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

[User]
ELI5: How did grapes become the most popular fruit to ferment into wine? Why didn't we end up with like a blueberry or apple or banana fermented beverage as a cultural standard?

Sitting here sipping a spanish red and pondering how it came to be that grapes were the standard of fermented fruit alcohols and not the dozens of other fruits available.

[Assistant]
Grapevines produce an enormous amount of fruit, and it grows in bunches that are easy to harvest. Grapes are soft and easy to crush for juice. Once you have the juice, it ferments all by itself and you're drinking wine.

Berries are a possibility, but you have to pick them one at a time. Blackberries and raspberries grow on thorny vines, in dense brambles. I've picked them both, and it's not a volume task. You'll get all scratched up and very weary picking a gallon of berries, and they're so tasty you'd be an idiot to crush them for a jug of hooch. Other berries, like strawberries, are mostly very recent additions to our crops.

Apples produce abundantly, and are easy to pick, but getting the juice out of them is much harder than it is for grapes. A mechanical press of some sort is required. And they are the best bet of tree fruit. Stone fruits like peaches have the additional problem of a large, slightly poisonous seeds in the middle that you want to avoid crushing into the juice.

Grapes have it all. Easy to grow, easy to harvest, easy to crush.


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

[User] ELI5: Why don't sharks last long in captivity?

[Assistant] Sharks aren't the most robust fish species, and size, diet and activity effect the health of all fish species. Sand tiger sharks and species of cat shark are often kept in aquariums because of their size. Another contributing factor is the build up of waste and size stunting in a tank rather than an entire ocean.


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

[User] How do fireflies produce such high amounts of light without producing any heat? Why hasn't man been able to reproduce such methods in modern lightbulbs?

[Assistant]
Fireflies produce an enzyme called luciferase that uses energy from adenosinetriphosphate (ATP) and oxygen to convert a molecule called luciferine into an oxydized form while setting free energy.
This energy is emitted largely in the form of light and not heat.
That being said, we are able to reproduce that quite easily by using this enzmye and luciferine together in a testtube. But using this as a kind of lightbulb would be unefficient because it would require a steady supply of luciferine and some other compounds. Although the enzyme could theoretically work forever.


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

[User] [The Mask] Why does The Mask, finding himself in need of money, decide to rob a bank instead of just pulling wads of cash from his pockets like he does everything else?

[Assistant]
Part of the Trickster mantle is solving problems with hijinks. For example, in order to slow the progress of a giant building a wall, Loki turned into a mare and seduced the giant's horse. That is not the most obvious answer for a creature with Loki's powers and skillset, but it is fucking hilarious.

He also tied his balls to a billygoat's beard to make a goddess laugh.


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

[User]
[DBZ] If Saiyan's power increases exponentially everytime they recover from near death, why don't Vegata/Goku/Gohan/Goten/Trunks just beat each other to near death constantly?

It seems like the most efficient way to train would be for everyone to just beat each other up constantly until they were all ultra-powerful god beings.

[Assistant]
Trust me. It's more efficient and more importantly safer to just work out. Vegeta deliberately abused zenkai like this while he was on Namek and it almost killed him.

Add to this that if it did work, the "goalposts" for what constitutes *almost* killing someone shift and it becomes harder to judge what would be a near-lethal blow.

This is largely irrelevant though as you may as well ask "Why do they not gather the dragon balls and ask Shenron to make Goku et al into unstoppable warriors?" - this just isn't how they roll. Saiyans work hard for what they've got and don't take shortcuts like these.


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

[User]
Do traditional vampires prove the existence of a Judeo-Christian god? How does this affect the world?

In films where there are vampires that get burned on contact specifically with crosses, be they wooden or silver or what-have-you, wouldn't the other religions in the world kind of look at this with a sinking in their hearts?  Note that I am discluding I Am Legend, wherein vampires are repelled by the signs of the faith they held while human out of existential horror.

Moreover, does the cross need to be blessed, or holy in some fashion?  I've seen several movies where the plucky protagonist fashions a makeshift cross out of two handy pieces of wood... so would "accidental" crosses work the same way?  Would walking through the woods, or a construction site, cause great distress to a vampire?

[Assistant]
No, not necessarily.

This does depend on which type of vampire we're dealing with - there are some who deal with religious materials without any issue at all. Likewise it depends on which world we're talking about, as different worlds have magic that works in different ways.

For those who are repelled by crosses, there are some (A certain Mr. Dresden from Chicago, for example) who have found that it is the energy of faith that actually works against the undead. He has a good friend who is a devout Christian, and for that friend, the cross is a powerful tool to ward off the undead. The key here is that it's not the symbol that matters - it's the faith of the wielder. Mr. Dresden does not have faith in any god, but he has an enormous amount of faith in magic itself, and with that faith has managed to repel the undead (and werewolves) with symbols of magic.

A similar phenomenon to the one above can be observed in the Discworld - the more people believe in something, the more powerful it becomes. Gods have come into existence there simply because enough people believe in them.

tl;dr It's very possible that the cross is repelling or harming the vampires because of the faith that people have in it, not because there is something magical or special about the shape, or because of a certain God.


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

[User] ELI5: If Redbull lost a lawsuit over their "gives you wings" slogan, how do the current commercials still include the slogan without a small disclaimer included?

[Assistant]
Actually, that law suit (for $13.5 million) was not because of the tagline "give you wings" (which is clearly understood as humor).

The law suit was over the fact that Red Bull oversold the drink's ability to improve concentration and energy, specifically, it did not provide any scientific evidence to support their claim that the drink is "able to boost energy better than a cup of regular coffee"--considering that a 8 oz of Red Bull contains less caffeine than 8 oz of coffee, their claim is blatantly false.


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

[User] CMV: The principle of "bros before hoes/chicks before dicks" is not a good rule to abide by.

[Assistant]
>In the example mentioned, the group of friends, if they are actual friends, should understand that the guy is trying to get a girl, and should not take his actions personally.

That's not what "bros before hoes" is meant to address. Good friends understand that in order to form a relationship with the girl you like, you might need to go on a date with her on a weekend instead of watching football.

It's meant to address guys that prioritize their one-week long relationship with a girl over their long-time friends. Usually what happens is the guy gets dumped for being too attached to the girl, and then he learns that you always put "bros before hoes".


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

[User]
ELI5: Why does copper jewelry keep it's shine if you wear it?

Copper goes dark if in air contact. But if you wear a copper ring or a bracelet it remains quite shiny! Why does that happen? The outer part of the ring\bracelet isn't even in direct contact with the skin.

SCIENCE I AM RELYING ON YOU.

[Assistant]
Copper is pretty dang soft as metals go. Soft enough that just the simple action of wearing it, having it rubbing against clothing and your skin is enough to keep it nicely buffed. Rings will rotate on the finger, and will rub against your other fingers, or against your clothing way more than you might expect. That's more than enough to keep the corrosion at bay.

You see the same effect with silver rings - if they're worn they stay fairly decent looking. If you store it away in a drawer and go have a look at in a years' time, you'll find it's got a fairly heavy patina on it.

Gold doesn't do this to anything like the same degree because it's so unreactive. Gold will happily stay shiny when at the bottom of the ocean or buried. This is one of the properties that contributed to its perceived value.


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

[User]
[Teen Titans Go] What happened to the Teen Titans? And why aren't they in jail?

I used to love the Teen Titans and felt safe whenever I saw them patrolling the city. But does anyone else get the feeling that something has... changed? They used to stand for truth and justice but now whenever I see them they act all violent and dangerous and crazy. What happened to cause this massive change in personalities?

Also they've been kidnapping historical figures and they started an intergalactic war and I just saw them rob a bank. They've gone from heroes to a menace, why doesn't anyone do anything about them??

[Assistant] Teen Titans Go is in-universe fanfiction written by teenagers who are obsessed with the real Teen Titans. They appear to have different personalities in the fanfiction because, frankly, a lot of the fanfiction writers aren't that good.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does pressing my laptop screen hard make weird ripples, whereas doing the same to my phone does not?

[Assistant]
Two possible reasons:

1. Your phone might not have an LCD screen. An LCD screen literally contains liquid, so when you press it you move the liquid around, causing it to interact differently with the light that is shone through it. Your phone's screen might use another technology, such as OLED, which isn't affected by pressing it.

2. Your phone's screen is covered with a much stronger and thicker glass, built to sustain falls. If you press it hard enough you might also see small ripples.


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

[User]
ELI5: How come when mixing paints, Red + Yellow + Blue = Brown, not Black?

As paint is subtractive (it absorbs all color except the one we see, aka Blue paint absorbs all but Blue), I'd expect that mixing the 3 primary colors would result in ALL color being absorbed, resulting in Black.

[Assistant]
Paints dont absorb *all* except the colour we see, its a pretty wide spectrum. They just absorb most. As a result, even if you mix colours, you still reflect some of everything so you get brownish.

To get black you need to switch chemistries entirely to things that dont reflect at all.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why are lakes rich in nitrates?

If its due to hills, how are the nitrates moved from the hill to the lakes?

[Assistant] Lakes are a natural collection point for water, and anything that the water happens to wash over during its journey.  Rain gets into the ground and dissolves nitrates into itself, then washes into streams which wind up in lakes.


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

[User] ELI5: why do people get so offended when someone wears a hat at a restaurant or often times even inside? Where did this originate?

[Assistant]
The removal of hats when indoor originates from knights removing their helmets to show that they're friendly and not challenging their king or other superiors. The tipping of the hat (and the salute) also originates from the knights, they would open their visor with their right hand when they met fellow knights.

During the industrialization, people wore hats (pretty much everyone wore them) as a protection from dirt (people are complaining about pollution today, but in many places it was way worse in the latter part of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century). The hats did become quite dirty, and should therefore be taken off and left in the entryway or mud room.


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

[User]
How/why do separate species breed?

It's rare but different species have bred in the wild. But how? Why don't they attack one another like they normally would?

For example, coyotes and wolves are two separate, but closely related, species that have bred without human interference. But they're rivals with different behavior.

I assume they mate and then part. They can't rear the pups together, right? On that note, do coywolf pups get raised by single mothers or do males of their mother's species help, despite not being their pups?

Another example I know of is Big Bird, the cactus finch. He somehow bred with completely different finches. How did he attract the females despite having the wrong call and being of the wrong species? I know his children couldn't attract anyone but each other despite having his call. Why couldn't they breed with other finches but Big Bird could?

[Assistant]
You're placing a lot of stock in the intellectual reasoning of creatures with brains sometimes the size of a grape. "Because sex" is sometimes all the reason wild animals need. It was there, it was available.

Not even wild animals, some pets will have sex with a mate, a cushion, and their owner's leg with equal enthusiasm.


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

[User]
[Marvel] To what extent can extraterrestrials legally visit Earth?

Is it ever stated at any point in the MCU what the general opinion is of aliens, and whether they can just visit Earth?

I know the general public is aware of the existence of aliens in the MCU, and there are certain aliens who clearly are allowed (Thor, Nebula, Rocket) but are there any official government relations with any extraterrestrial species?

[Assistant]
Well S.W.O.R.D. seems to to be holding international authority on behalf of most of humanity's governments.  But they seem to mainly deal on a diplomatic level.

Earth has always been a place someone in a small ship can just drop in on.   Most are dealt with on an individual basis.   Provided they don't try any conquer your world moves or ar e an inherent threat.

It seems they're actually tolerate much better than mutants.


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

[User]
[Spider-Man] Can Peter use Dr. Octavius as a reference, or has that bridge been burned?

Also: Would employers in the Marvel world accept recommendations from incarcerated supervillains?  I'd imagine they have a track record for employing masters of their fields with no knowledge of their boss's supervillainey.  Are they all just screwed by association, or is "former engineer for insane supergenius" a good thing to have on your resume in this world?

[Assistant] Id saying listing him as a past employer is fine. The man is an incredible genius so working for him be he went bad would still be a noteworthy accomplishment. But using him as a reference or having him write you a letter of recommendation might raise a few red flags.


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

[User]
[Home Alone] Are the Wet Bandits (aka the Sticky Bandits) superhuman or mutants of some kind?

Harry and Marv seem to not only be impervious to any form of physical damage, but also seem to be sneaky enough to sneak out of a Chicago penitentairy, are they perhaps super humans that use their powers for evil?

[Assistant] Harry and Marv are actually low-level conduits for Toon Force. They aren't aware of this, but the Toon Force is what allows them to survive Kevin's traps (despite the fact that many of them should be lethal).


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

[User]
[ST:DS9]How rich is Quark, anyway?

Quark is always losing out on sure-fire deals, always one great idea short of getting out of his bar and becoming _really_ rich. On the other hand, he has dealings with the Grand Nagus, and he owns the most popular bar in one of the most important way-stations in the galaxy.

Just how much latinum does he have, relative to the average Ferengi? How does his wealth compare to the living conditions of the average Federation citizen?

[Assistant]
Quark is generous to a fault, by ferengi standards. They see generosity as a character flaw (like we humans do with violence) but Quark is surrounded by Federation species and bajorans which all value cooperation and faces enormous social pressure to give in to that weakness. (He rarely directly gives things away but frequently sacrifices profits to help out his family or the station itself.) In addition to the subjective weakness of empathy, he's also easily intimated and, given the general seediness of the establishment and his lack of any sort of authority or physical presence, he does business with a lot of people who end up bullying him out of his end of a deal. As a result, he has trouble hanging onto the money he does get through legitimate business. And these "sure-fire deals"? They blow up in his face more often than not.

His dealings with the Grand Nagus earn him nothing because the Grand Nagus is every bit as cheap and manipulative as Quark fancies himself. He usually just ends up shouldering the Nagus's burden and getting none of the credit for resolving the situation.


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

[User] ELI5: How government subsidies for commercial farms work.

[Assistant]
This is a pretty board topic. Basically the idea is the government gives money to farms to ensure they continue to grow food.

Imagine this example, there is a really great year for farming and all the farms grow lots of food. This means there is a huge supply of food,  but because of supply and demand it means the food sells for a lower price than usually. This could lead to a lot of farms going out of business because they couldn't sell enough food to make ends meet. Next year you have a really bad year and all the farms left over produce a small amount of food. Well now since so many farms went out of business last year there isn't enough food to feed everyone and people starve.

This is the point of farm subsidies, to make sure that enough farms survive when food is plentiful and cheap that when there are hard times there will be enough food for everyone.

There are a number of ways that farm subsides can work. Two examples that have been used in the US are the government can buy excess food to make sure farms don't go out of business, then stockpile it or destroy it. Or the government can supplement the price of food, basically paying the farmers the difference between some set price and what food actually sold for at market.


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

[User]
Post-PhD defense funk

I submitted my thesis in September 2020, and 3 months later successfully defended my PhD (yesterday was my defense day). In between, I got sick with Covid-19, and a guy I was dating broke up with me 1 month before my defense. The effort it took to get me through was EXTRAORDINARY, to say the least.

Now that I defended my thesis, I feel absoloutely drained: emotionally, mentally, and physically. Everybody is congratulating me and is proud of me, family, friends, colleagues, but i feel apathetic. How can I not be happy and joyous and just wanting to celebrate ? "Congratulations, Dr.!" makes me want to cringe more than smile. I feel guilty and ashamed for feeling this way.

Yes, I am relieved it's over, and I am sincerely proud of my overall journey, moved to a new country, met great people, and had an amazing time, learned so much and personally grew a lot, but regarding the PhD, i'm feeling so empty .. like, "Is this really it?", and "okay, so what?"

I don't know what it is, whether it is just tiredness or I haven't had time to process the breakup (which I was blindsided by).

My research contract is still running for a few months so I'll be back to do some more work after the holidays, and I applied for a postdoc already, but in regards to finishing my PhD, I can't emotionally connect to what happened .. I'm feeling so deattached from it all.

I don't understand what it is ... Is this normal ?

[Assistant]
It's shockingly normal. People build up the defense to this huge moment, when really it's just a minor coda on a long and draining process. Plus it's really not the "end" people think it is, as you're now starting the next step of the process (applying for jobs, converting the diss into something publishable, etc.)

Get some rest, work through the breakup, and you'll be fine.

Oh, and congratulations!


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

[User]
Is the Earth's rotation still slowing down? If so, could it eventually stop?

In one of my earth and atmospheric sciences classes we learned that the length of the average day was 21h (based on coral growth fossils I think) and it has been slowing down ever since. How slow can it get?

[Assistant] Given an infinite amount of time, the limit would be that it would become tidally locked to the moon (like the moon is to the earth), so that a day would last a month (which would actually be longer than it is now).  In actuality, the sun will become a red giant and earth will either be consumed or be rendered unable to support life long before that happens.


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

[User]
[ELI5]: What's going on with Fidel Castro?

Is he dead, is he alive? whats the deal with all the secrecy surrounding his appearance in cuba?

[Assistant]
He's alive but retired. He's appeared in public this year (most notably at the Party congress in April), so we're pretty certain he's not dead. They're having him keep a low profile, probably to give Raul more legitimacy. He also might still be sick, but it's hard tell with a guy that old (85).

TL;DR - Not much.


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

[User] [Star Wars] What was Vader's relationship with the 501st when he fell to the dark side? Did he still care for his troops like he did when he was Anakin?

[Assistant]
By all accounts, Lord Vader has a good rapport with all the Stormtroopers. While they did not know or question his identity, he still respected their ability, loyalty and straightforward nature.

It's the cowardly politicians that make up the Imperial officers that he has a problem with. These men who call themselves leaders, but refuse to take any blame, even seeming *proud* of their failures, while sending good men to die. Lord Vader marches with his army. He has no patience for those who would sit back, unaffected by their own incompetence.

This endears him somewhat to the Stormtroopers themselves. He is a leader, yes, but he earns the respect that brings, fighting on the front lines, and not blaming soldiers for following the orders they were given.

While a few of the old 501st troopers removed their brain chips, avoiding Order 66, none of them know what happened to him, or even that anything of Anakin Skywalker still remains.


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

[User]
[Madoka Magica] Can someone who's transgender make a contract and become a magical girl?

Either MtF or FtM.

[Assistant]
Girls in the middle of puberty are chosen to be Magical Girls because they have uniquely powerful emotions that produce energy that counteracts entropy. So, assuming we have a transgendered person, who is mentally a girl, and therfore able to produce that unique amount of emotion, they can become a Magical Girl.

It would be particularly effective too since transgenderism commonly causes depression and suicidal thoughts. So they'll have an intrinsic advantage in the amount of misery they produce.


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

[User]
ELI5: How is a single injection of a drug able to provide months of therapy?

My wife is getting a single shot of a drug that will stop her production of estrogen for a full three months. I read about "once a year" injections that can provide months of relief for various conditions. How can a single dose of a medication remain metabolically active for months at a time?

[Assistant]
Esterification of an injectable steroid basically accomplishes one thing, it slows the release of the parent steroid from the site of injection.
This happens because the ester will notably lower the water solubility of the steroid, and increase its lipid (fat) solubility. This will cause the drug to form a deposit in the muscle tissue, from which it will slowly enter into circulation as it is picked up in small quantities by the blood. Generally, the longer the ester chain, the lower the water solubility of the compound, and the longer it will take to for the full dosage to reach general circulation.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] What are the differences between the ideologies of Tarkin and Thrawn?

With there being both a Tarkin and Thrawn novel (Tarkin already out, Thrawn soon coming), and I was wondering what the major differences between their ideologies was.

Thanks :)

[Assistant]
Well for the new canon we don't quite know what differences in their styles are.  We'll see as *Star Wars: Rebels* progresses and Thrawn's novel comes out.

In Legends, Thrawn advocated for a...softer touch than the Tarkin Doctrine.  He was still a believer in order/security over civil liberties and ruling through military might, but he was generally more keen about minimizing collateral damage when putting down dissent.  Thrawn also liked to really milk the most out of a bad situation, lemonade out of lemons.


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

[User]
[Pokemon] Where does Prof. Oak get his Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander?

Where are they endemic to?

If I were to wander out in the world in search of a wild Charzard, where would I find it? Likewise with Blastoise and Venusaur.

[Assistant]
Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, as well as the other 'starter' pokemon are, exempting a few well hidden nature preserves, extinct in the wild.

Those that are given to the various professors are the results of extensive breeding programs without which, these beautiful creatures would go the way of the Aerodactyl.

But for less than the cost of this commercial, you can sponsor a Starter Pokmon in the wild. Your generous donation will go to the defense of these natural wonders, keeping them out of the hands of poachers.

In exchange for just 100 pokedollars a day, you will receive a free wristband made of natural, biodegradable fibers and emblazoned with the World Pokmon Fund's logo, as well as a ~~flimsy~~ tote bag and a ~~cheap~~ calendar with pictures of ~~sad looking~~ Growlithes and Vulpixes.

But most importantly, when you donate, ~~we'll be able to make more of these sad commercials~~ you'll be making a difference in a Pokmon's life.


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

[User] If a super conductor reaches 0 ohms of resistance and you put an arbitrary about of voltage, V, across the superconductor, what is the current? Does I =V/R still hold true?

[Assistant] No it does not. Ohm's law applies only to specific materials that have that constant relationship between current and voltage, and a superconductor is not such a material (neither is a semiconductor). One way to look at superconductors in the context of Ohm's law, is that because V=IR, so matter what the current is, the voltage drop across the superconductor is still zero. There is certainly not an "infinite current" because of dividing by zero resistance.


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

[User] ELI5: When a new game comes out and Nvidia and AMD release updated drivers, what do they actually contain specific to the game?

[Assistant] Bug fixes. The drivers don't have game-specific code per se, but they do contain bug fixes (and sometimes updated features that weren't complete for the previous driver) for bugs uncovered by game developers.


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

[User] ELI5: How is toothpaste different from taking antibiotics? Does bacteria in your mouth become resistant to toothpaste?

[Assistant]
Toothpaste doesn't really kill bacteria. It's there to *take away the stuff that the bad bacteria eat*. Basically, the bacteria that cause cavities take sugar and turn it into acid, which eats through the enamel on your teeth.

Toothpaste helps clean the sugar away, and may shift some bacteria out, but the main advantage of toothpaste over just brushing is fluoride. This helps strengthen your enamel.


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

[User]
[Godzilla] What does Godzilla smell like?

What about Mothra, MechaGodzilla and King Ghidorah?

[Assistant]
Ozone. Godzilla smells like ozone. And seawater.

Mothra smells like well...moths.

MechaGodzilla doesn't smell like anything. Maybe lubricant if you get close to the joints.

King Ghidorah smells like burnt rock.


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

[User]
ELI5: Motion sickness

What's the physiological basis of motion sickness?
If it starts in your head, how does it affect your stomach/make you throw up?

[Assistant] Motion sickness occurs due to the fact that you feel motion, but you can't see it. The brain doesn't like this and thinks you might be hallucinating. The vomiting is a defense system that triggers due to the brain thinking you might have poison in your system.


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

[User] [Warhammer40k] Would the mass production of sex toys fall under the jurisdiction of a Forge World or a Pleasure World?

[Assistant] It would be subcontracted out to a particularly industrialized civilized world or Hive World, where the designs date back to thousands of years ago from the musings of a Magos Biologis who spent a little time trying to optimize human reproduction. The factories that produce the toys would be under general human supervision under cartels or nobles who have partnerships with the Mechanicus, and once a month or so a low ranking Engineseer within the local Mechanicus conclave would be along to see if the Machine-Spirits are being respected and if the rituals being performed correctly.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does downloading stuff in the background increase my ping (i.e. Downloading a game while playing CSGO causes me to have 100 ping, while not downloading i have 10). How are they related?

[Assistant]
Because the packets being sent and received by the download are causing the packet exchange for the game to be delayed.

Think of it like driving to work or school. When there are no other cars on the road it doesn't take nearly as much time to get to your destination. Throw in some traffic, and you'll see it takes a bit longer to get where you're going. The more cars on the road, the longer the delay.


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

[User]
Collaborators that is not your PI, should I inform my PI?

I am a first year PhD. Student going into second year in strategy and management at a top school. I had this cool idea I want to potentially pursue for my thesis when I asked my PI, he just assigned me work that he has funding for.

Last week I shared my idea with another professor from a different school and he is very interested. This professor would like to work on it together, should I inform my PI and try to include him in the project? What is the proper etiquette here.

[Assistant] Absolutely let your PI know.  This may not mean your PI needs to be involved, or even sign off on the project, but learning how and when to develop collaborations is part of the doctoral training process.


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

[User] [X-Men, Marvel Comics] Its been show that everything down to even his blood becomes metallic when colossus transforms sooo does that mean if he we're to whack off any metal form that his sperm would come out metallic also? would it still be viable? could he get someone pregnant in metal form?

[Assistant]
Only Collossus's tissue turns to metal. While in his metal form his bodily fluids are converted to energy. In the comics he doesn't need to eat, drink, or breathe while in his metal form as he is sustained by the energy of his form. Several times he has done this for months/years at a time.

(It's only in the Deadpool movies that he eats/drinks/pukes. The Deadpool movies are currently considered non canon to any other marvel property)


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

[User] ELI5: Why does the hair on our head keep growing, while eyelashes and eyebrows, etc, stop?

[Assistant]
This has been asked a lot so try searching for more explanations.

The short answer is all hair follows the same cycle. It grows to a certain length, then falls out as a new hair starts growing. The length it grows to depends on what type of hair (head hair tends to grow longest) and genetics. So yes, your hair would reach a maximum length if you stopped cutting it; it wouldn't go on forever. The reason you don't notice hair missing when long hairs fall out is that they all fall out at different times so you don't really notice/miss the ones that have fallen out.


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

[User] [Star Wars] How long will a light saber battery last from full if lit but not touching anything? How does use affect its life?

[Assistant]
Theoretically? A lightsaber can last a thousand years without recharging, assuming no draining beyond general deterioration of the power cell's ability to hold a charge.

Usage shrinks that. Depending on how much a lightsaber is used, a Jedi might need to charge it only a handful of times in their life.

Maintenance, on the other hand, requires more regular care, again, depending on usage.


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

[User]
Is there a binary number which can be represented perfectly, where it cannot be represented perfectly in a decimal form?

There are certain fractions which cannot be represented using a finite amount of digits. For example, 1/3 = 0.33333..... We can never truly represent 1/3 as a decimal with a finite number of digits.

Similarly, there are certain numbers which cannot be represented perfectly in binary - 1/3 is one of these numbers. However, 0.1 is also one of these numbers. You can never correctly represent 1 tenth in binary with a finite number of digits, even though you CAN in base 10.

Are there any numbers which can be represented in binary, but cannot be represented in denary? If not, why not? I've tried to think of an example but can't, and it's a toughie to google too.

My guess is that there are no such numbers, because all binary numbers can be made up by adding together the fractions 1/(2^n) depending on the place of the current digit.

[Assistant]
If a number can be represented with finite digit in base b, it has to be of the form k/b^n for some integer k and n. Right? Because if it has n digits after the point, you multiply it by b^n (which equals shifting all digits left by n) and you get an integer, which is k.

So you want a number of the form a/2^(n), but not of the form b/10^(m).

But you just do

Your number = a/2^n = (5^n a)/(5^n 2^(n)) = b/10^n

After defining b = 5^(n) * a.

So all number with a finite expansion in base 2 also have a finite expansion in base 10.

This in general holds if the first base divides the second.


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

[User] Eli5 How did the morbidly obese guy(Angus Barbieri) who fasted for one year not lose all of his lean body mass(muscles)? Does the body actually work to preserve muscle mass and not break it down when fasting as a morbidly obese person?

[Assistant]
Yes, your body *absolutely* works to preserve lean muscle mass. This is absolutely crucial, because some of your organs (like your heart) are composed of muscle.

When you fast, the first thing your body will use for energy is glucose (sugar). Since your body only stores small amounts of glucose, this will be used up quickly - within a few days. At that point, your body switches to *ketosis*, which means that it gets its energy from fat stores.

In fact, this is exactly why we store fat in the first place - to give our bodies a source of energy when were fasting. Periods for fasting were common in hunter-gatherer days, simply because we couldnt always find food. If our bodies immediately switched to using protein, we would have gone extinct.


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

[User] Eli5 why do our bodies shed dead flesh all the time yet keep some dead flesh in specific spots i.e. calluses?

[Assistant]
Calluses are formed when there's repeated, mild trauma to skin. "Trauma" sounds dramatic, but any destructive action is considered traumatic. Let's look at the bottom of your feet, for example.

When you get a more severe injury like a cut, your body forms special scar tissues to protect from further injury; these tissues are kind of like skin, but stronger. You probably walk on your feet, and the weight of your body as well as the slight "grinding" motion is slightly traumatic to the skin. Calluses are similar to scars: when you repeat this tiny injury over and over again, like you do when walking, your body makes new protective tissues to protect from those injuries.

There are a couple reasons calluses don't just fall off like normal dead skin, and the most important one is... they do. Have you ever switched to a pair of shoes that fit better, and seen your calluses eventually go away? It doesn't seem like they do when you're still doing the traumatic action, because your skin *continuously* works to maintain a thicker layer of skin that has a higher concentration of super-strong cells called keratinocytes. After the source of trauma goes away, your skin will eventually stop overproducing cells and return to its normal thickness.


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

[User] [Nightwing] Is Dick Grayson ok with using guns when he's working as a cop?

[Assistant]
He's ok with carrying one around, but will and can exhaust other alternatives before considering firing it at someone. Which is pretty reasonable since the trouble he runs into as a cop is pretty well within his capabilities without needing a gun.

Back during the New 52 relaunch he was secret agent/spy for Spyral for a bit, and also brandished firearms, but mainly for show. He dispatched an enemy by throwing the gun at their head rather than firing it at one point, and then ended up just bringing his tonfa sticks with him as his standard field equipment.


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

[User]
ELI5: How do code breaking machines know when the code is broken?

How, for example, did the WWII code breaking machines at Bletchley Park know when a message was decrypted? Did they search for common german words?

[Assistant]
For WWII, the machines used algorithms that followed precise instructions. The code has already been broken by humans (aided by computers), and they then worked out precise steps for a computer to follow.

The WWII code breaking machines knew when they were finished because the instructions given to the machines by the code breaking experts told them so. It's pretty much "do x, do y, do z, done".

The humans started by searching for repeating patterns, for indications that a ciphertext was made up of words of certain lengths, for indications that there were certain words, etc.

Since the germans rarely changed keys and since their messages often started the same way, it was relatively easy to find patterns that allowed them to figure out the algorithm.


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

[User] Why does the color of the sky get lighter, the closer it is to the horizon?

[Assistant]
It is because of so called "Mie scattering" of sun light in the haze, contained in lowest layers of athmosphere.
The light passing through the haze changes its direction to random other directions. So, it catches light from sun and directs some of it towards your eyes.

When you look up, the layer of the haze is pretty thin and does not significally affect color of the sky.
But when you look to horizon your look goes through about 5 km full of the haze, and your eye catches all that scattered light.


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

[User] How can someone believe in personal responsibility if they do not believe that free will exists?

[Assistant] Strawson argues that we have sufficient negative freedoms - we're not coerced, incapacitated, mentally ill, etc. - to be responsible for our actions. In addition, punishments and rewards make sense because if punishments and rewards were not given out now, the future would not be as such that we act in accordance with the past punishments and rewards.


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

[User]
CMV:Morally there is nothing wrong with pedophiles

I'm a freshman in college, and in my English class we wrote papers on whatever topic that interested us. I flipped through a couple documentaries, and I found one about this "Pedophile Hunter" who would pose as a young boy, and lure pedophiles to locations via some online messaging board so he could publicly humiliate them. As the justice hungry 18 year old I am, I thought, "Right on, your doing good work man." to the guy who confronted these pedophiles. Later on in the documentary they had police officers give their opinions of this "vigilante" work, and how dangerous it is for untrained people to dole out justice. Then they had a therapist talk about how our society has created a climate of animosity that makes it impossible for non-confronting pedophiles to seek the needed treatment. This really shook up my moral compass, I was all for the death of anyone who even thought of molesting a child, but what he said made sense. I like talking about morals, and I became obsessed with the topic, but when I shared my paper with my peers they seemed disgusted with me. My paper said that being a pedophile was a sexual orientation. No sane person would choose to like children, right?You'd get hunted by the pedophile hunter. In the south it would put you in a disadvantage to be gay, so why don't they just flip the gay switch off? They can't. Just to be clear I am not homophobic, Im just using Homosexuality as an example of sexual orientations being beyond our control. Anything beyond our control is not subject to moral evaluation. Finally I think that being a non-confronting pedophile should not be taboo so there is a climate that makes seeking help easier puting less children at hazard, the production of child pornography such as fictional stories, and computer generated graphics should be legal (Ugh, i really struggled typing that one...), but any actual footage of CP should give you life in prison.

I also think that our views of pedophilia as societal whole are a bit primitive, and maybe down the road it will become more acceptable like how homosexuality has become.

Is this a understandable perspective to have? am I crazy?
It feels so wrong, but i'm sure Hitler thought it was wrong to let Jews live.

[Assistant]
Any pedophile who goes to meet someone they met off the internet thinks that they will be going to meeting to see a kid who they will then have sex with.

People who do that aren't the non practicing pedophiles you talk about. They are actively targeting kids.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Im a dark force user during the prequel era but I havent committed any war crimes or broken any laws. Would I have to go into hiding?

Say for example that Im simply a former Jedi that became interested in learning dark force powers because I want to learn everything there is about the force. Ive never committed any war crimes of any kind nor have I done anything wrong to give the Jedi a reason to arrest or kill me other than the fact that I know dark force powers. The Jedi find out that Ive been learning these powers.

What would likely happen next? Would I be allowed to continue my studying the dark side in peace or would they come after me?

[Assistant]
They'll keep an eye on you for sure, but as long as you're not actually hurting anybody, you're fine.  The Jedi, especially of that era, do respect the laws of the Republic, so if you haven't broken any they have no grounds to take forceful action against you.  They will likely work as hard as they can within the law to stop you getting any deeper into the Dark Side though.

By their view, it won't last though.  The Dark Side inevitably leads to pain and suffering.


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

[User]
[General fantasy] What happens if the god of death dies or is killed?

e.g. Thor kills Hel, or Hercules defeats Hades - do they then replace them as the respective god of death? Does everything just sort itself out? Is a new god just created to replace them?

What would happen to all of the souls from the departed? Do they just drift in some limbo-like ashen wasteland for eternity? Or do they just fade into nothingness?

[Assistant] It's not precisely the same, but there is an entertaining series of novels within the Discworld series about if Death decided to go and find the meaning of life, or fill in for Santa Claus, or just plain take a holiday. In most cases, Death's granddaughter, Susan, takes up the reins.


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

[User] [Pokemon/GoT] Why can't Dany control her dragons? Does she need more gym badges?

[Assistant]
She had a fundamental misunderstanding in how her Pokmon functioned.

The eggs were baby Pokmon, not actual eggs. So she did in fact lack the badges to sustain her level grinding.

Also, because she couldn't get the Gym badges from the 7 gym leaders and the 1 semi-autonomous spy ring, because she lacked HM04 to cross the Narrow Sea.


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

[User]
Is there any philosopher alive who is predicted to be as influential as Socrates, Nietzche and the likes?

Just curious if there is and if not what sort of mind would need to be born in order to take another genius step forward in the field of over all philosophy?

[Assistant]
Short answer: no.

Some of the most well known and influential philosophers who are still alive today (without any claim to comprehensiveness) are Kripke, Thomas Nagel, Habermas, Agamben, John Searle, Daniel Dennett and Alasdair MacIntyre. But as you can see, all of them are 80+ years old.

Edit: Maybe Judith Butler should be added to the list, but compared to the others she's such a spring chicken. And a honorary mention goes to Julia Kristeva.


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

[User] ELI5: In old cartoons why were the animated pieces of each scene a different colour than the static pieces of the scene?

[Assistant] That usually means that the background and other "static" images are painted and the actual characters and anything that moves is drawn. They did it to save time instead of drawing out the entire scene over and over.


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

[User]
[Pacific Rim] Jaeger were developed specifically to combat the Kaiju incursions. With that no longer a threat it's inevitable human conflicts will return so how might we see Jaeger tech adapted to the battlefield?

Individual Jaegers, powerful as they are still represent a significant resource investment to build and maintain and may not represent the best cost/benefit when applied to conventional warfare. Assuming humanity becomes complacent about their victory and returns to former warlike ways how might we see this new technology adapted to the modern battlefield?

[Assistant]
Smaller Jaeger's, more akin to mechs, are the new MBTs. They move at speed over virtually any terrain and project force at pinpoint accuracy.

Large construction and freight moving utilize bipedal cranes and load lifters to move large and unwieldy objects with precision.

Plasma Weaponry revolutionizes shipborne artillery.


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

[User] ELI5: Why is Washington State taking so much longer than Colorado to make recreational marijuana available, given that both states approved it at the same time?

[Assistant] In Colorado, the medical marijuana growers were allowed to sell medical marijuana to the non-medical sellers for a year until the stores could grow their own. Washington did not have a similar policy and the first consumer marijuana will have been grown for the consumers and not medical patients.


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

[User]
[Batman] how is the Joker so bloody successful?

The guy is clinically insane, isn't that charismatic and kills most of the people he enters into an agreement with. He has no powers and is on the top of Batman's list, as well as many others.

How does this guy still exist, much less still pull diabolical shit regularly? He can barely think straight, logically nobody would want to work for or with him, everybody hates the guy and he has really no way to protect himself. What gives?

[Assistant]
>he can barely think straight

That's a misleading statement. Joker is crazy, yes, but he's crazy like a fox. The Joker is a tactical genius, able to mastermind extremely complex plans. What makes him so formidable is his brilliance combined with an utter disregard for morality. Everyone is afraid of him, and rightly so.

As far as thugs go, some of them work for him because they know he's crazy, but he also has a better track record of success than many of Batman's other villains. Plus, sometimes he'll get minions who are just obsessed with him, so they're easy to use. Like the Joker gangs in Inustice or Batman Beyond.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does scratching a bug bite feel so good?

[Assistant] Most "ichy" bug bites are a result of a substance the bug injects into the body that causes an allergy like reaction. For mosquitos, their spit contains histamines, a common irratant. Scratching feels good because it releaves that itch (temporarily) by basically distracting the nerves with a subtle pain signal. But avoid scratching as much as possible, because it can worsen the bite and lead to infection.


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

[User]
[ASOIAF] Why is the Kingsguard a lifetime appointment?

It's not like it's a job on the Supreme Court, where you can be blind, deaf, and a quadruple-amputee and still feasibly do your job. If your job is to be a great swordfighter and do a lot of hiking around in heavy armor, you're probably going to be less than great at it once you hit sixty, with a few exceptions like Barristan the Bold. Look at Boros Blount- old, fat, probably diabetic, if you stay in the kingsguard until you die you're going to bet more Boroses than Barristans.

[Assistant]
It supposed to be a lifetime appointment because it has similar vows to those of the Nights Watch. Members must give up their claims to lands, and are unable to marry or have children. The purpose of this is so their loyalty is not split, since they must be unwavering and prepared to die for their king.

If you knew one day you would leave the Kingsguard, at that point you would no longer be bound by these vows. So imagine you are a member of the Kingsguard and your house goes to war with the crown. Since you will one day rejoin them you have a vested interest in them surviving, and because of this you may turn on your king to ensure that happens.


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

[User] [ELI5] Why do home toilets have tanks on the back but public toilets do not?

[Assistant] because public toilets use thick 1" piping with sufficient water pressure/capacity to initiate a flush.  Your little 1/2" plumbing in your house would have the worst flush ever, just turning on a faucet and expecting it to take care of your business.


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

[User] Do tendons get thicker aswell with strength training?

[Assistant] Yes, time under tension encourages tendons and ligaments to grow and get stronger just like muscles. However, this process lags significantly behind muscle growth. This is one reason why it's so important to focus on good form as a new lifter, in order to prevent tendon injury. This is also why so many people who use steroids end up with tendon injury: their muscle growth greatly outpaces their tendon and ligament growth and they over do it.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why are timeshares considered a scam?

I dont quite understand how they work but can someone explain why they are considered a scam?

[Assistant] You basically "Own" a part of a property and you only get to use it a few weeks a year, yet you pay property taxes, upkeep costs and "Association Dues" year round.  Most people don't want to spend all their vacations at the same place every year, but if you have a time-share, you're wasting money if you don't use it.


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

[User] ELI5: What exactly makes cannibalism so unhealthy?

[Assistant]
I have a layman's understanding of cannibalism, but...

Meat is full of stuff that can get you sick. Luckily for us, when we eat a different species, the pathogens that are dangerous to that animal aren't dangerous to us (this is excepted by parasites and bacteria, which are bad for most animals). It's the same principle that makes it so that we can catch the flu from other people, but not from our pets.

This is why diseases that cross species and diseases that are dangerous to humans but not animals are such a big deal (swine flu, avian flu, the Black Death, Mad Cow Disease, every disease transmitted via mosquito, etc).


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

[User]
CMV: Shaming is an ineffective tool in deradicalizing extreme belief like conspiracy theorists and hate (Racism, Sexism, Homophobia etc)

To start, we are deeply social animals and group-belonging is an essential part of human psychology.

Shaming is effectively "You don't belong to my group if you act or believe as you do." which might be effective if you the person being shamed had no where to go.

However, particularly in this day of the internet, you can find community for almost anything. It's a powerful tool for marginalized communities but it's also a double edged sword that groups like Flat Earthers can feed each other. It's the modern day invention akin to fire. It can keep us alive. It can also burn us.

The reason I believe that it's an ineffective tool is because shaming is rejecting someone from your tribe, your group, and as such it leaves the target of shaming with no where to go except the group of people who will feed them the lies of conspiracy theory and/or hate.

Shaming will cut off any opportunity for a person to abandon their flawed beliefs because it burns that bridge.

Lastly, our instinct to shame people, doesn't come from a reasoned belief that it's effective but it comes from a knee-jerk desire for retribution for a moral violation. So we act on that desire in contradiction to its efficacy as a solution.

It's not just ineffective, it actually makes the problem worse.

I'm open to being wrong about this. I would like to understand all the tools in my toolbox for changing the hearts and minds of people.

[Assistant]
The beneficiary of shame is the audience.

You wrote this assuming the one who needed to be deradicalized is the subject of the opprobrium. However, the purpose of making shaming a *public* affair is that a public shaming demonstrates to the audience how ridiculous the subject is.

The target is not the subject of the shame. Its the audience member who is susceptible to peer pressure and might have been a peer of the subject of the shame. Youre much less likely to look up to or copy the behavior of someone that has been publicly ridiculed and through that mechanism public shaming stops the spread of extreme belief infrastructures and networks.


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

[User] ELI5: When water climbs up on a dry thread or cloth, where does the potential energy comes from?

[Assistant]
Like 2 magnets pulling on each other, water molecules pull one another up the dry cloth. This energy, comes from the slightly electronegative or slightly electropositive side of the water molecule. So a water molecule, like the typical North South magnets you see, are sort of the same. Where one side is positive or north and the other side negative or south.

The same positive/negative sides also causes water to attach itself to the molecules in the cloth. This is called adhesion. Water attracting other water molecules is called cohesion.

So again, like the 2 magnets, the potential energy comes from the tendency for 2 molecules attracting each other. Once attached, energy would be needed to seperate the two again and place them in their original position so as to follow the law of conservation of energy.


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

[User]
I believe that prostitutes, porn stars, and other jobs which directly relate to selling the body SHOULD be treated as equals in society. CMV.

I hold my view that a porn star, a prostitute, someone who designs sex toys, etc, all people of this manner (clarity: Someone who sells their body or spends their career directly in this business (e.g. a prostitute and 'procurer' (pimp) respectively)) should be treated just like any other job where it is legal, because I believe that the selling of their body is just equivalent to someone selling their mind or any other skill. A scientist is paid merely for his mental work. A footballer is primarily and sometimes only paid for their physical skill in their respective field. So why can't a porn star be treated to at least a relative level of societal respect for their sexual skill? Some of them work extremely hard at their jobs, and gain extreme prowess in sexual areas.

E.G.: A prostitute is someone who you don't trust, don't go near (unless for the obvious), and someone who is generally looked upon as inferior and menial in society. The same applies for some porn stars: in Boogie Nights, a good example is when a retired porn star attempts to start a business, but is unable to because nobody will give loans with his history as 'a pornographer.' Nothing illegal, no robberies, just pornography. While I doubt today is not as strict as the world back then, some businesses are still this judgmental.

Please Reddit, CMV.

[Assistant] Every profession has a certain image, not just sexworkers. Plumbers aren't as respected as brain surgeons. The reasons sexworkers are on the lower end of this spectrum are, for example, that they didn't have to get any degree and that they often have connections to criminality.


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

[User]
Why are some skills perishable, while others are not?

Last evening I was reading a book, and it said something along the lines of 'unlike riding a bike, piloting an aircraft is a perishable skill.'

This made me wonder: why are some skills perishable if we don't make use of them, while others, such as riding a bike, are things you can pick up even years later?

[Assistant]
Some skills are motoric coordination - like riding a bike, and others are cognitive processes, like what button to push when while flying a plane.

Motoric skills become hard-wired in your brain, you actually build the necessary structures that connect certain balance-governing reflexes with certain repetitive movements, like pushing the pedals while keeping the bike upright. Your entire body learns this process and it remains in your neuronal structure.

Cognitive skills are basically knowledge becoming routine, so while you are doing it regularly, it becomes less and less cognitively effortfull to accomplish. If you stop doing it, however, you begin to forget what needs to be done when.
Also, once you learned to fly a certain type of plane, fly it for about 5000 hours in total (over a period of some years), and then stop flying it for 10 years, if you got back into the cockpit of such a machine, you'd still remember quite a bit and would only need to "refresh your memory" for a relatively short time before being good to go again.


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

[User]
Do black holes have electromagnetic field?

I read that black holes have three properties mass, spin, and charge. But if they have charge, then thet have an electromagnetic field. But then electromagnetic fields are described that carried by virtual photons. But nothing can leave a black hole event horizon, not even photons. What am I missing?

[Assistant]
Just like a black hole's gravitational field, a black hole's electromagnetic field is not something that is communicated from within the event horizon. There's nothing traveling from inside the horizon to outside to give some sort of message "this is what the field is". The field is already there.

(Also, virtual particles are not real things. It's just an unfortunately chosen misnomer for a mathematical tool.)


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

[User]
How come we can transplant a lot of organs from organ donors but we can't donate genitals for gender reassignment surgery?

If I died, I'd be more than glad to donate my dick and balls to someone who wanted to become a male. Why can't we take genitals from dead men and women for gender reassignment surgery?

[Assistant]
the genitals have a really extensive nerve and blood supply which would be a nightmare to transplant.  That said, so does the face, and face transplants have advanced amazingly since 2005, so it could be something they figure out in the future.

however, so much of your genitals are involuntarily controlled by your emotions and brain, so all the nerves would have to be matched up just right for it to function.  Liver and kidney are controlled moreso by chemicals, not emotions like getting an erection, so the nervous attachment would be a lot more complicated.


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

[User]
Can you study Computer Science without being super passionate about it?

Atm I study philosophy at uni and due to some logic courses I took I remembered how I used to enjoy programming a few years ago in school and I wasn't too bad at it. Since then I've been thinking about switching to studying computer science. Like I said, I used to quite like programming and in general am interested in the topic as a whole but I am not someone who for example creates websites in their free time or does projects on their own and stuff like that. I feel like a lot of people who study cs are super passionate about it and know so much about computers (which I don't) and spend their free time programming. I'm not like that but still interested in cs, do you think it's a good idea if I still try? I'm also a bit insecure about switching to cs since I'm a girl and the subject is still widely male dominated at my uni (50 women and 250 men) and I don't want to fill out the stereotype of women not being able to do math or code.

TL;DR: I loved the logic courses I did in philosophy and want to switch to cs but I'm not too tech-savvy or do coding  projects for fun - is it a good idea if I still try? At school I was quite good at math and coding.

[Assistant]
Software engineering != computer science. It really depends on how CS at your uni is taught. If its more theoretical and mathematically rigorous (this is the real CS you do in grad school) then it sounds like you are more likely to enjoy it than those who study it just to become software/web developers. If its more practical/industry-oriented then it doesnt sound like an amazing fit for you.

But to answer your question in the title: yes. CS is quite useful that even if you dont feel super passionate about it at first you might grow to like it for practicality alone. But if you dont care about projects and code development, why dont you consider studying math instead?


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

[User]
ELI5 Why can't we dig deeper than 12.2 km into the earth?

Knowing that kola superdeep is the deepest we have been able to achieve with current technology, I understand the pressure and heat aspect of attempting to drill or bore to those depths and the limitations imposed by those conditions. Why couldn't we theoretically just blast our way down with dynamite creating a large enough space with every blast to allow for the pressure and heat to dissipate, while simultaneously allowing for the removal of the debris (not sure if that's the limitation). Wouldn't you then be able to endlessly lay new charges at the new floor with every blast, allowing us to reach whatever depths we wanted?

[Assistant]
With enough heat and pressure rock starts behaving less like a solid and more like a very dense liquid.

Blasting a hole in liquid is not a plan that works. Blasting rock also requires drilling it and placing charges in the boreholes. Just throwing a bomb at a rock face doesn't accomplish very much.


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

[User] Does Helium and other light gases leave Earth's atmosphere, or does it form the uttermost layer of it?

[Assistant]
Short answer: our atmosphere is steadily evaporating. Lighter gases like Hydrogen and Helium slowly escape into deep space from the superior layers of Earth's atmosphere.

Long answer: Below 100 km (from sea level) air density is high enough to keep particles in a fluid molecular regime (mean-free path much shorter than the scale height) so collision is what dominates this scenario. When you go above 100 km however density becomes so low that there are almost no more collisions and particles start to follow a free molecular regime in which their trajectory becomes ballistic (rather than collision-dominated). You need a statistical approach to the problem and to do so we use the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. In simple words the distribution tells you how many particles are there with a selected value of absolute speed. You are most likely to find slow particles than fast particles obviously. Moreover, since you also need to consider potential energy due to gravity, you will find less particles with a certain speed at higher altitudes since one molecule travelling upwards loses kinetic energy and gains potential energy. However probability says that still are there very few particles which are really fast and are located in the uppermost layers of the atmosphere. If those particles happen to have a speed greater than the escape velocity from Earth they leave the planet for there is nothing above them to stop their motion. Luckily for us, important gases like Oxigen and Nitrogen are too heavy to evaporate due to diffusive segregation of species, which locks them in the lower layers of the atmosphere, making it almost impossible for them to escape. This is because the more a particle weights, the more energy it will need to reach a certain speed (E = 1/2 * m * v^2) so the probability to find a high-energy heavy-particle which can make it's way through the entire air layer without collisions (that would change it's energy) and still have enough speed to escape is very very low.

If you need more detailed informations or the mathematical explanation feel free to send me a PM.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Do males have an advantage over females or species like Wookies over Humans in lightsaber duels?

How much of the combat ability is based on one's muscles vs utilizing the Force to strengthen and quicken one's movements?

[Assistant] Somebody described it once as "two clairvoyants trying to out predict each other". In short, pure strength isn't much of an advantage if you have the force. Lightsabers cut just as well if you're a weakling. It's more about speed.


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

[User]
ELI5:How does cannibalism cause madness?

I hear about proteins misshaping but what's the difference between a healthy humans meat and beef or pork that would cause the condition to happen?

[Assistant]
It doesn't. There is a form of disease called a prion disease. This is caused by proteins improperly folding. Through completely random chance you could get one of these diseases spontaneously without anything causing it (Although that would be very unlikely). Then if someone ate you and ingested those prion proteins their own proteins can begin to fold incorrectly as well.

This happened in Papua New Guinea where cannibalism was a part of funeral practices which allowed the disease to spread. So a prion disease spread called Kuru. The cannibalism is not the cause of the disease, it's just how it spreads.


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

[User]
[Matrix] Could Neo fly in the real world e.g Zion?

His powers transcended the Matrix, could've he done his Superman thing in the real world had he chosen to?

[Assistant] Neo's powers in the real world were limited to machines.  His powers as the One come directly from the Source (ie, the Machines themselves), which is why he could sense and affect them in the real world.  Apart from that, he's just a normal human, and consequently would be unable to fly around Zion.


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

[User]
[Dragon Ball Z] Can you somehow trap the Dragon Balls before they scatter again?

Just throw a net at them or something, a titanium net if need be, just with how much force do these things explode in all directions?

[Assistant]
Yes.

Even kid Goku was able to catch them as they flew away, although he was only interested in the 4 star one which he saw as an inheritance from his adoptive grandfather, he implied he could have caught all the Dragon Balls as they flew away.

You would still need to wait a year for them to turn back in to crystal to be able to summon the dragon again.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do all airplane seats need to stay upright during takeoff and landing?

[Assistant]
Take-off and landing are the most dangerous part of any airplane ride.

As such, precautions are taken so that if the worst case scenario happens and something goes wrong during take-off/landing, we minimise the damage. Being upright and locked into place, means the seats are better at absorbing shocks and people can brace for impact. Trays and loose items are stowed so they can't turn into projectiles. Having your seats upright also means that if they do need to evacuate, everybody has enough room to get out of their seat. Evacuations have to happen quick and efficiently, and that can't be done if someone else's reclined seat means you have trouble getting up from yours.


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

[User]
[Aqua Teen Hunger Force] How are there no swine evil enough to make into bacon for the Broodwich?

So, the Broodwich says, "There are no swine evil enough to sacrifice upon a bed of evil. And lettuce. Bed of evil and lettuce."

How is that true when swine are portrayed as unclean animals prone to possession?

I mean, couldn't you use one of those demonically possessed pigs that Jesus drove into the ocean?

[Assistant]
The Voice also said the Broodwich couldn't be killed or taken apart, which is a fookin' **lie** because Shake took off the sun-dried tomatoes. In fact, when Shake first bitches about no bacon, the Voice says bacon's extra.

So in the Deli of the Damned, bacon on the Broodwich is gonna cost you more. Avocado is probably criminally expensive.

The swine-not-evil-enough-for-Broodwich is likely just to get Shake to shut up and eat the damned sandwich.


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

[User] Apple has a $45B surplus, the Juno mission cost $0.7B. If they wanted, could a corporation successfully mine asteroids or the moon with today's technology?

[Assistant]
Yes they could, but even if they were mining platinum it would still cost more to transport the material back to earth than they would get by selling it.

They might make money by selling it for the aesthetic value of "something from space" but that novelty would quickly dissipate with a large-scale operation.


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

[User]
What are some colleges are institutions that teach new theories about economics?

What, if any, places teach about theories of economics that you would say are novel and revolutionary? Also are there any recent groundbreaking theories?

I want to get into learning about economics and finances but I'd like to know if there are any novel ideas and theories being thrown around. Also are there any specific general programs that teach these? I have a beginners knowledge concerning economics in general, but I'd like to know if there are any divergent paths to take concerning education.

[Assistant] Academia (and understanding in general) is like a tree. You can't have the branch without the stump. All programs teach new and revolutionary ideas, but only later in the program. Usually, high-level grad and post-grad courses deal with knowledge at the frontier, especially if they are specific.


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

[User]
[Kingsman] How do the Kingsman keep failed recruits from exposing them?

The Kingsman are supposed to be a secret organization. No one knows they exist. Every time an agent dies, the other agents nominate a recruit to fill that spot. Charlie was one of several nominees that was kicked out of training for failing his tests. We see him come back after in Valentine's bunker. He spots Eggsy and try to sabotage his mission. The Kingsman never erased his memories or made him "disappear". He was just allowed to rejoin the world. Charlie then joins the Golden Circle and helps bring down the Kingsman. Do they not have a contingency plan? There must be dozens of failed recruits out in the world that know all of Kingsman's secrets.

[Assistant]
Kingsmen recruits are (until meeting our protagonist) from the *right type* of people.

These people are discrete by nature.  Each of those chosen would normally be trustworthy, even if they aren't chosen to join the organization.


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

[User]
[MCU] In Spider-Man Homecoming, Peter is able to hold a split in half ferry together and catch cars going 40mph. Captain Americas feats are no where near that much. How did he beat 1v1 Against peter Im Civil War?

I get that the writers like to nerf or buff certain characters whenever they 1v1 so its more even when they fight for our entertainment, but doesnt it kill the immersion? I get it that its super heros and we suspend our disbelief for the most part but doesnt that bother anyone else?

[Assistant]
Cap is a trained Soldier, Peter is just some kid with some powers.

Cap is a tactician and can plan ahead, but spidey sense (if he even has it in the MCU) only protects right before the danger (a loading ramp landing on him). Peter was holding his own 1v2 with Cap and Bucky, but when he got taken outside of the terminal and Cap dropped the walkway on him, he made the poor decision to catch it instead of try to dodge. He left himself open and was frankly exhausted by the extended fight, so he gave up and cut his losses.


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

[User] ELI5: What causes that type of thunder that seems to rumble on for minutes at a time as opposed to the sharp crack boom of other lightning.

[Assistant]
If the lightning is nearby and vertical, you hear all the sound at once as a loud explosion.

If its far away or more horizontal you dont get all the sound at once, and get that echoing rumble as the different sections of sound reach you at different times.


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

[User]
ELI5 what causes that falling feeling when you're asleep and you wake up in a jolt?

You know that feeling when you're asleep or almost asleep, and you start falling and you wake up like a split second before you hit the ground. What causes this?

[Assistant]
Its called a Hypnic Jerk.  Its not currently known why it happens. The best hypothesis is that the various physical effects of falling asleep will sometimes  confuse your brain into thinking you're actually falling. Since your brain doesn't take chances, it sets off a reflex that would give you a chance of halting your fall.

But since it still being researched, any aspect of this hypothesis may become invalid at any time.


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

[User] ELI5: Where does the data go when my phone is off? When someone sends me a text and my phone is off, does the text sort of hovers somewhere?

[Assistant] It resides on a server in the phone network. When you turn your phone on, the phone connects to the mobile network, and that's when text messages get sent. They are piggybacked on the information the mobile phone provider sends to your phone when it checks in.


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

[User]
[SCP/The Culture] How would the Culture deal with those anomalies?

*First of all, I haven't read all Culture books yet. I know Earth is mentioned at some point, but I don't really know more about that, so please excuse any errors regarding that which I might make in this question. Thank you.*

I heard one of our ships recently scanned the computer networks of some primitive civilization, so I decided I'd browse a bit and see if there's anything interesting there. I happened to stumble upon something called the "SCP Wiki", a collection of descriptions of (fictional) "anomalous", i.e. supernatural, beings and objects. Just look it up.

Anyway, it got me thinking... How would we react to such "anomalies"? Would we even consider them anomalous at this point, or would our advanced knowledge of the universe allow us to see them as unusual, but still in accordance with the laws of physics? Would we imprison them and keep them secret like this "SCP Foundation" does, or would we make their existence public and try to use them to our advantage (or, in the case of sentient SCPs, befriend them)? Can SCP-682 be destroyed by Gridfire?

[Assistant]
They're called "Outside Context Problems". The Excession is one example of this.

The Culture has several plans for situations like this, including one GSV configured to... well... just read Excession... it's one of the best of the Culture books.


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

[User] ELI5: How does a video game programmed in a PC get stored in a cartridge that can be played by a console?

[Assistant] So ultimately what gets run on any piece of hardware is machine code, instructions that the chips on that hardware can understand. You can program in any "high level" programming language and then compile it, which means turning it into machine code. It's like translating from English to a region's local language. You can "target" a specific set of hardware, say a Nintendo Switch, by compiling specific machine code and making sure you meet certain limitations. Generally, developers who want to make games for a console can request to buy a dev unit from the makers, which is a system that has all the same specs as a normal console but are otherwise meant for ease of testing. They make sure that their games run well enough on the target system before publishing the game.


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

[User]
How debated of a topic is the idea of "language games" in the philosophical community? How prevalent of an idea is it in modern philosophy/linguistics that the words we use to describe reality cannot be separated from reality itself? What are the counter arguments to this position?

I've been taking a computer science course which has really changed my mind philosophically but left me obsessed with specifically language.  In my findings I stumbled across the idea of language games and found it made sense to me but after further thinking it seems that would kind of nullify, or at the very least severely hamstrings) the idea of universal understanding on a level desired for philosophy.

The thing is I know there's a counterpoint to this view, but I'm currently struggling to see it.  It made me curious how commonplace the idea of language games are in the philosophical community and what the counterpoints are to people who disagree.

[Assistant]
Part of what helped to crystallize this concept for me was understanding that for Wittgenstein, language-games are a set of practices set within the context of other practices. Within certain kinds of philosophy there is a tendency to separate *what we say* from *how we act*, but Wittgenstein forces us to collapse this distinction again and to recognize: speaking is acting. And language games make sense to their practitioners precisely because their speaking is always already embedded within a bunch of other non-verbal social practices (and which themselves implicate shared assumptions and shared values - often unspoken ones) that help to contextualize everything.

This helps to explain why, when we take something out of context, it often doesn't make much sense and can even sound absurd. Wittgenstein was making precisely this sort of point when he said of the lion "if a lion could speak, we could not understand it." Because the sorts of things lions do and are interested in are not the sorts of things people do and are interested in.

So, bringing the lion into the equation pushes this aspiration for universal understanding a notch higher. Exactly how universal do you want to make your communications? If you want all humans to understand you, why stop there? Why not all mammals? Why not all life?

To counter Wittgenstein's argument in his own terms you would need to make a case for a universal context including a set of universal practices (and, potentially, values) that all the relevant forms of life can relate to. A tall order at the very least.


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

[User]
[DC Comics] If Green Lantern rings are capable of faster than light travel, doesn't that mean Green Lanterns are as fast, if not faster than the Flash?

They only seem to use it in space, but all the Lantern Corps have traveled throughout the galaxy in the span of a few hours.

[Assistant] The Flash is fast in ways which are, frankly, incomprehensible. It's all fun and games to say "Speed Force" and then pack it up an go home, but what we've seen is that a Flash fully tapped into his or her Speed Force connection could have access to literally infinite speed. Wally West, for example, once outran the Speed Force personification of Death by running across the universe. Not galaxy, *universe*. That kind of velocity is many, many, many orders of magnitude faster than light. His speed was so great, he ran forward in time trillions of years, passed universal entropy. And that may not even represent his full potential. No Green Lantern can, if you'll forgive the wording, even hold a candle to that kind of speed.


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

[User] how many virus and bacteria can white blood cell remember?

[Assistant]
There are different types of white blood cells. The ones with "memory" are called B cells and T cells. Other types of immune cells typically do not have memory.

Each B and T cell recognizes a unique target, exactly 1 target each. The "target" is formally called an antigen, and antigens are simply foreign molecules. These may be found on bacteria, viruses, funguses etc.  Your body generates tens of millions of B and T cells every day, so this creates a very broad repertoire of antigens for your immune system, theoretically billions of unique ones.


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

[User] [MCU] why would the collector attempt to collect the infinity stones? He must knows Thanos is after them and would kill him for them!

[Assistant] The Collector is immortal, an elder of the universe in the comics.  He is also quite powerful in his own right.  He doesn't necessarily fear Thanos the way most people would.  Further, he lives for one reason only to collect.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do we feel stupid around people we like even if we're not acting or doing anything stupid?

[Assistant] It's because you have a heightened perception of their competence. You laugh at their dumb jokes because you like them, even if the jokes aren't funny if told by someone else. You think that they are incredibly skilled at whatever things they do, even though they would be considered average at best.


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

[User] How did fish get into isolated bodies of water such as ponds?

[Assistant]
Many ponds were formed after rivers meandered away, often leaving the classic oxbow.  Even kettle lakes, formed by glacial retreat, were connected before isolation.  Other rare ways include weather phenomena, such as tornados, sucking up a pond here and spreading its contents all over.  Some fish travel short distances over land; not just walking catfish, also snakeheads.  Animals besides humans could also inadvertently catch a fish and drop it somewhere.

Nature finds a way.


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

[User] [DnD] Small town Mayor/Bishop here. My guard/priests can all Detect Evil at will. Why shouldn't I have all Evil people banished? Or arrested? Or killed?

[Assistant]
Depending on your plane, "Detect Evil" may:

* only detect supernatural evil, creatures originating from an evil plane
* or, a bit less than a third (regular humans tend toward Neutral) of humans will scan as evil. They might commit some petty theft but for most of them, the threat of consequences keeps them in line. On the other hand, the worst of the humans, who know they're Evil, invest in items or spells that cause false Good readings on themselves.


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

[User] ELI5: How do animals that live in the very deep sea, where the pressure is incredibly great, survive the pressure of the water?

[Assistant]
For the same reason that you can survive the pressure of miles and miles of air pushing down on you: their internal pressure is identical.

All the water inside of their body is at the same pressure as the water outside of it. The water inside pushes out just as strong as the water out pushes in, and the forces equalize. In the same way, the air in your body is at the same pressure as the air outside, and so the forces equalize. That is why they disintegrate when brought to the surface: The water inside depressurizes, and bursts out of their skin and their cells. A similar, though less drastic, phenomenon happens to us if we go into a vacuum, because our body's air is pressurized at 16 psi.


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

[User]
[The Venture Bros] How is Haranguetang a Level 10 nemesis?

His schtick seems to be getting in people's faces and daring them to hit him, and his lair seems to be an old booze-filled RV with a cow-catcher on it. How is he ranked equally to ThinkTank, a man of significant intellect with high-powered technology that includes a nigh-impenetrable shield?

[Assistant]
A.) Nepotism, the dude who own's Papa V's "exclusive" rights could be a close personal friend/business associate who values him.

B.) He can kick some serious ass, despite living like the unibomber.


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

[User]
[DC] I'm thinking of moving to Gotham, so I ask bluntly, how shitty is living there? Is it chock full of crime or would a regular person not be affected much? Do names like Batman, Joker, Harvey etc show up on the news?

Just wanting to make sure my first day there isn't gonna be my last.

[Assistant]
Statistically you'll be fine, go for it.

To paraphrase Grant Morrison:

>Gotham is the loudest, sexiest, jazziest city on Earth. It has the best restaurants, the best theaters, the best art, the best criminals, the best crimefighters etc etc. People put up with the weird crime for the sheer buzz.


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

[User]
CMV: The USA should not be giving military equipment and billions of dollars to Egypt

First off, our country is deep in debt, and I really don't think we are in a position to be sending billions of dollars in military aid anywhere. Second, we ought not to be sending military aid to a country who just had an elected government overthrown by the military, who is systematically imprisoning and executing those who oppose them, including 3 journalists, who were sentenced to 3 years in prison for aiding terrorists (in actuality they were reporting about members of a political part that was suddenly outlawed after being elected by the people and then overthrown by the military).

If America really wants to stand for freedom and democracy, we shouldn't be aiding a country that so blatantly opposes both.

[Assistant]
It is not 'aid'. It is a bribe for Egypt to a) not destabalize the region (by for example being more overtly hostile to Israel) and b) to keep access through the Suez canal fair and accesible for everyone (including American ships).

The US can certainly afford it though, national debt does not quite work the same as personal debt and it is not necessarily a bad thing for a nation to be in debt. Global economics gets really confusing real fast. Afghanistan/Iraq/whatever is a much, much more giant sink hole where money dissapears forever unaccounted for than if you add up all the military 'aid' Egypt has received since forever.


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

[User] When would economic growth decrease the living standards of a countries citizens?

[Assistant] It would be possible for the standard of living of the majority to fall in a relative sense if all of the gains (in terms of income) accrue to a select few in the society, and inflation results in a lower real income for most households. This has sort of been happening in the U.S., but advances in technology (e.g. everyone using Netflix as a cheaper alternative to cable) can increase living standards without any change in incomes, so it's not as clear cut as that.


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

[User]
Could being submersed in a sealed tank of fluid help humans survive heavy G acceleration in outer space?

Im trying to imagine what this would look or feel like (let alone if it would even do anything to alleviate the problem) but Im not educated in this whatsoever.

What would someone experience if they were in such a situation? Would it even help?

[Assistant]
Yes. Forces applied to fluids are distributed as omnidirectional pressures as fluids are difficult to compress. Because fluids are difficult to compress, there's no appreciable change in density under high acceleration. This concept has already been applied to high G flight suits, namely the Libelle G suit, which has allowed pilots to remain conscious and functioning during maneuvers as high as 10 G's.

The practical acceleration protection limit via liquid immersion is hypothesized to be approximately 15-20 G's. Beyond that, cavities such as your lungs will collapse, so you'd need to fill your cavities with a human compatible oxygenated immersion fluid which simultaneously has a similar density to water. There is practical upper limit as the differential density of tissues inside the human body will eventually be reached, but hypothetically, if you filled a person with this fluid in all their cavities (lungs, stomach, intestines, etc.), they could survive outrageous amounts of acceleration. Of course, this is all contingent on finding an immersion fluid which is both lung-compatible and has a density similar to water, so it'll probably never happen.


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

[User]
[Peppa Pig] How come Mrs. Bunny keeps several jobs at the same time?

She is the cashier at the supermarket and at the same she is the ice cream seller. These jobs schedule trample over each other. Not to mention that she is the bus driver and the helicopter pilot too! If I didn't know better I would say she time-travels - Hermione style - in order to keep up with the bills.

[Assistant]
Mrs. Bunny is what we like to call a "neighbourhood helper". She's a jack-of-all-trades that can fill in when necessary for employees from several different businesses.

Remember, when sickness strikes, give Mrs. Bunny a ring! She'll man the post while your employee battles the sniffles.


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

[User]
[The Jungle Book/TaleSpin] Why did Baloo leave the jungle to fly a plane?

Baloo preached about the bare necessities. Why would he leave that all behind to go get a job and earn a living? Also, why would he go to a town that was practically run by Shere Khan?

[Assistant]
The Jungle Book was just the first chapter in a long tale.

It does indeed begin with Mowgli, the young boy who is raised by animals as an orphan and brought back to society by the animals, Baloo in particular.

The story continues in the Jungle Book 2, which details Mowgli's return to the jungle, and Shere Khan's subsequent infiltration into the human village only to be defeated.

And this is where the tale takes a turn, as Shere Khan now knows what the human world is, and covets it. It is assumed that he somehow defeats, runs off, or just plain eats all the humans in Usland, the setting of Talespin. Since also there is a mention many times of a Great War, there is room for a theory that humanity was defeated, at least in Usland 20 years ago, and Shere Khan came to power as a later result.

Whatever the events were, they resulted in sudden industrialization and advancement of animal society, and with it, of course comes the attendant overuse of the landscape and damaging of resources, one of which may have been the jungle Baloo was resident in.

In any case, something drove him from his idyllic and naked lifestyle in the jungle to become a quite competent pilot, and then eventually to open his own business in Cape Suzette. Any business run in Cape Suzette is done under the auspices of Shere Khan, so Baloo would choose to do so if anything, out of laziness and a lack of interest in exerting more effort than necessary to live the life he wants.

Of course his laziness ends in his business coming into debt and being bought out by Rebecca, and his lack of fear when facing trouble leads him to clashes with Don Carnage and his pirates, which in turn leads to him meeting the young cub Kit, thus setting the stage for the entirety of the TaleSpin series.


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

[User] ELI5:why do radio active nuclear facilities cores glow blue?

[Assistant]
The blue glow is something known as *Cherenkov radiation,* first detected by Soviet physicist Pavel Cherenkov in the early 20th century.

This radiation occurs when a charged particle passes through a medium like water or air at a velocity greater than that at which light passes through said medium.

This velocity is slower than the "speed of light" that is the ultimate speed limit of the universe, so the presence of Cherenkov radiation is consistent with, and predicted by, physical law.


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

[User] [DC] What is the Batman's opinion on a licensed gun owner using their firearm in self-defense against criminals trying to hurt them?

[Assistant]
Well he doesn't knock Gordon's gun away whenever Gordon pulls his firearm out. He's ok with using it lawfully in self-defense.

He wouldn't be ok if you were actively seeking trouble like The Punisher though. And he himself just prefers not to touch guns and he tends to try everything in his power to keep everyone alive under all circumstances.