flayer to reawaken part of himself to enact his plan.

So its *relatively* easy for a portals to be made between the Upside Down and Earth (at least in regards to the Demogorgon). So why cant the Mind Flayer make a portal like the Demogorgon does?

[Assistant]
Because "power" isn't usually monolithic outside of Dragonball Z. The Mind Flayer might be powerful, but for whatever reason it has a hard time moving fully between dimensions - its own power might be working against it here. maybe it won't fit through the smaller gates we see, or they won't last long enough to let it pass through without collapsing.

Example: In Warhammer, larger daemons are more powerful, but are harder to summon and can't stick around as long without the intervention of powerful magic or abundant fuel(skulls for Khorne, warp stuff for Tzeentch, etc), and the big four can't come through at all - reality just can't support their existence.


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

[User]
CMV: You can't ban vaping without banning cigarettes too.

Vaping is new (\~10 years old) and when using the legally acquired (lab made) liquid/cartridges, has proven to have some health effects, but fairly limited.  Understandably, the research can only be as old as the tech, but I feel \~10 years is a decent amount of time to determine health affects.  Most of the news headlines of late have been of people dying/getting sick from vaping cartridges that people either:

A.) Made at home in their kitchen using substitute ingredients.

B.) Bought from their dealer (THC cartridges) where their dealer made them at home using substitute ingredients.

C.) Bought from knockoff websites where the cartridges were made in China using substitute ingredients.

Cigarettes on the other hand have a proven track record of cancer, heart disease, and sickness.  I don't understand the huge outcry to ban vaping, when cigarettes are clearly worse.  I hear all the time "yea but we know what cigarettes are going to do, we don't know what vaping will do."  Seriously?  That is the lamest argument I've ever heard.  That's the same thing as saying "yea we know Product A ***will*** kill 100,000 people this year, but WE KNOW THAT.  Product B ***might*** kill a small unknown number of people, but it can!" How is that a valid argument?!  It reminds me of the Joker in The Dark Knight Rises... " *You know what I've noticed? Nobody panics when things go "according to plan." Even if the plan is horrifying! If, tomorrow, I tell the press that, like, a gang banger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it's all "part of the plan". But when I say that one little old mayor will die, well then everyone loses their minds."*

There's \~10 years of research that shows limited health effects, and vaping has proven to help people kick cigarettes, which is clearly the more detrimental of the two.  The only reason people are out to ban vaping at this point is because of these clickbait headlines that don't fully explain that most of the cartridges people are getting sick from are either HOME MADE or KNOCKOFF.

If you're going to ban vaping, how would cigarettes not be a part of the same ban?

The reason vaping and cigarettes don't get lumped together is that everyone knows selling cigarettes will never be banned.  So why attack vaping?  Because children are buying the pods?  Attack the convenience store owners then, and inept parenting skills.  But banning vaping is not the answer.  Vaping has helped tens of thousands of cigarette smokers move away from cigarettes, while still allowing them to indulge in a habit that they might enjoy.

Aside from that, I have a rather libertarian political view.  Personally, I think all drugs and prostitution should be legalized/regulated/taxed.  I don't think the government should tell anyone what they can and cannot put in their bodies.  Make the companies put warning labels on things, sure I support that.  Educate people on PROVEN health effects from LAB MADE products, sure I support that.  But the government shouldn't be able to tell anyone what they can and can't put in their body.  Cigarettes and vaping are included in that.

[Assistant]
You shouldnt look for logic when it comes to banning stuff.

Bottom line... they **can** ban vaping without banning cigarettes. End of discussion.

Is it hypocritical? Absolutely! Does it make sense to ban something that is inherently more dangerous? Yeah!

Your point is?

Your view should be something along the lines of If you ban vaping, you should ban cigarettes as well.

But saying the government cant when they absolutely can really doesnt leave any room for discussion, because they can.


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

[User] When Nietszche said The thought of suicide is a great consolation, by means of it one gets through many a dark night, was this a reference to the Stoics' permitting suicide as an option, a contemplation on nihilism or something else?

[Assistant]
I think he simply meant you always have the opportunity to end your life, if things turn too worse for you to handle. You have to remember he dealt with severe pains of unclear origin during most of his adult life, why the thought of suicide probably felt close at hand.

Other than that the quote clearly establishes him as the first edgelord of modern thought.


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

[User]
Why does the immune system not kill the cells that are producing COVID spike proteins in an mRNA vaccine?

My understanding of mRNA vaccines is basically that there's a piece of mRNA encased in a bit of fat as a delivery mechanism.  This mRNA finds its way into human cells.  The mRNA is read by the ribosomes, spike proteins are made, some of those spike proteins are sent up to the surface of the producing cells, the immune system reacts to those spike proteins and then is primed to kill anything presenting those proteins in the future.  In non-replicating mRNA vaccines, the mRNA eventually degrades and stops being used by cells after a couple of days to make spike proteins.

My question is about how the immune system reacts with the cells presenting spike proteins themselves - wouldn't the immune system, once sensitized to the spike protein, then seek to kill the cells being used as spike factories?  If that is the case, is that a problem?  Would the immune system ever get sensitized to other characteristics of the producing cells and result in possible autoimmune issues?

[Assistant] The main class of cells that take up the mRNA vaccine are dendritic cells, which are members of the immune system, namely antigen-presenting cells, that sit in muscle tissue. These dendritic cells then produce the spike protein, move to the lymph nodes and teach T-cells there how to recognize pieces of spike and B-cells how to produce antibodies against spike.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why are green bell peppers so much cheaper than all the others?

Last time I was at the store, I noticed red, yellow, and orange bell peppers cost twice as much as green ones.  What's behind the price difference?

[Assistant]
There are more green ones.

All of them start out green and only turn yellow or red when fully ripened. Theyre literally the same thing.

Selling fully ripened produce is a dangerous game since the shelf life is inherently shorter, therefore stores prefer to sell less ripe produce so that theyll keep longer and go to waste less. Thats why people buy bananas that are still green, so theyll last several days and still be edible.

From a farmer/wholesaler standpoint, allowing peppers to ripen is a waste of time and resources and introduces numerous variables that could end up costing money. So only a small amount of them are allowed to fully ripen, and then those cost extra due to their scarcity.


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

[User]
ELI5: How are 'normal, healthy' emotional and psychological behaviors defined? Is it purely based on statistics? An extreme example might be that most people behave a certain way, ergo psychopathy isn't normal?

Having just watched Louis Theroux's latest documentary, By Reason of Insanity, it occurred to me that I'm not aware of how it is we've come to define or establish 'healthy, normal' emotional and psychological patterns. Is it purely based on statistics?
I'm a very emotional individual myself, but I don't have the capacity to decide whether my thoughts are 'healthy' or not. It seems like there must be certain parameters to gauge what's 'acceptable' from a psychological standpoint.

I'm very passionate and I cry easily (almost always happy tears you might be pleased to know!) I find literature, music and movies to be especially moving. I'm far more empathetic than most people I know. Societal pressure tells me this isn't 'normal' for a straight adult male. I went through a few years of depression at the end of my teens, but I feel very far away from that now. Short of crying bittersweet tears when I see how much Apollo loves Starbuck, I don't have a history of mental or emotional problems (to my knowledge!).
All this considered, it seems somewhat arbitrary; so how do we decide what positive and negative emotional and psychological processes are?

[Assistant]
I think it's important to note that normal != healthy. They sometimes overlap, but some normal behaviors are detrimental in modern society, while some weird behaviors can be more beneficial than their normal counterparts.

Normal would be statistically determined, while healthy would be determined by the effects, either for society or the individual.


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

[User] ELI5: How is water 'purified' naturally (where it is safe to drink)?

[Assistant] Well, mainly the water cycle. Evaporating water then it falling back to the ground esentilally gets rid of any impurities. The rivers through which the water flows generally have been washed out by previous water, which pretty much cleans the actual riverbed of most impurities that may be loose, therefore it becomes mostly clean. Of course it is not completely clean, some impurities are still there, but they are few and far, assuming no one has dumped any shit upstream. And as the saying goes, still water is bad water, but moving water is generally safe. Really, humans are the main reason many streams these days are no longer drinkable.


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

[User]
Is a black hole's event horizon formed instantly or does it take time to radiate from the singularity?

*edit* Also would this be a physics or astronomy question?

[Assistant]
The horizon does not radiate from the singularity. The horizon always shrouds the singularity in the past. This means it is always *before* the singularity.

The horizon forms at the centre of the collapsing mass while the collapse is happening, then grows as collapse continues, eating up more and more of the mass. As soon as there is no more mass left outside of the horizon, it stops growing.


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

[User]
Why do photons behave differently in different frames of reference than classical objects?

There is an observer A on the sidewalk at night. Person B is in a moving car passing by A with velocity 30 km/h and throws a ball in front (through the open window) with velocity 20 km/h in reference to the car. Ignoring air friction, A will observe the ball moving at 50 km/h.

Now B does the same thing but instead of throwing a ball they project light with a flashlight. If observer A measures the speed of the light B emitted, it would be *c*, just like if a third person C would emit light from the ground. I know this because I've read that light always travels at the same speed through vacuum (remember we are assuming no air friction). But I don't know why.

Why do photons always have the same speed in reference to any frame of reference?
Why is it not the case with classical objects?
What would be the speed observer A measure if the ball was thrown at 250 000 km/s and the car was travelling at 100 000 km/s?

Thank you.

[Assistant]
There is one relativistic formula for the addition of velocities that covers all cases.  Given an object moving at velocity v relative to an object moving at velocity u, the net velocity of the first object to an outside observer is NOT u+v, but rather:

(u+v)/[1+uv/c^(2)]

At low speeds, this will be *very* close to u+v, and if v is the speed of light then so is that whole expression.


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

[User]
CMV: Modern education must focus on interpreting and applying information rather than simply memorising it.

Most information taught in school is completely redundant and of little practical use. Today in the age of intrrnet, we have access to any piece of information we want, so there is no point in memorising it. If randomly i needed to know the boiling point of ammonia, i wouldn't rely on my memory from 8th grade, within a few clicks i would have it in front of me.

There are already free and certified courses for all types of studies. Rather schools should teach how to better understand what is available online and make sure only accurate and proper information is taken. This will also help students explore on their own and come up with different ideas, not cramming the same paras.

Students should be encouraged to access information on their own and how to do it, this will also make them better understand internet as a whole and all its antiques along with what you can trust and not.

Edit: I dont mean to completely scrape away memorisation. At an elementary level itis important. But certainly not for like 85% of your education.

[Assistant]
I agree that utilising the internet and research should be a key part of modern education - but we dont want to rely so heavily on it that noone can cope anymore in the event of an internet outage, solar flare activity, etc.

But also without understanding how things work, there would be no advancement in the future. You would just be left with people who are great at research facts, but not at developing the understanding needed to come up with more theories, ideas and advance the human race and our technologies.


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

[User] ELI5 - Why do our mouths produce that little bit of saliva before we have something sour?

[Assistant] Because the extra water diluted the acid. The taste of sour is acid. Doesnt matter if it is citric or hydroflouric. They will all produce a sour flavor. The acid can destroy your teeth and damage your flesh so having it be more dilute is a huge help when dentists dont exist yet.


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

[User]
[marvel] lack of superpowers is causing issues with girlfriend, quickest way to get some.

I met a girl online, and she neglected to mention that she spends most of her time green; if you take my meaning. at first I was a little intimidated, but I got over it and things were awesome for a while. Now though we've run into some practical issues. I can't really keep up with her in bed, and it's putting a bit of tension into our lives that I'd rather not have.

so what's the easiest was to get some power? I don't plan on doing any hero work, I've just noticed Hercules keeps texting my girl; I trust her, but I'd feel a lot better if I didn't have to compare myself to him like that.

[Assistant]
Mutant Growth Hormone is available on the streets as an illegal drug, as are any number of nastier enhancement therapies. Most are addictive or have nasty side effects.

If you think you might be Inhuman in heritage, take your chances and catch up with the Terrigen mist currently making it's way across the US.

There are any number of companies that will accept you as an experimental test subject, but the results are often risky, and of course, they come with considerable strings.

Gamma irradiation is a dice roll with *very* bad odds. You can also try to duplicate other heroic origin stories, but for most humans they generally end in death. maybe you have the special genetics that might allow you to be empowered, though.

Anyone can learn magic, the problem is finding someone to teach it, and being able to pay the price of scholarship.


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

[User]
[Marvel] What possible scenarios could cause Spider-Man and Captain America to intensely fight, ala Civil War?

These two characters seem like the two moral centers and hearts of the Marvel universe. But both also have notably different upbringings, experiences, perspectives, and personalities.

Could be a government action like the Superhero Registration Act, or it could be any situation they're involved in. Anything that would make them fight each other and mean it.

[Assistant]
Peter has a soul. He has eye for people. Cap has eye for people but is more a the good of the many guy.

While cap wont condone killing normally, he is a soldier. And sometimes.. what needs to be done needs to be done. Peter isnt a soldier.

These are grounds a conflict could be build on.


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

[User]
[Jumper - Movie] How did they control Jumpers in ancient times?

Jamie Bell, the other Jumper, says the Paladins have been hunting Jumpers down since the middle-ages, and that the Inquisition and witch-burnings and such are just Paladins killing Jumpers. But... How?

It seems the only thing that can stop Jumpers from just teleporting away is electric shocks, so how did the Paladins even kill a single Jumper in the times before electricity? Nevermind tying them up and burning them alive?

[Assistant]
I imagine they caught much less in that time period. It's worth mentioning that while jumpers can move anywhere on earth, they  need to see the place they jump to or have a memory of it. Without cameras there are no pictures, without pictures a jumper would either have to make smaller jumps in one direction until he got where he wanted to go, or have already gone there before. This means that generally speaking in those time periods a jumper would probably only jump around within a short distance of maybe one or two towns.

If the paladins had a group set up in each town trained in tracking down jumpers the jumpers would consistantly be on the run and would basically have to live in the wild to totally avoid them.

tl;dr it's harder to catch jumpers but at the same time jumpers have less places to hide.


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

[User] ELI5: What exactly happens when you use the eco buttons in a vehicle? In what way does it reduce the amount of gas you waste??

[Assistant] It switches the priority of your onboard computer to efficiency over performance. Usually that means reducing the throttle and shifting the gears earlier when going up. There are other methods that vary by brand, Volvo will disengage from the transmission when coasting, Toyota and Hondas reduce the power of comfort features like AC or heated seats.


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

[User]
Now that it is Spring, how do plants know it? Do they have temperature sensors?

Or does the viscosity of the sap change with temperature so that above a certain temperature, it starts to flow again?

[Assistant] Plant hormones are triggered by rising temperatures, especially in seeds. For established plants a more important trigger is the change in hours of light. They can detect that spring has arrived as they get more sunlight hours.


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

[User] [MARVEL] if Bruce Banner had a dream and in the dream got angry about something would he turn into the hulk?

[Assistant]
You ever catapulted awake from a nightmare?  Cold sweat, heart racing, eyes immediately adjusted to the darkness, breathing at a breakneck pace, all that?  The dream might not have been real, but the physiological fear responses are.  Which means that (at least on some baser level) your brain was *absolutely convinced* that you were facing something terrifying.  It's the same way with dreams that leave you with any emotion; happiness, sadness, confusion, jealousy.

Rage.

There's a reason Bruce Banner sleeps alone.


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

[User] Eli5 How do animals treat a rabid member of their pack?

[Assistant] It depends on the type of animal, but for rabies, the infection often spreads too effectively for the rest of the pack to avoid it. If a pack member is infected, and starts showing clear signs, it is often too late for the rest. If, against all odds, a pack member stands out with clear symptoms in an otherwise healthy group, the sick individual will be driven away from the pack.


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

[User]
[Doctor Who] I am a Timelord searching for leftover Tardises after the Time War. Are there any left? Where will they be and how will I find them?

Additional information: This is after Gallifrey's destruction(!) in the Time War. I have access to a damaged Tardis of my own, but I'm eager to find any leftover Tardises for spare parts, as backup Tardises and to prevent them from falling into potentially hostile hands.

Are there going to be any Tardises left over? How can I search for them?

Bonus question (yes I know the roleplay is corny but sub rules are sub rules): Since you're all seasoned time agents, are there any specific incidents you remember where a Tardis was abandoned somewhere? I don't have access to records that could indicate any known lost Tardises, but you might.

Thanks for reading.

[Assistant] Here's your biggest issue: a functional TARDIS has a functional Chameleon Circuit and blends into its surroundings.  You're looking for things that are specifically designed to not be found.  You might get lucky, very old ones often develop a personality after a while, and one might *want* to be found, inverting its perception filter to stand out rather than blend in.  Otherwise, you're stuck looking for odd little things that seem just a little out of place.  A door where there shouldn't be a room or a phone booth that remains on a corner decades after they've fallen out of use, and those are the easy ones.  There could be a TARDIS hidden under some couch cushions or in a sarcophagus or and old wardrobe.


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

[User] [MCU] What is the current lineup and legal status of the Avengers?

[Assistant]
Iron Man, War Machine, and Vision are Avengers under the Sokovia Accords.

Captain America, Winter Soldier, Falcon, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, and Ant-Man are currently fugitives and are no longer Avengers.


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

[User]
Do insects heal from injury?

I drive a big rig for a living and I massacre a fair number of bugs each day. I have often wondered ... do some of the bugs bounce off and survive, and if so, do they heal?

It may seem like an obvious answer (of course they do!) but I'm just not sure. Most insects, as far as I know, have a fairly short lifespan, and have fairly narrowly-targeted behavior: be born, grow, morph, reproduce, die. What I'm wondering is - with such a short lifespan, did they evolve sophisticated systems for healing themselves from injury? Or even simple ones? Or did evolution go down the other path, and simply decide that something so numerous and relatively cheap to manufacture needn't bother be self-repairing?

[Assistant] To some extent, yes they do. Insect 'blood' will 'clot' in a manner analogous to mammal blood, and for similar reasons. But the kind of injuries an insect might sustain hitting a moving vehicle are unlikely to heal successfully. Insect exoskeletons don't heal in the same way as our bones, and in the case of an adult flying insect the animal isn't going to moult again, and so anything but a minor injury to the exoskeleton is probably not going to end well for the insect.  In the case of an insect which is going to moult again, it is possible for a damaged appendage to grow back inside the exoskeleton and then be exposed after the next moult. This is more noticeable in spiders - if you notice a spider with one leg shorter than the others, it probably lost a leg when younger, and then regrew it.


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

[User]
[The Legend of Zelda] I know why there are multiple Zeldas and Links, but why are there multiple Beedles throughout the games?

I'm not that well-versed in Zelda lore, but I know that this loop Hylia, her Hero and Ganon are in is because of the curse Demise cast on Link and Zelda in *Skyward Sword*, so they reincarnate and are apparently destined to keep fighting each other for the rest of time. But why do we see Beedle in multiple games? Did he also have a curse cast on him or something?

[Assistant]
Demise's curse only extended to Zelda and Link. Only they were bound with him in the cycle of reincarnation, struggle, and death.

Over countless cycles, however, other bits of Hyrule were dragged along with them. Their footsteps, repeated over and over, began to wear a trail into reality. Patterns started to emerge, and as they did, it became easier for future cycles of struggle to fall into those patterns. Link travels across Hyrule, helping those in need and collecting objects of power, because that's what happened before. Zelda is born a princess who becomes learned in magic, because that's how Zeldas have always lived.

Gradually, as the pattern became more entrenched, other bits got swept up in it. The Gorons challenge the Hero to a contest of skill, strength, or wit. Impa, the teacher and protector, watches after the
Princess. A ruler of unusual power and ambition is born to the Gerudo of the deep desert. Even the kingdom itself is tied deeply to this cycle, persisting unnaturally long when it should have long since crumbled, reformed, or been replaced with something else countless times. It's become necessary to the great Story, and fate preserves it so the story can play out, again and again. There *is* a kingdom of Hyrule because there *has been* a kingdom of Hyrule, and there *will be* a kingdom of Hyrule.

Beedle is just one of countless bits of flotsam caught in the currents of fate, doomed to endlessly resurface with the Hero, the Princess, and the Tyrant: his role is the Merchant, who barters with the Hero.

This continued without end until the King of Red Lions allowed the ruts in fate to be smoothed out, mercifully washed clean in the divine Flood.


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

[User] [Pokemon] Do grass type pokemon have animal or plant cells?

[Assistant]
Both! Well, sort of. Depends on the Pokmon. The plant bits have plant cells, and the animal bits have animal cells.

Some, like Paras and Bulbasaur, are host to plant symbiotes. (or parasites)

Others (Torterra) simply carry plants around with them that aren't actually part of their physical body. (Although you could definitely lump them in with the first group)

Then you have Pokemon that are pure plant (Weepinbell, Carnivine) or pure animal (Virizion, Snivy)

Finally, some grass-types (like Oddish or Gogoat) simply have plants growing off of their bodies that are connected to them on a cellular level. They're as much plant as they are animal.


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

[User] ELI5: Why can some animals, like squirrels and birds, understand the concept of cars but others, like deer, cannot.

[Assistant] I don't think animals understand concepts like motor transportation. Maybe you mean why do some animals dodge or avoid incoming traffic while deer stand still? It most likely has to do with evolved responses from threats. Squirrels and most birds are prey to ambush predators and must evade by quickly reacting. Deer are prey to mainly pack animals and live in wooded habitats. Wooded areas generally do not have good line of sight so deer have evolved to be as still and quiet as possible when a threat might be approaching. The deer will run when it positively sees or smells a predator. Unfortunately this response doesn't work so well with cars.


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

[User]
CMV: Lying about rape does not hurt rape victims

My reasoning:
Lying bout rape does not hurt rape victims. What would be the issue? That we won't believe real rape victims at their word in the future? We shouldn't in the first place. That is exactly why lying about rape is such a big problem, because we take them at their word instantly. Every rape accusation should be treated with a large grain of salt. EVERY accusation of ANYTHING. That is how the justice system works. Not believing rape victims at their word in the future is a benefit, not a negative. It helps us reestablish innocent until proven guilty.

Lying about rape does waste police and court time. So lying about rape does hurts rape victims...but only as much as lying about any crime does.

Edit: After reading the comments here, I now agree that rape liars hurt victims moreso than general liars of crimes do. I still don't think it matters whether liars hurts rape victims in court, since we are always supposed to assume accusers are lying in court, but I can see that outside of court it definitely hurts victims.

[Assistant] Lying about rape means that all those you lied to are less likely to believe the next person to say they are raped. It is the "boy who cried wolf" scenario. You train all those involved to not trust anyone.


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

[User]
[Watchmen] Are Superheroes isolated to Manhattan?

In Watchmen we see the Minutemen, and they become a big hit. Costumed Adventuring becomes a big fad. However it's shown that it's atheist a country-wide fad as it affects the in-universe comic industry, and eventually leads to the anti-vigilante laws.

I know we see vigilantism in Tulsa in the HBO series but outside of New York's Minutemen and later Watchmen, are there any other costumed adventurers?

[Assistant] Probably but like most media, its focused on New York because its Americas biggest and most prominent city.  Los Angeles and Chicago most likely definitely have, but we follow the adventures of those based in New York.


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

[User] Can someone explain ddos attacks like i'm 5?

[Assistant]
So, you are at the playground, and you want to go on the slide. You climb the ladder, and slide down. A couple more kids show up and join you, all taking turns. Then more kids show up - but they aren't taking turns. Each one is trying to climb up the ladder, but whoever gets to the ladder is pushed aside by the kids on either side, so they can try and climb instead.

Now nobody gets to go on the slide.


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

[User]
[Dungeons & Dragons] Why don't all dracoliches make their phylacteries out of dragon-slaying swords?

I just found this line in my bestiary:

> A dracolich spirit is trapped in its phylactery and remains dormant until the phylactery comes into contact with another dragons corpse, at which point the dracolich's spirit can immediately take possession of the corpse, becoming a "proto-dracolich."

If a dracolich wants his phylactery to come in contact with a dragon's corpse, what better form to take than something that is likely to come in contact with a dead dragon?

[Assistant]
Step 1: Defeat the Tarrasque by using Trap the Soul to imprison it inside a gem.

Step 2: Become a lich, using that gem as your phylactery.

Step 3: Make steps 1 and 2 VERY widely known.

Step 4: Do whatever you want forever, as long as it's marginally less damaging than releasing the Tarrasque would be.


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

[User]
ELI5 How can the argument of same sex marriage still be going on in the Government, when our government clearly states that religion is not to be mixed with politics.

I've always wondered this. The only argument against same sex marriage seems to have religion at its base, so I do not understand how that can be valid when religion isnt supposed to be a legally valid argument in our country (unless it is to protect YOUR OWN rights I.E. I do not believe in immunization for my children - it is againts my religion). The rights of others is supposed to be protected by freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and so on...so how can this be violated so blatantly and so often with it comes to same sex marriage?

[Assistant]
You *can* mix religion an politics, you just can't *establish* a religion.

Laws don't need to have a reason, just a majority.  Your religion might tell you that businesses should be closed on Sunday, and you and your like minded friend might elect politicians who agree.  But the law itself, while motivated by religion, does not establish a religion, and therefore does not violate the First Amendment.


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

[User]
Can the human ear adjust to volume?

Ive noticed that without changing the volume, I can go from barely hearing the tv to it being too loud. For example, I had to turn it to 15 (loud for our tv) to hear it at first, but after watching for a few minutes I was able to hear it fine at volume 3.

[Assistant] Yes. Your brain will dampen constant levels of noise in an effort to make out important bits because it responds to *changes* in sound pressure levels. Sound Pressure Level refers to the acoustic pressure caused by vibration in a material propagating to nearby air molecules. SPL is its measurement, but the subjective loudness is what is important. Your ear works just like speakers and microphones in that it responds to pressure changes and the membrane of your inner ear must move in real time to determine what you are hearing. Your brain does the rest, giving way to understandable noise. How sensitive your hearing is is largely a function of the health of the tiny hairs called silica that line your inner ear. As the air travels further down the canal towards the center of the spiral it encounters these hairs with the ones near the ending responsible for lower and lower frequency responses (after all, lower pitches are longer wavelengths). This also means we lose our hearing first at the high frequencies because they get exposed to loud noises yet are there to pickup quiet ones. You can imagine what hearing damage can do to not just your ability to detect noise at all, but to allow enough data to get to your brain to determine what exactly you are hearing, where its coming from, and how loud it is; while the sensitivity to loudness dampens over time to the sensations of these hairs like any other sensation on the body.


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

[User]
[Star Trek] Why have the civilizations of Star Trek expanded SO SLOWLY?

It seems like the biggest limiting factor is the crystals needed to power starships... but is it really so hard to harvest energy from other sources and store it in some other form (since it apparently is utterly impossible to synthesize the necessary crystals, even if one uses the highest quality replicators and parks next to a star or two)?

If nothing else, couldn't they start spamming colonization pods that basically consist of frozen colonists + industrial replicators + solar panels (or some other such energy gathering device) and just not thaw out the colonists until enough progress has been made for them to live reasonably comfortably?

***

And what about the Borg?  It seems like all they need to do is make ships and... that's it.  They don't even need to colonize planets, do they?

***

And now that I think about it, how has the galaxy not been overrun by sentient machines?  Are they really that rare?  It seems like any race that has overcome the need for colonizing planets, maintaining atmosphere, etc, would have such a gigantic advantage over everyone else that it would be no contest unless they got snuffed out by a more advanced race before they had a chance to blossom.

They could focus on using all their trilithium/dilithium for space travel and use other energy sources for staying alive.  All other resources could be channeled into making ships and reproducing.  Hell, the two need not even be mutually exclusive.

[Assistant]
* Population growth is massive limiting factor, you only really colonize as fast as your population expands (and even then, the need to actually go and settle new lands is low)

* Terraforming is an expensive, long process and otherwise the number of habitable planets actually isn't that massive when you get right down to it, and when you further split things up by travel time and competition from other powers, you get relatively stagnant borders.

* Not everything can be replicated. There are plenty of resources that still require extraction and refinement, and the quality of replicated goods is generally seen as middling. Perfectly acceptable for consumer use, in a sense, but for starships, heavy industrial equipment, really anything that is quality dependent you'll want to use standard processes to produce.


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

[User]
[The Mandalorian] Regarding the helmet thing...

I assume its been asked before but, is it normal tradition for all foundlings to keep their helmets on? Was Mando a foundlings up until he obtained his signet or whatever? It can be argued that Jango isnt a true mandalorian but even still mandos in the clone wars/rebels still took their helmets off.

[Assistant]
The Clan that The Mandalorian was adopted into happens to have ultraconservative beliefs when it comes to things like taking their helmet off. We saw in both The Clone Wars and Rebels that the majority of Mandalorians are not as strict about "The Way" as Mando's clan.

Think of it like mainstream Judaism vs Hasidic Jews. They both have the same beliefs but one is far more conservative and fundamentalist about it.

Also as a side point, both Jango and Boba Fett were NOT Mandalorians. Jango claimed to be from Concordia Dawn, but there is no actual records. Officially Mandalore states that he is not one of them, just a bounty hunter who had come into possession of Mandalorian armour and was appropriating it for his own purposes, and Boba followed suit. It is also important to note that the Fett's armor was made of Durasteel alloy, not Beskar.


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

[User] [Avengers: Infinity War] Can Thanos create a paradox with the fully-gemmed gauntlet? E.g., creating something from literally nothing, or creating a stone so heavy he can't lift it despite being and to lift anything that exists?

[Assistant] Going just by the films, there's no reason to assume they have that power. The actual capabilities of the fully gauntlet are sparingly described. The Collector doesn't mention anything about what all six could do together, Thor doesn't mention anything about it in *Age of Ultron*, and all Strange says is that they could "cause destruction hitherto undreamt of." Since the full Gauntlet seems to have some constraints (killing half the universe nearly destroys the thing, it can only operate with some initiating motion), it would be quite a leap to assume it can defy the very laws of logic without any evidence to support that speculation in this canon.


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

[User] ELI5: Legally, if we have the right to bear arms, why can't we own bazookas, machine guns, anti aircraft guns etc?

[Assistant] In most states you can, it requires a Federal and State firearms license, and if you do enough selling or trading a business license. Most people who do own heavy weapons tend not to advertise much to avoid being ripped off or having a demonstration 24/7 on their lawn. But bazookas and many AA guns are considered antiques as well as fire arms, making them even easier to buy.


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

[User] ELI5: Why arent electric vehicles using solar panels integrated into the panoramic rooftops? Wouldnt this eliminate the need for charging stations - to be able to collect a solar charge at most hours of the day and *during* the actual act of driving?

[Assistant]
The Hyundai Sonata hybrid (gasoline-electric hybrid, no plug) has this exact feature. With six hours of sunlight, it can generate about two extra miles of range per day.

The solar panels aren't strong enough, and some of the electricity generated is lost immediately because the car is heavier.


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

[User]
[TES] How dangerous is Oblivion, actually?

For gameplay reasons in Oblivion the danger of an Oblivion gate varies depending on the player's level, at early levels the threats one faces are fairly trivial with low level deadra and welp Dremora guarding the gate. At higher levels every gate is guarded by a legion of Mehrune's personal guard and the fiercest inhabitants of the planes of Oblivion. In lore how dangerous would it be for one man to actually run through an Oblivion gate and try to snatch a sigil stone, even assuming he knows what to do like a player would.

[Assistant] Oblivion is one of the worst places ever. Thats why the story of the Hero of Kvatch is incredible enough to make a video game out of. If it doesnt outright kill you with demons and monsters and shit, it will drive you insane. Its literally Hell.


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

[User] ELI5: how does dry heat cause nose bleeds?

[Assistant] I believe that since the skin inside of your nostril is usually kept wet with lubricating mucus to at least some degree, drying it out would cause it to contract and crack more easily, causing a nosebleed.


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

[User]
How will we use the power from a fusion reactor?

Everyone talks about how fusion reactors will change everything. My question is, how will we USE all of this energy? Will we just use it like we do a fission reactor, using the excess heat to generate steam? If so, it seems kind of a waste of money. Or, is there some way to use the plasma to generate electricity (kind of like the EPS conduits in Star trek).

I am only a layman, but I hope to get an answer I can understand.
Perhaps they are only concerned with actually getting a working fusion reactor, and then sweating the details later.

Thanks!

[Assistant]
> Will we just use it like we do a fission reactor, using the excess heat to generate steam?

Yes.

> If so, it seems kind of a waste of money

Why do you think that?

> is there some way to use the plasma to generate electricity

The best way is plasma to heat to steam to rotation to electricity. Modern power cycles operate close to the Carnot efficiency. It literally doesn't get any better than steam, especially for large-scale systems like a power plant. These aren't the steam engines of the 1800s, they're highly advanced, modern machinery.


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

[User]
What is the temperature inside a black hole?

My brother asked me this while we were driving and I've been trying to figure it out. I figured you guys could help me out!

[Assistant] The exact nature of the singularity is unknown. However, space inside the event horizon is weird: Any direction points towards the singularity. Since thermal energy is the process of particles bumping into each other or rather jittering around within the confines of their effective force cage, giving some impulse to their neighbors etc., all this in an overall random manner (As opposed to it all happening in the same direction - that would be identical to the whole object just moving.), we can say that between the singularity and the event horizon, the temperature is at a perfect zero, because any motion/jitter that was part of thermal energy outside the event horizon has now become a straight forward motion towards the singularity.


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

[User]
ELI5 How are big movie and gaming companies able to hold complete secracy about their productions while they're working on it?

I mean, there are often hundreds or even thousands of people involved in the production of a big movie or a big video game. How is it possible that not even one of these people loses a single word about what they're working on?

[Assistant] They know that if they get fingered as the person who did the leak, that they will never get hired again anywhere else. For enough people, that's enough of a deterrent to keep them from breaking the terms of their contracts and leaking anything.


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

[User]
Is it possible to dye clouds?

The question is as in the title: **is it possible to dye clouds?**

For example, suppose I wanted to take a white cloud and dye it red.

What would I have to do in order to accomplish this?

[Assistant] I see no reason you couldn't by aerosolizing strongly dyed water, but you'd be restricted to very pale, pastel type colors due to the rampant scattering caused by so many tiny droplets. Think of a piece of colored, hard plastic. If you make a big scratch down the middle of it, it gets much lighter, if not becoming completely white. The rough surface of the scratch scatters the incoming light and interferes with the absorption effects that would colorize the light. So yes, you could probably alter the color of clouds in a tiny way, but they will always be mostly white in direct sunlight.


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

[User]
What is the difference between Random Walk Theory and Efficient Market Hypothesis?

In all honesty i'm writing an essay on the weaknesses of technical analysis when dealing with securities tradings and I just cannot seem to understand the differences between the two. I'm not asking anyone to do my homework but it would be great if someone could steer me in the right direction.

Am I right in basically saying that:

EMH = Basically is just a way of saying markets are already perfect systems in accounting for any new information (thus rendering things like Fundamental Analysis useless)

RW = Like brownian motion but the challenge then is to prove that technical analysis actually works and is better empirically than randomly selecting stocks?

I do understand that EMH basically builds on RW but am not too sure why..

[Assistant]
The EMH says that it's impossible (under various conditions) to outperform the stock market. The weak form is that it's impossible to outperform only by looking at historical stock charts, while the semi-strong and strong forms include public and private information about companies, respectively.

The RWT says that markets behave as a random walk, that is (roughly speaking), continuously compounded stock returns follow a Normal distribution.

EMH follows from RWT because if markets are completely random then obviously it is not possible to outperform, even if you have access to private information about the companies.


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

[User]
ELI5: What does Vevo do, and why do they automatically get rights to music from big artists?

If you go on YouTube and search the name of any popular song, there will be a channel with ArtistnameVEVO that has the song, and usually has the most views. What makes them so special?

[Assistant]
Once upon a time, youtube was the wild west. People posted music videos and songs from popular artists without a care in the world. It was a fast, free way to get music if one person posted a video of the music and album art so the whole world could enjoy without having to pay for or even download anything, some musicians even released their songs on their own youtube channels.

Then the record companies said "Yeahhhhh no. We're gonna need some way to get our money."

So Sony Music entertainment, Universal music group, and EMI got together and made a deal with youtube to be the "official" music-provider on the site, making channels for all musicians that they owned, releasing their music through their channels only, and taking down the channels that posted the music freely.

There was a pretty big backlash when this first happened, mostly because Vevo was one of the first channels to feature long, unskippable ads before the audio would play, obviously to generate revenue while keeping the service "free".

 Youtube promotes it so that's why it has the most views, and because the other videos that had the most views were quickly taken down for copyright infringement.


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

[User]
[General Rogue-Likes] What the heck is a shopkeeper doing here?

And why is he so insanely strong?

[Assistant]
So you have this gigantic legendary dungeon of death, filled to the brim with monsters and treasure. Such a thing is just ripe to be taken advantage of to turn a profit. How do you go about that? Well, you could just march in and start killing things. People who do that are called adventurers and we remove their corpses by the wagonload every week. Judging by their survival rates, they're not terribly clever.

Which opens up an excellent opportunity if you're a bit smarter. Instead of marching in swinging a sword, axe or magic stick, bring a sack of random shit and a pickaxe. Avoid confrontatnion, carve a little room out  for yourself in a quiet corner of the dungeon and start milking those poor fools that went in with barely any preparation and are now on the brink of death and willing to trade handfuls of pure gold ripped from the guts of monsters for a rusty can opener, a malfunctioning wand of uselessness or a rotten apple. It may be risky at first, adventurers being desperate and half-mad, but turning around so many items as you will in no time you should be able to amass enough assorted magical potions and to be perfectly safe from these half-starved madmen who may try to attack you.

Why would a smart shopkeeper be anywhere else?


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

[User] ELI5:How come hotel key cards get erased by being near cell phones, but credit cards don't?

[Assistant] I actually asked something similar a while back and was given a fair answer. What it boils down to is the strength of the equipment used to magnetize the cards. A stronger device magnetizing the card means you'd need a stronger magnet to wipe it.


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

[User]
Is there a phrase for people's tendency to ignore what you say and to instead respond to their own little conversation? Why do people do this?

Not necessarily a Strawman argument, but where you're essentially having two different (but similar) conversations. It's like people just assume you have some hidden meaning or agenda, or something.

Like, random example, but if I say "I like pineapples" and someone responds with "You don't like bacon? Why? What's wrong with you??" or "Banana cream pie is disgusting tho" or something. Even though neither bacon, bananas, or pies were at all mentioned.

It's exhausting to have so many conversations that go nowhere, just spinning out, because people hear what they want to hear rather than the words coming out of your mouth. I'd like to better understand this tendency (I know I've *probably* done it at some point, myself, even if I can't remember)

Is there a phrase describing this? Why do people do this?

[Assistant]
One common term for this is "talking past one another."

As to why people do this, well, that's an empirical question, but, speculatively I'd say that there are a few common kinds of problems:

1. That everyday arguments almost always leave things out (they are enthymemetics).
2. That many important everyday arguments include things like thick or essentially contested concepts (or their rhetorical equivalents like god/devil/charismatic terms).
3. That ambiguity is an important part of how communication works and, sometimes, communication doesn't work.
4. People are not trained to be good listeners and, as such, are bad at it.
5. Some people seem to think of communicative exchanges as being essentially/correctly about making assertions or some kind of agonistic nonsense.


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

[User] ELI5: What is generally the cause of death of bugs that only live a few days?

[Assistant] Starvation in some cases. There are some bugs that dont have mouthparts or digestive systems and so cannot eat. They live as long as their initial supply of energy lasts - usually just enough to reproduce - then stop.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why did my hair change from blonde as a child to brunette in my teens?

Why did my eyes go from crystal blue to green/blue? Hair from bright blonde to light/medium brunette? I'm male, it it matters.

[Assistant]
Hair and eye color darkens over time because the respective genes get turned on during your growth.

For people to get the traits encoded in their genes, the genes need to be turned on. You can think of a gene as a recipe. A recipe in a cookbook does you no good until you open the book, get the ingredients and follow the instructions

The same is true with our genes. In our analogy, the gene is the recipe and the cookbook is the chromosome (a large collection of recipes). The gene needs to be "read" by the cell in order for it to do what it should. An unread brown or black hair recipe will give you blonde hair.


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

[User] [eli5] what are the different types of diabetes and the causes of each?

[Assistant]
\-Type 1 diabetes - body thinks cells that make insulin are bad, kills them (autoimmune not diet) Oopsies part of your pancreas is dead now you take insulin for life 24/7/365. Used to be called juvenile diabetes, can happen at any age, nothing to do with diet/lifestyle.

\-Type 2 diabetes - a few sub types but basically the body makes too much insulin and doesn't know what to do with it (metabolic syndrome-depends on subtype you can treat it with a lifestyle change, oral meds or insulin in people who are super resistant to it or have had it for years and oral meds/diet isn't helping)
*Edit for clarity (thanks to an RN in this thread): The resistance is not the result of insulin overload. The resistance is due to the fat surrounding muscle cell, insulin cant work, glucose builds up in bloodstream and down the road, insulin builds up.

\-Gestational diabetes - in pregnancy, sometimes the placenta goes brrr and there is a hormonal imbalance. It resolves (clears up) after pregnancy in most cases

\-Maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY) - a genetic disorder with different subtypes. Some are treated with type 1 treatments, some are treated with type 2 treatments. Shows up in young people who aren't type 1 or type 2 and you need a genetic test for this

\-Neonatal diabetes - poor babies because it hsows up before 6 months of age :( and can stay with you for life or show up randomly throughout your life. Super rare, really super rare.

\-Wolfram Syndrome - everyone who has this rare syndrome will get diabetes that is treated the same as type 1. So it's like a bonus for having this syndrome and then you get T1 on top of it

\-Alstrm Syndrome - see above but this syndrome will cause type 2.

\- Latent Autoimmune diabetes in Adults (LADA) - not a disease on its own but put here for people to understand type 1 can happen at any age.  LADA (1.5) is just a slower developing type 1. So let's say you're 10, you get T1, you get DKA you're in hospital fighting for your life and this happens very quickly. You can be an adult with the same thing but it happens slower. So 1.5 is T1, just the onset is slower.

\- Type 3c diabetes - owie to pancreas. Accident, disease, surgery and part of your pancreas goes bye bye. Congratulations--you are treated the same as type 1

\-Steroid-induced diabetes - can be permanent, can be temporary. Steroids make your blood glucose go super high. Can be steroids from cancer treatment, can be steroids from people who don't know better and take steroids for fun, etc etc.

\-Cystic fibrosis diabetes - cystic fibrosis doesn't like some organs. It attacked them too. Pancreas attacked with sticky mucous, and you can get either type 1 or type 2, depends on how your CF develops.


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

[User] Are children from younger parents generally healthier than children from older parents?

[Assistant] The evidence is conflicting and confounded, largely because later parenthood is not randomized.  People who have kids at older ages are likelier to plan the pregnancy, want the kid, and fulfil its needs; they're also somewhat healthier than average because they were able to get pregnant / get someone pregnant at an older age.  Then you separate paternal from maternal age (difficult statistically, but the effects appear to be different) and things get even more complicated.  Some conditions are more prevalent in children of older parents (Down syndrome, dwarfism) but if you don't have one of those then we really don't know. You do have the bonus of being born to two people who age well, at least to age 45.


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

[User] [Infinity War] Instead of going to Wakanda, couldn't The Avengers use Pym technology to turn Vision extra small and hide him strategically?

[Assistant] They can track the mind stone, doesn't matter how big or small he was they would have pinpointed the location. It's not like they first found him because they saw him with their eyes. So the best option is try to remove the stone and destroy it so that it can't be tracked or used again.


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

[User]
CMV: Haiti is, objectively, a sh*thole.

Fast facts about Haiti:

The nation is ranked 11 on the "fragile state" (failed state) index of the fund for peace which ranks government legitimacy

It ranks 159 of 176 on the Corruption Perception index from TI

Literacy is estimated at 61% (estimated because there are no real statistics released by the Haitian government)

Haiti has had 32 coups since its independence.

Haitian children have a 90% rate of waterbourne diseases like cholera, typhoid etc

The GDP per capita is $1819 (ppp) or $719 (nominal)

While the term sh*thole is contentious to use regarding any country, I would argue it is certainly appropriate for Haiti. I am hoping that one of you can provide a reason that this characterization is incorrect.

[Assistant]
Not the issue at all. The contentious part is that judging individual immigrants by the country from which they are leaving despite being on average better educated than average Americans is bigoted and prejudiced.

Shithole is no more the problem then "pussy" in grab 'em by the pussy. The issue is the literal crime and racism implicit in the sentences.


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

[User]
[Fallout] What does the apocalypse looke like in the rest of the world, like Africa?

I'm curious as to what kind of nightmarish things have evolved in Africa in the two hundred plus years since the bombs fell. Places like Washington and Boston, which have no real major predators apart from say, bears, are now overrun with 500 lbs scorpions, giant man-eating crawdads and crabs, and 9-foot tall geckos.

I have to imagine that places like Africa are an absolute nightmare-scape. I'm picturing giant carniverous elephant beasts, 70 foot python-crocodile hybrids, and lion-like monstrosities that walk on two legs, except the size of a T-rex. Ideas?

[Assistant]
Parts of the Middle East was nuked back in 2054 during the Resource Wars and was left in ruins. This applies to the upper parts of Africa.

The European Union disbanded in the 2060's but since we do see some people from that region on the East Coast we can assume they're probably better off than we are.

China got hit about as hard as we did so they're more than likely in the same shape as the US. In a canceled game the main antagonist was supposed to be a new Chinese Empire but that's not canon.

Mexico is downright fucked and we don't know about Central and South America.

We don't know the specifics about each country or region. The very small population of people from across the Atlantic rarely speak of what it's like and we have yet to see anyone from the Pacific.


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

[User]
ELI5:Why are braces so expensive ?

All braces are is a bunch of small metal pieces and a wire.

The whole thing probably cost under 3$ to make so, why exactly does it costs over 3000$-7000$ for basic metal braces in my country (Canada) ?

[Assistant] The materials are not that expensive. What you're actually paying for is the dentist's skills in applying the braces, the time spent in maintaining it (you'll visit the dentist on numerous occasions to have it adjusted) and the dentist's reputation.


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

[User]
[DC] How does Superman get so much power from solar energy?

You can set up entire farms of solar panels for years and not be able to do half of what Superman can do. I'd chalk it up to Kryptonian biology being crazy efficient, but even using 100% percent of a day's sunlight can't account for the power it gives him.

[Assistant]
I think the power is coming from somewhere else, and yellow sunlight is like a "vitamin" or "insulin" that lets him tap into it.

There have been too many plot points about his solar energy getting depleted, needing the sun to heal himself, etc. He clearly needs sunlight for *something* to do with his powers. But as you say, all the sunlight that strikes his body for a full day could hardly power one second's worth of some of the stuff he's done. However this really works, it's not like a solar panel.

Seems like yellow solar rays are more of a catalyst for him, rather than the actual power source.


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

[User] ELI5: What actually happens to food once youve swallowed it and how does your body sort what it needs to retain and what to expel as waste?

[Assistant]
Your intestines do all the work. The cilia lining the inside of the intestine pull all the useful bits that they can into your bloodstream, such as calories, vitamins, minerals, etc.. Everything else continues on through the intestine and eventually out of the body. Waste is whatever your body can't absorb.

It is actually reasonably important to have a bunch of stuff your body can't absorb, like fiber, often called "roughage", in order to keep everything moving. If everything DOESN'T stay moving, you become constipated, which is the rather unpleasant experience of needing to go, but being unable to.


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

[User]
[LotR] Why was Sauron able to be defeated so easily?

I'm sorry if this has been asked before but I searched key words several times and didn't see it asked before.

1: I understand that the ring was severed from his finger but why would that just make him die then and there, and not have to be dealt a mortal blow afterwards since all of his power wasn't in the ring?

2: Why was the broken Narsil even able to do that, I realize it was a very well forged sword but should Sauron with all his magic and power be that weak to normal weapons?

3: Did he not realize this could happen, if he lost the ring in battle he would just die, you'd think he'd try to protect his finger with magic or armor or something?

4: Going by all of this, other than the controlling of the other rings and the corrupting of the nine kings of men into the Nazgul, would he have been better off not making the ring in the first place, as in:

A: Would he have been defeated so easily when that battle eventually came?

B: I realize the ring made him more powerful too, but how? If he just put his own power into it how does it make him more powerful rather than just at normal power when wearing it?

C: I understand it has a some magical enchantments that enhance his powers in some ways, but why didn't he just make an enchanted ring that didn't just break up his power in a way that could be a major nuisance to him later (which it was)?

D: I always figured he did it to prevent himself from completely dying if he is defeated, (But did he really ever plan on losing in the first place?) but a lot of people seem to think he came back without any assistance from the ring, (since he never came in contact with it) and that he was powerful enough that he would be able to come back any way if he never made the ring in the first place.

Sorry this is so long. And (Sorry to break the fourth wall here) I don't dislike the Lord of the Rings at all so I'm not trying to be critical of Tolkien's writing style and story decisions at all, in fact I really enjoy it. I never finished the books because I was busy around the time I started reading them so I only finished The Hobbit and most of Fellowship (I've been meaning to read the rest but I don't own them) so I'm not sure if this comes up in the books but I've just been wondering about all this.

[Assistant]
1. It wouldn't. Sauron was "killed" by Elendil and Gil-galad, but they died, so Isildur got to loot the corpse.
2. There are certain weaknesses the Ainur accept when they take physical form. One of these is the ability to be killed by physical attacks, which would include swords.
3. Cutting the Ring off his hand would not defeat him.

A. Yes, Elendil and Gil-galad would have still been able to kill him, and it's possible he would then have been too weak to ever come back.
B. It wasn't primarily a combat bonus; it mainly increased his abilities to intimidate, dominate, and manipulate others' wills. He gained power from making the Ring in the same way a master blacksmith gains power from making a sword, i.e. tapping into his own crafting skill and untapped potential.
C. In order for the Ring to do everything he wanted, he *had* to put tons of his power into it. Creating powerful things always requires a sacrifice in Middle-earth.
D. It's unclear whether the Ring helped Sauron return after his "deaths", or whether he was powerful enough to return anyway. If so, that was really just a side effect. Sauron did not create the Ring with the intent of preserving himself after "death".


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

[User]
ELI5: Why doesnt GPS work underwater?

If a satellite can pinpoint my location from SPACE, how come a (relatively) small amount of water prevents GPS from working?

[Assistant]
Water absorbs radio waves across a considerable band of wavelengths.

It's so good at this that your microwave oven can quickly boil water by pelting it with radio.

Since the GPS is relying on radio communication to triangulate itself, it will lose contact quickly under water.


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

[User]
ELI5: What are the stars in sky we see at night with our naked eyes?

I've always thought that stars in the sky are well, stars. But I just started to wonder, that are they just other stars or can we also see planets and such with our naked eyes? Like can the star be so bright that it could reflect the light from the planet so we can see it with just our eyes? Or are they all just other stars like our sun?

[Assistant]
> Like can the star be so bright that it could reflect the light from the planet so we can see it with just our eyes.

Well, the only planets that can happen with are the ones in our solar system. This is because:

* They're close by

* Their reflected light isn't washed out by the sun, which is on the opposite side of the Earth

Even if a star were so bright that it illuminated a planet orbiting it brightly enough to be seen with the naked eye (which, to be clear, is absolutely impossible), the star itself would be so much brighter it would wash out the planet.

We *have* directly observed exoplanets by seeing them via the reflected light from their stars. However, this was with incredibly powerful telescopes and it's not even how we normally observe exoplanets. Only a few dozen exoplanets have been directly observed.


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

[User] [Superheroes] I'm a misanthropic diver looking into super villany, what are some ocean crimes I can commit for fun and profit?

[Assistant] There are a lot of undersea cables crossing the oceans that are very important for global communication even in an age of satellites. If you invest in satellite communication/undersea cable construction and use your diving talents to plant timed explosives or otherwise sabotage the cables in a way that requires replacement you could get fabulously wealthy and have fun diving in new places all over the world!


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

[User] [MCU/Marvel] So is the vibranium asteroid the one that killed the dinosaurs?

[Assistant] I don't think so, the asteroid that landed in Wakanda seems to be in a different location than where scientists believe the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs landed. Also, Wakanda's asteroid seems to have appeared while humans were around and not 65 million years ago. If it were the same asteroid then it would've been much harder to keep their asteroid metal a secret from the rest of the world.


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

[User] [Marvel] How the actual shit does Hawkeye not die during fights against Thanos, Kang, Galactus, Ultron, etc?

[Assistant] The same as why Batman doesnt; he is in peak human condition. His primary weapon is a range weapon so he keeps more enemies at a distance.  He is more tactical minded than most so he sees everything in a different view. Hes that good.


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

[User] eli5: How is it that someone can be exhausted yet still unable to fall asleep?

[Assistant]
There is a health phenomenon called being "overtired", which is caused by insufficient or restless sleep, lack of a proper sleep rhythm and staying up for longer than your rhythm would dictate.

It causes this kind of insomnia through many unexpected changes in your brain chemistry when you don't get the sleep your body expects. Specifically, a hindered production of melatonin.


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

[User]
Dr. Gregory Sadler's Half-hour Hegel Lectures.

Is Dr. Gregery Sadler's Half-hour Hegel Lectures good for understanding the Phenomenology of Spirit?

[Assistant]
Yes. Very much so. Probably the best resource to do so out there (I only got as far as video 30 or 40, but had a great time and will pick it back up eventually).

You just can't do any better than a professional philosopher guiding you almost *word by word* with two blackboards of diagrams for each paragraph, pretty much. You literally can't and won't get that anywhere else, not even with a personal friend and mentor. It's just not viable, time-wise, without the media format.

Such a titanic project. Innovative and out of the box. Love that stuff.


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

[User]
[Dragonball Z] (Minor spoilers)Why was Vegeta so willing to do what he did to Nappa?

Given their history, Nappa was basically a father figure to him, they've known each other since Vegeta was born. Given Vegeta's later "transformation" to be a more ethically sound person, that must have always been in there, at least in a different form (his loyalty to his family later on must have its roots somewhere). It just seems so absurd and pointlessly ruthless for someone like Vegeta to turn on his own like that.

[Assistant]
He's been raised on survival of the fittest, Nappa obviously wasn't among the fittest anymore, and so he was purged. He was beaten by *a low level*, not even an elite or one of Frieza's men.

4th wall, maybe Toriyama didn't plan him as a good guy yet, or planned him to keep his Namek attitude longer.


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

[User]
ELI5: how can a spacecraft calculate its speed in space?

I understand using reference points like the earth or sun but I was thinking about solar sails and travelling to other star systems and I wondered how we would know our speed? Surely using other stars means you wouldnt be able to get a precise speed reading?

[Assistant]
The answer is, it depends on your reference point. Speed, unlike acceleration, is relative. You can only know the speed of an object when you compare it something. On earth, we measure the speed of an object based on the surface of the earth, or stationary objects. In space, any object you point to is moving at a phenomenal speed, but depending on your frame of reference, only certain ones will appear to be moving, or will appear to be moving at totally different speeds.

That's the cookie cutter response you'll see here regarding your question, and while it's correct it doesn't really answer you properly.

You are asking "if a spacecraft, launched from earth and moving to another star, wants to determine it's speed, how would it do so?"

first, depending on it's distance from earth, it could send a signal out and measure the time it took coming back. That would do it.

Measuring the your speed compared to another stellar body wouldn't work, unless you already knew the speed of that stellar body when compared to earth.

Another, sneaky method that would work even if you had no reference point, is to simply calculate your speed from the rate of acceleration your ship has. In your question, you talk about a solar sail propelled ship. A ship like that would have largely uniform acceleration, and most changes in acceleration could be accounted for. If you have an acceleration of 1 m/s^2 (or one metre per second increase, every second passed). Using the rate of acceleration, which you know, you can calculate the speed you are currently going.


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

[User]
[DC] Does Superman need blood to live? He doesn't seem to need air. Could someone capable of teleportation remove his blood from his body or teleport something in to block the flow? What would happen?

Also: does his heart have super muscles also? Does he have super blood pressure?

[Assistant] I think the established canon is that all Superman needs to survive is literally solar energy. He doesn't need oxygen, food, etc. Literally just sunlight. He chooses to eat and breath because he was raised as a human and identifies as a human.


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

[User]
CMV: most of modern, postmodern and contemporary art is a sham (in painting and sculpture)

I am specifically refering to abstract, abstract expressionism and many other disciplines like these two (in painting and sculpture). They show a lack of skill and ability from the artist!
What makes the type of paintings that De Kooning or Yves Klein made so popular and so worthy? Why is Pollock so adored by every art critic or even the public in general when all he makes IMO are just paint drips on a big canvas.
I get impressionism and to an extend cubism but I really do not get abstract expressionism and some of our contemporary art (like the banana taped to the wall, or just two clocks on the wall, or a policewoman taking a piss etc etc).
For example in music: If I just start typing random keys on the piano, the music wouldnt be called good, although I intended it as an expression of my inner self. Why isnt it the same with painting? Or am I missing something here...

[Assistant] You are missing the visual appeal of how the piece of work feels to the viewer when they look at it. Think of it backwards. Go to a wallpaper store and look at all of the different patterns and designs. They range from simple plain and boring to crazy and bizarre. They may seem easy to make (and maybe they are) but the point is that they evoke a feeling that is liked or disliked in the viewer and the viewer assigns a value to it. IMO there is no line between abstract art and wallpaper so in essence the value is in peoples opinions of it. The only difference is the scarcity factor which drives up the price.


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

[User]
[Avengers: Endgame] what if Nebula didnt do that?

Go back to 2014 Morag. Isnt that the whole reason Thanos gets involved? What could possibly happen, according to the 1 in 14million logic, that would make the heroes lose even if Nebula doesnt go back to 2014 Morag?

[Assistant]
Any scenario involving Nebula going back in time brings pastThanos to the main timeline, it just matters when and how. Nebula's digitally backed up memory is what attracted Thanos' attention initially, it conflicted since there were two Nebulas.

To answer your actual question, if Nebula goes after any of the other stones, then Thanos comes for her when she arrives, just as he did on Morag. The difference is that if she goes after the space, time, or mind stones, than Thanos comes to Earth. If she goes after the reality stone, Thanos comes to Asgard. If she goes to the soul stone, than Thanos knows where the soul stone is.

There's also the possibility that only the specific teams that went to retrieve the stones were capable of doing so, which seems likely, given how events played out.


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

[User]
ELI5: What is the difference between medicine that is chewable and swallow only?

Are swallow only pills less effective if I chewed them?

[Assistant]
Some pills are actually little machines that slowly dispense the medicine. Do *not* chew them.

Others are slow dissolve to have a timed release of the medicine. Don't chew them either.

Others are bad for your mouth, but not for your stomach, don't chew them either.

*There* are some that are fine, usually the ones with a line down the middle for chopping in half, but ask your doctor or read the box.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why would Time Warner Cable go down across the country simultaneously?

On the downdetector website, it's showing that Time Warner is down from coast to coast. What would cause such a significant outage?

[Assistant]
Their DNS likely went down. It is also possible that their connection to the internet were interrupted  at some sites. There is redundancy but if the mechanism that enforces that redundancy, like load balancers, goes down itself, you can see the problem.

And it's strange that this happened to Fios recently, same Dns problems and same website selective outages that another DNS server could not fix.


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

[User] [DC] Is Batman a superhero or just a hero?

[Assistant]
I think he qualifies as a Superhero.

Iron Man is also a Superhero. Just like Lex Luther is a supervillain. None one of them have supernatural or superhuman powers. They have superior intellectual abilities, but they are within the spectrum of normal human abilities in their respective universes.

I think the scale of their heroics/villainy is what defines them as super.

Some people may require magical, supernatural, or scientifically enhanced abilities to be worthy of the "super" qualifier, and i understand that, but i don't agree.


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

[User]
[Harry Potter] Why didn't Voldemort recruit members with the unbreakable vow instead of the dark mark?

Or both, if he wanted. Surely he'd never have the problem of spies and traitors with a vow along the lines of "I swear never to act against an order given to me by the dark lord himself". I think the vow can be that general, since Fred and George Weasely were caught in act trying to make Ron swear never to tell their mother about something they did.

Okay it may be in the dark lord's favour that his followers were able to hide and lie about their membership when he was vanquished by Lily's protection, but Voldemort doesn't strike me as the sort who plans for his own defeat so why didn't he enforce the unbreakable vow?

[Assistant]
Unless they are very specific there is a big chance of accidental breaking of a vow. Say that the order is "kill Cornelius Fudge". It's supposed to be an intricate plan, executed perfectly at a certain time.  And then you see Fudge at the pub. Now you have to kill him, no matter that you're screwing up the plan - do you turn around and die, or do you screw up Voldemort's plan by killing the man right then and there, just to live to be subject to his wrath?

It's basically a magically (as opposed to legally) binding contract. Contracts have loopholes, misinterpretations and ambiguity *all* the time. And then you're dead.

A system where Voldemort, the Dark Lord, has to *watch what he says* probably wouldn't appeal to him in the slightest.

---

In addition, he likely holds that death is far too gentle a punishment for betraying him - and that people know it.

There are probably even more possible reasons.