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

[User]
People who actually work in C, why are your variable names so short?

It's generally recommended to have variable names that are as expressive as possible, and it's not rare to see `longAssVariableNames` in languages like Java

But when I look at some C code (mostly remembering from my CS degree), variable names tend to be as short as possible

Why is that the case?

[Assistant]
> Why is that the case?

Generally consistency internal to a codebase, coupled with habits that have been established over a long time. A lot of C code was written well before the advent of IDEs and in times where 80 columns was a hard maximum.

So it's mostly "bad habits die hard".


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

[User]
What is actually happening when one "stands up too fast" and their vision goes dark temporarily?

I've heard it's something to do with blood rushing to one's head, and if this is the case, how does this cause the effect?

[Assistant] When you stand up fast, some blood pools in your legs and ankles, usually the body deals with this quickly so you don't notice it. This results in lower blood pressure to the brain. Dizzyness/fainting/dark vision, is usually a sign of the brain not getting enough oxygen. Sometimes if you stand up too fast you might even faint.


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

[User] [Marvel] Can The Hulk stop Juggernaut?

[Assistant] the Juggernaut isn't a mutant. He's magical. As such, he is LITERALLY unstoppable, so no, the Hulk could not stop him. Defeat him? Maybe, probably. But physically stop him once he's picked up momentum? Nope.


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

[User] ELI5: how does the crisping sleeve work when microwaving something.

[Assistant] You know how the inside of the sleeve has a silver lining? It's basically a metallic film (called a "susceptor") that very effectively absorbs the microwaves and radiates heat. So, it gets very hot and can effectively brown/cook the food next to it with thermal radiation.


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

[User]
ELI5: How do crabs work?

I'm baffled. I'm laying here hungover thinking about eating crab legs when I realize: I don't understand crabs.

They're made of three parts: shell, meat, and that spindly tendon you pull out. How does that make for movement? Am I missing something here?

Please educate me on crab movement and physiology and just give me interesting crab facts in general. I need to know.

[Assistant]
The meat inside their shells is essentially their muscle. It's used to contract and extend their appendages similar to the way you do for your arms and legs.

Their organs are contained within the shell (along with some more meat).


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

[User] ELI5 : How do predators like lions and tigers become pets for humans? How come they don't just kill the humans?

[Assistant]
They're predators, not murderers. Keep them well fed and cared for, they *generally* won't have any reason to attack you. Animals typically don't kill for pleasure, especially not the person who keeps bringing them thick steaks every day.

That being said, they still do attack their owners time to time. Sometimes it just happens. Dogs and cats still attack their owners. Hell, even let hamsters will bite you if you're not careful.


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

[User] ELI5: What is radio static? Why isnt there just silence in the absence of a broadcasting signal?

[Assistant]
First of all, your radio is tuned to certain frequencies, but all of the others are still there. Your radio is just picking up on the very strong signal and "consciously" (as much as a circuit board is "conscious") ignoring the less strong signals. You can kind of test this if you have one of those Aux-to-FM transmitters, usually used for older cars that don't have an aux cord or bluetooth. You can set your radio to pick up a local station, and it plays. If you plug in your Aux-to-FM without any input to it, the local station will go silent. The strong signal from the transmitter is making your radio pay attention to it instead of the local station, even though it's transmitting a "silence" signal.

That means in the absence of any single strong signal at that wavelength, the antenna is still picking up every other radio station around it, your radio just doesn't have a single loud station to pay attention to. The "loudest" station is all of the stations together, which doesn't give any clear signal so you get static.

But even in the absence of all radio emissions from all humans - if you went back ten thousand years with a radio and set it up, you'd still get static. A lot of things in the universe give off radio waves. See, radio is just another kind of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light. It just has a much longer wavelength. Stars pump out EM at a *lot* of frequencies, from radio to ultraviolet light. The peak output of our Sun happens to be in the green/yellow band, but it still cranks out some radio.

Other celestial bodies crank out even more, so even though they're far away they're comparatively "loud" enough to be heard here on Earth. Black holes blast out massive amounts of EM as they strip down matter falling in - everything from radio all the way up to x-rays and super high energy gamma rays.

The expansion of the universe also changes the way EM radiation propagates through space. They get stretched as they travel through expanding space. The farther away the source of the EM is, the more it's been stretched by space, so the longer the wavelength. This is called *redshift* - visible light gets shifted towards the red end of the spectrum. But red gets shifted to infrared, and infrared to microwaves, and microwaves to longer radio waves, and so on. If you look at the very very very edge of visible space, the very earliest moments of the universe during the Big Bang, you see the very first light given off as the universe expanded enough for electrons to recouple with atomic nuclei. That very first light is so ancient that it's all shifted deep into microwaves. This is the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation.

The CMB was found because scientists were using radio antennas to look for something else entirely, and needed to account for all of the sources of radio that would interfere. They accounted for everything they could think of, but there was still a pesky source of radio that they couldn't find. They eventually looked *up* and realized it was coming from space - and not the Sun or close by stars, but deep in space.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why is there so much nudity in classical paintings?

Best guesses are appreciation of human form, ease of not having to paint clothing, and a sort of relaxed bohemian attitude around nudity and sex in general; but I was wondering if there was a more educated answer out there.

[Assistant]
So with the spread of humanism ushered in by the beginning of the renaissance, people started to take a keen interest in humanity. They started thinking that people were incredible and the individual was exceptionally important. As a result, we start seeing changes in a number of artistic modes of expression. To answer your question though, painters and sculptors wanted to idealize the human form which took on a whole new significance in renaissance art. The natural human figure presented an expression of beauty, perfection, and humanity.

TL;DR - Round about 1400 or so, people started thinking of humans as hot shit. As a result they celebrated the ideal human form - a nude figure.


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

[User]
How is knowledge and instinct passed down genetically in species that don't acculturate their young?

For example, reptiles that hatch and immediately are on their own, or how spiders know how to build webs and where to build them.

[Assistant] They don't really get "passed down" so much as it is "embedded" in the genetic code. Through millions of years of evolution, the best fit (most aggressive croc or best placed web) has been kept going so long that it is to them as curiosity is for a human baby. Whether or not there are parents, babies will put things in their mouth and probably learn to walk; similarly, aggressiveness or web-placement is the "instinctual" habit of the unique species.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do people who are addicted to drugs like meth, cocaine etc have changed facial features?

[Assistant] Not all addicts do...youd be suprised how well some addicts can blend into society, looking at some youd never know; but some do if they dont have good eating / sleeping habits & are malnourished . Also years of drug use will usually make you lose your teeth making your face look sunken in.


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

[User] Will an orbit in space always result in the two objects colliding? (Given enough time and assuming no other objects interfere.)

[Assistant] Yes because of loss of energy in gravitational waves. Unless they get far enough from each other that the expansion of the universe starts having a significant effect (space expands at70km/s/Mpc, 1megaparsec is around 3*10^19 km).


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

[User] ELI5:Why cold/thin air triggers weezing/coughing fits in people who smoke or have asthma.

[Assistant] Smoking or asthma both lower the number of available lung surface area. Those little air sacks inside the lungs (alveoli) get gummed up, and can not be as efficient as they should be. Cold air tends to stun those working little guys because they have moisture in them, and cold air is a shock. Between not having as many working alveoli, and having that fast shock from cold air in moist and warm lungs....


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

[User] ELI5: If the medicine in Epi-Pens degrades when exposed to light, then why is the container clear and not opaque?

[Assistant] The medicine itself needs to be clearly visible to the user. If it gets cloudy, or has suspended particles, it should no longer be used and just discarded. The risk of using a bad medicine is larger as it may not be effective in a life threatening situation. Thus, clear containers instead of opaque.


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

[User] ELI5: How can online stores like Amazon or Steam afford to cut prices on their products during holidays so low and still profit?

[Assistant]
In Steam's case it's the individual publishers/developers that put their game on sale.  Valve merely makes them aware of the stretch of time they're going to be promoting their holiday sale, but it's up to the individual publishers/developers to decide if they want to participate and, assuming they do, how much they want to reduce their game by.

The main reason you'll see significantly greater price reductions on Steam compared to big box stores is because there's no manufacturing costs.  They're not making a physical item to sell you and they're not shipping said item anywhere.  Given that it costs basically nothing for them to sell you a digital copy (aside from the obvious cost of making the game in the first place), they can still profit off of their title at those low prices.

Amazon is a bit of a different beast.  It has some advantages over big box stores in the sense that it doesn't have to pay as much upkeep and that's part of the reason they can sell items at a reduced price.  The bigger factor is Amazon's company philosophy though.  For Amazon, turning a profit has always been a secondary goal to capturing market share.  Basically they want to outsell places like Walmart even if it hurts them now because they think it will help them in the long run.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why do some drivers stay 50-100 yards back in bumper to bumper traffic.

Commute in Chicago daily. I see nothing beneficial to this regarding safety improvement, gas or engine preserving. It just pushes traffic back farther. Maybe someone can help here.

OP response: Wow I got tore up, but that was awesome! Just got back from work, apologies for going MIA and not marking explained. Lots of constructive responses, and others not. I enjoyed the links and feedback. Please allow me to explain. I was looking for answers from various drivers, those that do this and those that don't, not out of ignorance. This question was not about tailgating or road rage. Just something I have noticed a handful of people do among thousands as I sit in traffic every day. I'm not originally from Chicago, or Illinois. I moved to Chicago almost 3 years ago. The key word in this question is YARDS (0.9144 Meters), not feet or car lengths. Thank you for those who understood that. An air pocket is definitely always necessary, 50 ft is completely acceptable! At HALF AN AMERICAN FOOTBALL FIELD I got curious. This seemed extremely excessive, especially when several others cut in front and that driver will maintain that 50+ yards distance from those cars that are now ahead of them in that lane. That much braking distance isn't needed at that slow of a pace (8 mph on the way home) and I have never felt the need to "control" traffic myself, I feel like I'd hold others up. If I do drive up on this, I just go around and continue my commute. Today I wondered what Reddit thought. Maybe I could have found a different subreddit but ELI5 is what came to mind, I wouldn't be the first.
Thanks everyone, no hard feelings for the aggressive comments my way, I 100% expected that reaction from strangers online. I'm going to use this thread down the road and I hope others do as well. This thread also kept me awake at work today.

[Assistant] It actually lets traffic flow better. Instead of speeding up and slowing down, which can create more choke points, you slow down to the point where you are just rolling. Eventually, it breaks up the choke points and helps traffic flow smoother. Speeding up, and slamming on your breaks is what causes everyone behind you do do it to.


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

[User]
ELI5: If you could zoom in and watch something charge its battery, what would you see?

Like a cell phone or a laptop. Would it be like, a stream of electrons dumping out of the charge cord and into some kind of receptacle? Would they fill in randomly or orderly? What keeps them from escaping, thus keeping the charge?

[Assistant]
Imagine a retail clothing store that has a bunch of customers but no sales. Throughout the day the customers ruffle through the neatly folded clothes, try them on and put them down somewhere else. Completely disorganizing the entire store.

That is you using your battery.

At the end of the day, the employees run through using their tiny hands to pick up crumpled clothes, fold them, and reorganize the entire store.

That is the charging.

The electrons come in through the wall, reorganize your lithium ions and leave.


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

[User]
[The Matrix] Why didn't they just killed people once they got unplugged?

I know that in order for humanity to accept The Matrix they must be offered an "out" at least on a subconscious level. But why don't the Machine just kill every person who decides to get unplugged right then in the pod?

That they allow them to choose to get out of the Matrix doesn't mean that they have to allow them to run around and fight the Machines?

It looks as if the Machines care more about being "fair" and upholding there end of the deal then being pragmatic because in the end it's the Machine that hold all the power.

EDIT:
To everyone saying they where killing them by flushing them down in to the severs, that's my whole point. If you know that you have to let people leave the Matrix if they want to why use that unsure method of execution via drowning, just run a spike through there skulls while you unplug them and be done with it. Draining them down in to the sewers unharmed is what allows the resistance to pick them up alive and get new soldiers, you can hardly say that one extra action isn't worth crippling the growth of the resistance.

[Assistant]
Basically it's all a matter of ensuring The One returns to the Architect. It's revealed in the Matrix Reloaded that The One is crucial for the survival of The Matrix, that he contains a piece of special code.

Now the Machines almost certainly know who the One is well in advance and can to a certain extent control his actions. However they cannot create people like Morpheus, humans who are crucial for the growth of The One, training him, educating him and inspiring him so that he can finally reunite with the Architect.

Now it's conceivable that the native inhabitants of Zion could do the above actions, but at a much greater difficulty and with much greater risk (they don't have the practical experience a Matrix escapee would have).

In summery people aren't killed when they are unplugged so the support network The One needs to become The One can be created.


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

[User]
[Lord of the Rings] What IS Sauron?

What species is he? Does he draw power from the same source as the wizards? Is he more powerful than all the wizards put together? Why?

[Assistant]
Sauron was one of the Maiar, a race of divine spirits that helped shape the world along with the Valar (more powerful divine spirits, analogous to gods) and Eru ("the One", analogous to God). Early on, Morgoth, the greatest of the Valar, led a rebellion against Eru in an attempt to take over (and eventually destroy) the world. Some of the Maiar, including Sauron and the Balrogs, followed him. But at the end of the 1st Age, Morgoth was defeated in the War of Wrath and kicked out into the timeless void outside the world. Sauron stepped into the position of Dark Lord and, after the forging of the One Ring, became nearly as great a threat as Morgoth had been.

The Maiar had varying degrees of control over the natural world due to their divine status, though they were skilled at different things. It is likely that Sauron was one of the most powerful Maiar, though his talents lay mainly in messing with the minds and wills of others.

The Wizards were also Maiar, sent by the Valar to help advise and guide the free peoples in their fight against Sauron, though they kept their true nature hidden and were discouraged from directly opposing Sauron's power with their own.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] What would the Rebellion do with a Star Destroyer that had defected?

Suppose that after the destruction of Alderaan, a good chunk of the crew of a Star Destroyer decides that the Empire has gone too far and decides to defect. The top command staff and a bit more than a skeleton crew sized chunk of the crew manage to get all the loyalists off ship and they show up at a Rebellion base, with most of their war materiel intact, eager to join. What would the Rebellion do?

[Assistant]
They would appropriate it, naturally. This is not unheard of by the way both in new or old canons. In new canon it's been said that quite a bit of imperial fleet had surrendered after Endor. In old canon most of the fleet had fractured between various warlords, but Rogue Squadron... arkem, "*persuaded*" some of the imperial captains to defect. One of those Star Destroyers ended up in hands of infamous smuggler Booster Terric, and was rechristened as Errant Venture. For the longest time it was the largest warship ever in private hands.

Other star destroyers were simply included in Rebel - or by that point New Republic - fleet.


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

[User]
[Doctor Who] Would Lady Cassandra benefit from having her skin placed in a smaller frame?

I don't know much about how skin works, but it seems as though she would need less moisture if her skin were allowed to shrink further.

[Assistant]
And lose her beautiful wrinkle-free complexion!? Never!

She would gladly endure the hardships of constant moisturizing for all eternity if it meant never seeing her skin show so much as a wrinkle between two skin cells.


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

[User] ELI5: If all wavelengths of light travel at the same speed, what causes them to rainbow after exiting a glass prism?

[Assistant] A prism causes light to refract, which is described by the *refractive index* of the material. The refractive index is different for different waves of light, so that rays of different wave-lengths get refracted at different angles. White light, made up of many wave-lengths, is split up by the refraction and each colored ray will be cast in a slightly different place from the others. That's what produces the spectrum.


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

[User] ELI5: If nicotine is legal for adults, why isn't it put in products like 5 Hour Energy or electrolyte water or even vegetables?

[Assistant] Uh, because people would stop buying those products pretty damn quickly and their producers would be hugely demonized for putting harmful, addictive additives in their product to the detriment of their customers for their own benefit. Also, for many products (like food) it would just straight up be illegal.


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

[User]
[MCU] How big of a deal was the revelation of HYDRA after the events of The Winter Soldier in the mainstream public?

A former Secretary of Defense, an apparently major U.S Senator, more than half of S.H.I.E.L.D operatives and god knows who else were implicated in plans to commit genocide that would have dwarfed the Holocaust had they succeeded, not to mention essentially declaring war on every government in the world. Shouldn't have this been a HUGE deal? We see hearings on what happened at the end of the movie, but like, shouldn't have the news about HYDRA have totally freaked everyone out on a 9/11 level scale? Shouldn't have conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones been screaming "I TOLD YOU SO! I TOLD YOU SO!" that there really was a cabal of elites out to kill and enslave everyone?

[Assistant] The general belief of the public wasn't that Hydra infiltrated the government but that SHIELD tried to hold a coup. The conspiracy nuts *did* scream about Hydra's conspiracy but this was just dismissed as more nuttery because of the disconnect between what the media claimed happened and what actually happened.


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

[User] ELI5: why do mourning doves make that sound when they takeoff flying?

[Assistant] It's due to the shape of the feathers on the wings. Specifically, the flight (bigger) feathers closer to the body are shaped such that they produce a vibration that creates the whistling. It's thought that the sound may serve as a warning signal to other doves.


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

[User]
Can you really trigger an avalanche by screaming really loud while in snowy mountains?

Like,if you can does the scream have to be loud enough,like an apporiate value in decibels?

[Assistant]
According to the Davos institute for snow and avalanche research... No, you can't.

Even if you were right next to it you'd have to generate 200+ decibels (or about equivalent to a sonic boom) to even have a chance of causing an avalanche.


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

[User]
[Spider-Man] Are Peter Parkers kids mutants?

My wife grew up reading the Spider-Girl comics and we have had this discussion since we met. May and Ben Parker, Peter Parkers kids, are born with his powers. They didnt technically get these powers through an event, like Peter, but if he hadnt been bitten his children wouldnt have necessarily had the powers. Are they considered mutants (like the X-Men) because they were born with them? Or would they be grouped with characters who were born human and later gifted their powers?

[Assistant]
In the comics, when someone is called a "mutant," it specifically means that they have the X-Gene.

Spider-Man is a *mutate*, someone whose DNA was altered away from baseline human, but he does *not* have the X-Gene, and neither would his children.

The X-Gene is kind of a big deal, because it was inserted into the human genetic code by the Celestials, as part of their experiments and general tomfoolery. Parker's powers come from regular human mad science, but mutants come from an intergalactic race of disco giants.


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

[User] ELI5: Why are the Chickenpox potentially fatal to adults, but almost harmless to children?

[Assistant]
Although the rates for morbidity from varicella (Chicken Pox) are higher among adults, the seriousness of this is overblown.

Yes, adults are at a higher risk of developing complications from varicella (such as pneumonia, especially if they smoke) but most adults will make a full recovery after a course of antiviral therapy (ex. Acyclovir 3200 mg/day for 5 days).  This is especially the case if treatment is initiated early, within 24 hours of the rash onset.

The individuals who are really at risk are immunocompromised individuals (HIV/AIDS patients) and pregnant patients

TL;DR Chicken Pox is still a relatively benign disease in healthy adults, just get that rash checked out within the first 24-72 hours and you'll be fine.


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

[User] [Batman] If Batman is peak human, does that mean he could compete in any olympic level powerlifting, gymnastics, swimming, or track competition and have a probable chance of winning?

[Assistant]
He'd have a good chance, yes.  But if the Olympic games are also open to other members of the human superhero community, then Batman may have to settle for silver in quite a few events.  For example, Nightwing is probably a better gymnast, Connor Hawke would probably win in the combat sports, and Deathstroke is physically stronger and faster (though he might be disqualified for PEDs).

Basically, Batman's so formidable because he excels in so many categories.  He may not be the very best at any of them, but someone who's second best at *all* of them is a terrifying prospect indeed.


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

[User] ELI5: How does the scissors-curling of a ribbon you use for a gift work? Are there straight fibers that get broken up in fragments?

[Assistant]
**TL;DR:** *Different amounts of force on the ribbon's outer versus inner edge as you stretch it over your scissor blades results in one surface of the ribbon being stretched out more than the other, and that forms a permanent slight bend that becomes a full curl if long enough.*

A ribbon actually has a little thickness to it. So there's a tiny bit of distance between the side of the ribbon that's facing toward you, and the side of the ribbon that's facing away from you.

When you fold that ribbon over the sharp edge of a pair of scissors and apply pressure, you are actually creating more stretching on the "outside" surface of the ribbon than the "inside" surface. So the outer part of that ribbon gets pulled and stretched more than the inner part, and that combination of a surface that IS stretched and a surface that IS NOT stretched creates a bend. If that bend is long enough, it becomes a curl.

To see this at a larger scale, grab an old paperback magazine and put it in front of you with the staples or seam to the left. Now fold it over right-to-left so the right edge is now touching the spine/seam/staples. Then, holding it in this position, pick it up and look at the U-shaped edge that's closest to you. You can see that the "outer" part of the bend (i.e. the back page) is longer than the inner part of the bend (the front page), and the pages themselves no longer line up squarely, fanning out a little bit thanks to the extra bendy distance. The outer pages are now under more force than the inner near that bend, and they'd stretch more if they could (like a ribbon's material will).

 If that magazine-bending force were strong enough (e.g. put it in a hydraulic press or something), the outer pages would tear before the inner pages.  Same with a ribbon, except its fibres stretch instead of breaking, and you get a curl rather than a rip.


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

[User] [Marvel/Harry Potter] Could Daredevil "look" at a Basilisk with his echolocation and be unharmed?

[Assistant]
The basilisk's magic seems to work specifically by being physically seen. The effect is dampened when it's being viewed from a reflection, but it still relies on the victim's sight.

Daredevil's echolocation is the result of the rest of his senses becoming enhanced, so he should be fine. He wouldn't actually "see" the basilisk, so it wouldn't harm him.


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

[User]
Why is writing code for GPU so low-level?

I mean, with all the binding buffers to specific indices and all that. Couldn't some of the GPU's massive power be devoted to running something at least as accessible as C++? I know there are libraries and things for accessing GL and such through C++ and lots of other languages, but as far as I know, all of those libraries still require all the same legwork, just done via a language-specific API.

Why can't I just write a program in Java, or C++, or Python, or Lua, or something like that entirely on the GPU? Or can I and I have no idea?

**Edit:** Thank you all for the wonderful responses. The topic is a lot clearer now. The overall impression I'm getting is that GPU's are not just large CPU's, but rather large parallel floating point number crunchers.

I had avoided OpenCL in the past because I assumed it would be fairly similar to OpenGL. I watched a few tutorial videos, and while it still seems a *little* stuffy for me, I guess that's to be expected when shuffling processors.

[Assistant]
because if you're writing code for gpus, then you care about performance pretty much above all else.

this is one of the reasons why vulkan is becoming a thing. opengl and directx were 'too high level'. you sacrifice control to abstraction and these folks just want all of the control.

gpus are also not great for general-purpose programs. their focus is pretty much entirely on floating point operations and running them in parallel. your standard program is using 1 core of your cpu. high-end graphics cards have upward of 4,000 cores. the focus is not really on speed of an individual operation but on allowing you run thousands of operations at the same time and having a memory bus that's fast enough to keep up.


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

[User] ELI5: How does a flash bang grenade work?

[Assistant]
A flashbang grenade is a small explosive charge surrounded by a pyrotechnic compound and packed in a metal tube with cutouts along the sides.

When the explosive detonates it isn't contained (thanks to the cutouts) so it doesn't cause the grenade to fragment. Instead it makes a very loud noise, and a concussive shockwave. Along with the shockwave comes the pyrotechnic powder (usually some mix of magnesium and aluminum). The heat of the explosion ignites the powder as it is ejected from the grenade, causing it to burn with an intense white light.

The combined effects of the noise, shockwave, and flash serve to blind, deafen, and disorient anyone in the immediate vicinity of the grenade.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why rape victims in Saudi Arabia get sentenced to lashings.

Is lashing and rape perceived differently by the culture in Saudi Arabia and consequently not as big deal as in the west? Do most women there feel like other women who are raped deserve to be whipped? Do most men agree that a woman who is raped should be whipped as punishment?

From a western viewpoint whipping the victim of rape seems unforgivable. I realize this is a narrow world view so ELI5 the cultural dynamics that allow for lashing!

[Assistant]
She wasn't lashed for having been raped. She was lashed for sexual immorality, which she claimed wasn't consensual (rape). Women aren't considered trustworthy to provide testimony in Saudi Arabia compared to men, so the man simply denied the charge and the woman was essentially admitting in court to a crime herself. Her lawyer protested so loudly that the court went back and *increased* the punishment of the woman, apparently out of spite.

In general the testimony of women in the Middle East zone of the world hasn't been considered at all worthwhile historically. This lends a certain comedic quality to some legends such as when Jesus was found risen from the dead by one or a group of women. When they spread the word the sense conveyed in context is "And he rose from the dead (as conveyed by idiot, untrustworthy sources)!" In this sense many accounts are nearly satire.


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

[User] ELI5:ELI5:Why do ears hurt in a quiet room when headphones are turned up to full volume, but not at the same volume in a noisy environment? Is it not incurring the same damage?

[Assistant]
There's a term in hearing science known as signal to noise ratio. It refers to how loud what you want to hear is in relation to background noise. The auditory processing center in the brain tries to distinguish the signal (e.g. what is coming from your headphones) from background noise. In a quiet room, the signal to noise ratio is high, so you don't need an excessive volume to distinguish from background noise. In this case, full volume is too much for the auditory system, which causes the pain. The ears are designed to hurt when sounds are damaging-inducing loud.

In a noisy environment, the signal to noise ratio is initially lower. You feel the need to increase the volume of your headphones to increase the ratio. The auditory processing system is working hard and distracted by competing signals, so your headphones don't seem as loud even though they are.

Having the headphones at the same volume would incur the same damage, regardless of environment.


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

[User]
[WH40k] Slaneesh keeps whispering into my ear that she's going to tongue my balls with razor blades. Who do I have to contact to get her to stop?

Like, seriously, she's beginning to scare me. Do I have to speak to an inquisitor? Who should I contact? What sort of reply should I expect? How long until an answer? Is this what love feels like? Is there any hope for me?

[Assistant] There's a nice and friendly group of monks that live on Titan. You should go and see them and describe your problem. As a method of greeting it's customary to threaten in Low Gothic and make jerking movements towards your pockets and inside your coat.


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

[User]
[WH40K] If Imperium discovers modern-day Earth, what happens to us?

Would we be allowed to keep Internet? Would a planetary government be established? Would all our science be forbidden as heresy? What about religions? What would be the tithe?

UPD: I was mostly asking in terms of how do they change our religions/technology/politics. Let's consider the variant where WH setting does not exist in our culture.

[Assistant] We're fucked. All the mentions of the Chaos Gods in print and on our internet means they will just Exterminatus our entire planet after a couple days of looking around. Add to that our thirst for knowledge and drive to increase our technology level, as well as our lack of reverence for the Emperor and machines adds wood to our fire.


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

[User] [LOTR] What were the dwarves doing during Lord of the Rings? Moria is clearly not the only dwarf city, so what were they up to?

[Assistant]
There was a battle around Erebor. Since the death of Smaug and the passing of its throne to Dain upon Thorins death in the Battle of Five Armies, Erebor had become pretty prosperous by trade through Lake-Town, and became the new centre of the Dwarven world.

At the same time as the Seige of Gondor - indeed, not two days from the Pellenor Fields - Rhunian legions allegiant to Sauron attacked Lake-Town and forced the men there to retreat into the mountain. When news of Saurons defeat reached the easterling offence a little over a week of siege later, the tide turned. On the same plain before the mountain gate where the Battle of Five Armies had been fought, lake-men and dwarves sallied out together to win the day, and the chronologically last battle of the War of the Ring.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Why did the initial Y-wing trench run use 3 starfighters?

At that time there weren't any TIE fighters they knew of attacking Gold Squadron so there wasn't any need for the rear 2 starfighters to protect the leader. The primary concern was the turbolasers and having multiple starfighters in the constrained space of the trench would make it more difficult to maneuver and evade the turbolaser fire. Was it a contingency plan if TIE fighters were to arrive?

[Assistant] Contingency but also just playing the odds. They used extra ships so that if one was destroyed two could take it's run. It also freed up one fighter to focus on bombing while the other two focused on clearing out the turbo lasers and any potential tie interception. That one fighter only has to worry about lining up his shot instead of dodging and retaliating incoming fire.


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

[User] ELI5: Why is the middle class vanishing in the US?

[Assistant]
A few reasons to consider:

1. Jobs that used to be associated with the middle class have largely moved overseas, and are likely not coming back.  There are no longer as many job opportunities for people without a high level of education.

2. There has been a trend whereby wealth is starting to accumulate at a faster pace for the top 10% of earners.  There is debate as to why this his happening.  Some people think it's because we are crushing small businesses, and other believe it's because the tax rate on the rich is too low.


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

[User]
Are there any philosophical views, which at one point enjoyed moderate to high levels of support, that are now completely untenable?

I'm most curious if there have been any fairly contemporary developments which have rendered certain positions impotent.

[Assistant] "Completely untenable" is a very high bar. The justifiability of slavery is perhaps the only one that makes it over that bar, depending on what that bar means. Other candidates are the inequality of men and women, inequality of various races, the truth of various religions, and the supremacy of humans over other animals.


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

[User]
Do OTC expectorants like Mucinex offer any long term benefit for clearing symptoms permanently? Or do they just mask symptoms temporarily, and its better to let your immune system do the work itself?

This is always something I have been curious about. Some people seem to believe these medicines can be curative vs. just a temporary masking of symptoms, so I wasnt sure what was true. Thanks everyone!

[Assistant]
Expectorants and mucolytics as a whole are families of drugs with relatively weak evidence support. That is, overall they dont seem to have much effect.

So while were not sure if they actually *help*, we also dont have any reason to suspect theyre hurting you. Even if coughing less is detrimental (it usually isnt, and even when it is, its only a concern when taking antitussives), taking mucinex probably doesnt reduce your coughing *that* much. So go ahead and take some if it makes you feel better.


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

[User] The Oort Cloud extends to about 2ly, could it intersect with an Oort cloud around Alpha Centauri (~4ly)?

[Assistant] Okay, you got me thinking.  If material that formed our solar system was seeded by nearby supernovae, it seems likely to me that some of that debris could easily be floating around in interstellar space outside the direct gravitational influence of the sun.  So some comets could just be wandering around in space and not a part of the Oort cloud at all.  Anyone who can help me here?


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

[User] eli5 Why do bottles make the whooooo sound when you blow on the tops of them?

[Assistant]
As your breath flows over the open mouth of the bottle, it sucks some air along with it, out of the bottle. You might think, cool, so the pressure in the bottle drops a little bit, how does that make a noise?

Well, the flow of air out of the bottle builds up some momentum, and it keeps flowing out, even after the pressure in the bottle reaches drops low enough to balance the air-getting-sucked-out effect. So, after a brief moment, air starts getting sucked back in. But this air movement has momentum, too, so the pressure overshoots in the other direction.

This cycle happens continuously, maybe a couple hundred times per second it depends on the bottle and, well, changes in pressure that cycle back and forth anywhere between about 50 and 2000 times a second is basically what sound *is.*


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

[User]
[Star Wars] (NSFW) Do we have a rough idea of when Luke and Leia were conceived?

It seems like the window for conception is kinda slim, between Anakin's many Clone Wars campaigns, Jedi oversight, Padme's senatorial obligations, and other Clone Wars shenanigans throwing themselves into the mix during the final year of the Republic.

Do we know when they likely hooked up, or at least a "not before this date or after this event" kinda range?

[Assistant]
In the Star Wars Obsession comic, Anakin and Padme have a week together in secret (until Obi-Wan tracks him down) on Varykino right before the Outer Rim sieges. Im pretty sure thats following GL words on the matter, where the twins were concieved at the happiest place there parents ever were in love.

Also important to remember Padme was only in her second trimester in ROTS, so the twins were born premature and would fit into that timeline (you can imagine why they look fully grown when born though).


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

[User]
ELI5:With the rising cost of fossil fuels, why aren't we seeing adoption of nuclear-powered large cargo ships and tankers?

I understand the price at the pump isn't what naval bunker fuel costs,  I don't know much about nuclear power, but with a small reactor, wouldn't fuel costs eventually be lower with a ship that only has to "refuel" every few years be cheaper in the long term? What part of the economics of this am I missing?

[Assistant] The economics aren't the issue, politics and culture are. In general people aren't too excited about parking a poorly-secured nuclear reactor in a major port. Think about piracy, now with the capability of stealing nuclear materials.


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

[User] [ELI5] When you eat ginger, wasabi, mustard etc. you get a feeling on your tongue and in your nose. What is that feeling and what is it coming from?

[Assistant]
Wasabi and mustard contain a special compound, called AITC. This compound causes your eyes to water, because it interacts with the nerves in your nose and mouth. Ginger contains gingerol, which works similarly. Both of these compounds are similar to capsaicin, which is contained in hot peppers.
Forgot about the second part of the question: The feeling is your nerves being made more sensitive to heat, which in turn makes your body react.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why smoking marijuana makes you hungry.

I've heard a couple different reasons, but I don't know exactly why. Is it completely psychological? Or are your receptors in your brain for hunger being inhibited? Or is your metabolism actually sped up? Or is it none of those?

[Assistant] It is definitely not psychological, it is biological. Basically the THC binds to endocannabanoid receptors in your body, mainly CB1, which triggers all the effects of marijuana in your body. It simply stimulates hunger, it does not speed up your metabolism (if it did it would be the hottest diet craze). The receptors that control hunger in your body are not inhibited, but rather activated.


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

[User]
[MCU] Endgame Spoilers

How was Thanos planning to destroy then create another universe?

Thanos got *maimed* just snapping away half of all life. Wouldn't destroying the entire universe alone kill him, nevermind creating another?

[Assistant]
That Thanos had never held the Infinity Stones. He didn't know the toll it would take. He just knew that, in that timeline, he'd succeeded, but people had travelled through time to erase his perfect vision. So he'd need to... adjust things, a little.

It is entirely possible it would have killed him. Or maybe not. Maybe it would have killed him, and also everything else. No restart - just death. Maybe destroying all life would cripple him, and he would be left alone in a universe without the strength to create new life. Maybe he could do exactly as he planned, but he couldn't survive it. Or maybe he would just have to give up *two* arms, but his vision for the universe would be fulfilled.

It's hard to say.

In any case, Thanos himself didn't know either. He may not even have known using the gauntlet would hurt him at all. So he was *planning* to snap his fingers and create his new, 'perfect' reality.

What would have actually *happened*... is anyone's guess.


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

[User] ELI5: What is the difference between quantum physics and quantum mechanics?

[Assistant]
Quantum physics is the term given to any branch of physics which is quantized - that is, in which things exist in discrete packets.

Quantum mechanics is a specific field of quantum physics.

There are others; like quantum field theory, quantum electrodynamics, and quantum chromodynamics.

Quantum physics is the group which all these disciplines belong to.


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

[User]
[MCU]Isnt being worthy to lift Thor's Hammer also mean that one must have physical strength near Thor?

Of course its only one Criteria. But consider this, Over all the films, Captain America did everything what Thor did. He gave up his life to protect millions in WW2, like Thor wanted to do in Thor 1. He went against the Law to do the right thing multiple times, just like Thor did in Thor 2. He is also righteous, cares for his fellow human and will give up his life again without thought if it means saving others. Only thing he lacks is Physical strength.

So while in comics he does lift the hammer, what prevented him doing so in MCU? His physical limits?

[In Universe answers only, we also know Whedon didnt want him to.]

[Assistant]
Physical strength isn't a factor. It only weighs about 40 pounds.

What distinguishes Captain America from Thor is confidence. Among the Asgardians while being confident to the point of arrogance is frowned upon, there is little room for the meek among such warriors and champions.

Captain has the right morality, the right heart, the right intentions, but not the right confidence. He is, frankly, *too* humble. He budges the hammer because everything else is in the right place, but he really doesn't believe he is worthy, so he isn't.

Contrast with Vision later, who just snatches it up like he owns the damn thing.


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

[User]
If you trapped all the smoke and ash created by a bonfire, would the mass equal the mass of wood put into the fire?

I understand that the conservation of mass is not perfect but would the mass of all the ash and collected smoke roughly equal the mass of the wood input into the fire? Or does the heat energy created somehow account for some of the lost mass?

[Assistant] It would exceed the mass of the wood. Suppose that the wood was pure cellulose, which is a polymer made of units like C_6 H_10 O_5. To burn those completely into water and carbon dioxide takes something like an extra 12 atoms of oxygen per unit. The molecular weight of one cellulose unit is about 6x12+10x1+5x16=162. The twelve oxygens add 12x16=192. That's very simplified, but you get the idea. The loss of mass to heat radiated into the environment will be trivial.


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

[User]
What exactly makes a tumor inoperable?

I have a friend who has been fighting a glioblastoma.  He was recently told by his doctors that the tumor has doubled in size to 2 inches and is inoperable, and that likely has up to 2 months to live.

What exactly makes a tumor inoperable?  And in a situation like this, why wouldn't you attempt the long shot at operating?

[Assistant]
Proximity to essential anatomy.

Tumors can invade and surround essential parts of the body. This particularly true of tumors within delicate areas like the brain.

This is where the expertise of the oncologist and surgeons comes in. They assess each individual case and weigh the post-operative quality of life, and potential for relapse. Also, glioblastoma's are particularly invasive, and resection might cause further spread.


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

[User] [40k] I'm a Space Marine who wants to follow the example of Svane Wulfbad and turn myself Chaotic. How do I do this?

[Assistant]
Oh that's easy -- just give me your full name, location, chapter, and a recording in your own voice stating your intentions. A Chaotic emissary will get back to you in two to five business days.

*quietly opens vox-link to chapter's fortress-monastery and nearest known Inquisitor*


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

[User]
[The Lorax] Why didnt the Once-Ler just cut the top of the Truffula trees off instead of cutting the whole things down?

He didnt need to cut the entire thing down, couldnt he could just cut off the tufts from the truffulas, then just let them grow back so he could knit more thneeds?

[Assistant] His family complained it was too difficult, and that it would be easier and quicker to cut the trees down. Blinded by the potential profit and pressure from his family, he opted for the easier route of quick profits but long term damage to the trees.


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

[User]
I refuse to "work" and I live off welfare. I don't see what's wrong with this and I will do it as long as I can get away with it. CMV.

This is a throwaway account for obvious reasons. I have been a long time lurker on reddit. This is my first post. I will probably only use this account only for this CMV and its responses. This CMV post might dramatically change my life if people can change my view. Why? Because I will get off welfare and look for a job immediately. If not, well then, nothing will change obviously.

Let me first define work. To me the phrase "work" is already as vague as terms like "freedom" and the like and people have broadly different definitions of this. Therefore, for the sake of avoiding semantics about the definition of "work", I'll define "work" as this: being paid to do a job for the sakes of being able to sustain a living and maybe even a little bit more for reasonable wants.

First off, I don't think society even understands the purpose of working to begin with. As in, I think society has lost the plot. The reason people work should be for the following main reason: to contribute meaningfully to society. Secondary reasons include: 2) because it is fun. 3) because it is fulfilling.

No society, we should not be doing work simply because if you don't, somehow you're a "leech/parasite/waste of space/drain on society". It seems like most of society (especially those on the lower economic spectrum) are now working for the sake of working (usually out of fear of death) rather than for any real value. Rather than working to actually contribute meaningful labour for the benefit of society, it has devolved into a selfish individualistic game with little to no regard of human basic needs or happiness. Rather, it seems people work because they are forced to under the current economic system regardless of whether it actually is making any difference.

I don't believe my self-worth or value is based on how much I earn, how much money I have or what "work" I have. "Work" defined as what I wrote above.

Since it is hard to reason without bias as to what actually "contributes" to society, I will not focus on what contributes. I will focus instead on what doesn't contribute:
If there is already technology that can do what I do better/faster/more efficiently or a combination of the above than I can, I am contributing nothing by doing that task. If this is too vague, here's an example: a scribe contributes nothing to society if there are machines that can print out books faster and infinitely more efficiently through printing press. I stuck to an example that happened long, long ago because I know people are touchy about this stuff. There are obviously many modern/current examples though of automation using machines doing better jobs than humans though.

I will try to keep things brief about my childhood:
- I had an emotionally-abusive and psychologically-abusive childhood. This has given me trust issues.
- My mom was okay, but my dad always forced things to go his way. Therefore, because of him, I never had a social-life. He only cared about studying for school and nothing else. Literally. Wouldn't let me learn how to drive, get into relationships or anything that involved going outside of the house, except school.
- Also was very controlling and sheltered me from doing anything except studying and cleaning the house. I used to have video games, but he took them away too because... of school. So I really only had the internet, and he really only let me have that because I told him it was for "school". Therefore, I developed all my interests on the internet.

You might wonder why I gave you those details. Reason being because I'm almost sure people would say stuff about how I should get out there and do things with my life and get laid or something. And stuff like, "Don't you feel like you're wasting your life away?" comments. I don't have any desires for anything outside that of doing stuff on the internet. No interest in sport, no interest in relationships. No interests in sex, no interests in alcohol/drugs. You can bet that I became extremely socially awkward and shy. I especially hate school because of all the things I was forced to do when I had little to no interest or desires for learning things that didn't give me any skills or enjoyment. I feel like my family as well as society were forcing me to do things with no care or concern about what I truly felt about anything. In other words, I felt and still feel society and my family were working against me, not with me; all the way up to now. Anyway, long story short, by the end of high school, I became an extreme shut in (hikikomori) only leaving my room when required by my parents or for food.

Anyway, for a long time I used the internet as a coping mechanism by watching videos and doing shit online up until I realized that I wasn't useless at all, only that society and my parents thinks I'm useless - that I could still have interests and learn stuff through the internet for free online. Once my attitude changed and I realized that my value wasn't tied to a worthless job or how much money I had, I started finding interests that I enjoyed. My relationship started going very sour with my parents, and I got sick of their verbal abuse and constant threat for abandonment anyway (do 'X' chore or else I will kick you out sort of thing). Without getting too specific, I was forced to leave. Let me say this was the most traumatic experience of my life, especially if you consider that my parents nor school ever really showed me how to do anything, from driving a car, writing a CV, or even how to use the phone (was never allowed to have a phone).

I still really resent them to this day, and I don't buy this "tough love" bullshit. I still really hate them for doing it. Luckily, the country I live in has a strong social welfare system so I was able to use this to get help. And this is what I'm living off of. Now you might be wondering, if society was kind enough to provide welfare and you realize this, why are you taking advantage of it? Good question. Reason being is that like most other countries, there is compulsory schooling. Let me say that the "compulsory schooling" taught me absolutely nothing about living independently and nothing about how to get a job, didn't even know what a CV was when I left school. Didn't show me anything useful. It was more about preparing me to go to university/college or whatever they call it where you live. I feel the compulsory schooling sucked up a lot of my time and didn't prepare me for anything. Didn't help with my restrictive abusive parents either. The compulsory schooling forced upon by society sucked up a lot of my time and didn't even show me how to look after myself. Therefore it was at least partly to blame for my predicament. In other words, it took all my time and yet didn't show me how to do anything. If you take away a person's opportunity to understand things and restrict him from understanding how to provide for himself, you damn well should be prepared to provide for him. At least that's what I think.

To cut to the chase, I use that income to support myself but now instead of watching pointless cartoons and videos of cats as a coping mechanism, I'm learning stuff online about whatever interests me. And for the first time since never, I actually enjoy life. I am free from the bullshit put on me by society and my parents. And since I have no interest in anything else nor have the desire or interest of anything outside of the house since I never developed an interest in that, I use this time learning about things online doing whatever the hell I want. I learnt about and used Torrents for a start and get a lot of stuff through that; teaching myself a bunch of other things on my own pace and that I actually am interested in.

Given that, I realized how pointless working for the sake of income really is, and I now see that life can be fulfilling without the need of a job. I say this because society, school, parents and everyone I knew always made it a point to either imply or rudely tell me that I should get a job otherwise I am worth nothing. Well to that stupid idea, I now laugh. I realize now that a lot of people do pointless jobs. I read constantly of people having "downtime" in work. Basically being paid for not doing anything. That sounds pointless. Or people browsing reddit when they're supposed to work or something similar: also bullshit. I learnt about "malicious compliance" and "slowdowns". I learnt of all the technology currently available that could ultimately replace people's jobs, and I now find it laughable that people believe (usually implied) that the purpose of life is to work. I have read of stories of people bullshitting their way to get degrees by bribing unemployed professors which is also laughable or that people have degrees that have nothing to do with their job. Honestly, what's the point? I don't see what's so great ethically about bullshitting life. Is that really fulfilling or something to be proud of?

I would write more, but I think it's getting a bit long so I'll wait for responses.

Basically, the only work I am so-called "qualified" for are bullshit jobs that could already be automated by machines. As I explained somewhere above, I believe that if there are machines that can already do what I would be hired to do better, faster, more efficiently or a combination, then getting the job would be meaningless. I would rather get intrigued with my new found freedom learning stuff on the internet. So why don't I go back to school? Well I've already explained how much I hated school above. Also, what's the point of paying money for someone to tell you information, when you can easily look up the information and studying it in your own time? All for a piece of paper that implies I'm smart and "qualified" for something? I don't care for that intellectual bullshit to pretend I'm smart, sorry.

I'm actually content with my life and I'm finally happy, being able to do anything limited to the confines of a computer and the internet. That was all I've ever been able to do anyway.

Anyway, I refuse to be a part of this bullshit "work" thing by wasting my time to get paid to do things that technically don't have to be done by humans anymore, and I certainly don't feel bad about what I'm doing. In fact I feel I deserve this after all the bullshit I had to put up with.

Would love to hear people's thoughts and opinions, and I'm sorry for the long post.

[Assistant]
Apologies in advance if this comes off harsh.

Sounds like you have severe mental trauma and thus qualify for welfare because you aren't useful to society because of your mental state and probably wouldn't function as an employee or entrepreneur.

I think your CMV about not wanting to work because you find something philosophically wrong with that system is covering up why you're actually on welfare. It seems like you're not mentally capable of working and your worldview is extremely insular due to your background.

Perhaps you should use the welfare taxpayers are paying and find a  therapist with whom you connect? It might do you some good to use them as a sounding board.


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

[User] ELI5: how religion developed such a loathing of sexuality.

[Assistant]
Before the invention of modern contraceptives and antibiotics, having sex had much more serious consequences. There was no protection against sexually transmitted diseases and random sex would often lead to unwanted children - we all know how well the pull-out method works. So people attempted to limit sexual behavior to ensure a more stable society.

You also have to look at it from a historical perspective. When those religions were created there was much less personal freedom for the individual. Societies were also very *patriarchal*, so some of these sexual limitations tried to enforce that.

But having sex is a very powerful instinct, something that all people want *a lot*. If you are to control something that strong, you've got to scare people off, or to convince them that somehow it's not worth it.


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

[User] ELI5: How is it possible that, if I search for a Home Theater at any website, the entire god damn internet is going to start showing me Home Theater ads?

[Assistant] because you're being tracked by cookies and there are only a couple of notably ad delivery networks.  You search at google and they know you're interested in it, then you go to another site that monetizes it's content with ads that are delivered by google...so...google gives you an ad related to the thing you search for, and so on ,and so forth.


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

[User] Are there people who never get colds?

[Assistant]
Remember that to us, "getting a cold" is actually the body's defense mechanisms against the virus - mucus glands in the sinuses start generating more fluid to flush out the sinuses, fever is the body's temperature going up to make it less hospitable for viruses, coughing to clear the lungs and sneezing to clear the upper respiratory tract.

So in theory, if your immune system were all screwed up, you could be infected with a cold virus and have no symptoms until your organs started shutting down.

Someone who "never gets sick" may have a stronger immune system, and may have avoided exposure to some of the more virulent infections, and may even have had minor symptoms but they didn't really register because they weren't laid up in bed.

"Being sick" isn't a binary state, so it's a complex question.


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

[User]
[Fallout, New Vegas] How is the Courier even alive?

Guy gets shot in the head at point blank range from a .45. How is his brains not all scattered across the desert floor?

[Assistant]
People can and do survive gunhot wounds to the head. It's rare, but it happens. Some of it depends on how and where the bullet enters, whether it deflects off the skull, hits arteries, how much brain matter is damaged and where, etc.

The courier got very very lucky, and survived long enough for Victor to bring you to the (amazingly competent) Doc in Goodsprings, who took care of the rest. You can chalk up the quick physical recovery and lack of major debilitating function loss to the level of technology and medicine available to the good Doc, even in the post-apocalyptic Mojave Wasteland.


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

[User] Did the Chicxulub asteroid have any impact on Earth's orbit?

[Assistant]
Well, obviously it had *some* impact: it was just extremely small.

The Earth relative to the Sun has a kinetic energy on the order of 10^33 joules. The impact had an energy around 10^23 joules, and not all of this went towards altering the Earth's orbit either.

On a practical scale, there simply wasn't any kind of significant difference before and after the impact. It's like adding a couple centimeters to the Earth-Moon distance and expecting it to look different now.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do pillows and mattresses turn yellow over the years?

[Assistant] It is your sweat and drool. The discoloring is from many many nights of you seeping bodily fluids on to your mattress. The minerals and salts you sweat out cause it. Like layers and layers of dust on floors which are never cleaned.


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

[User]
ELI5:If I'm hanging from a motionless helicopter, how come at the end of the day, I'm not in a different location?

Motionless as in a floating helicopter that doesnt move(bad wording on my part)
Why am I not in a different place due to the earths rotation?

[Assistant]
Before you take off in the helicopter both you and the helicopter are sat on the ground on the earth.  The earth is spinning at about 1000mph.  So you and the helicopter are also spinning at that speed.

When you take off that force is already imparted on you both.  So even though you're off the ground you're still spinning with the earth.  The fact that you've left the ground doesn't make you immune to that force.  You'd have to leave the earth's atmosphere to make that possible.

I wouldn't try that in a helicopter.  Bad times.


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

[User]
[Stardew Valley] Why is fish the only meat people eat?

I can buy cows, chicken, pigs, and goats, so why can't I fry up some chicken legs, grill a steak, or make mutton curry? You can't buy any meat products from any of the stores either. Do the people in town not eat warm blooded animals?

[Assistant]
Farm animals are expensive and take time and resources to prepare for slaughter. That same effort could be used to get eggs and milk instead.

Stardew Valley is a small town in the sticks. Even Jojomart doesn't want to haul freezers full of meat to a small town that already has a taste for seafood.


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

[User]
Is there a test that can accurately predict a persons age? i.e if you don't know your DOB.

I recently watched a clip from one of those border control programs, which featured a man claiming to be 15, at the end they said they took him to get an age test, so I'm wondering how they can test your age? What an age test would entail? And how accurate can it be?

Googling gives me a bunch of "mental age", "heart age", "maturity" tests, which is not what i was looking for.

[Assistant]
Age tests such as teeth structure or even bone structure are very inconclusive since children mature at such varying timespans, children of the age of 12 or 13 can possess the same anatomical characteristics of say a 20 year old.

So far, no test is actually legitimate. Only ball park guesses.


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

[User]
ELI5: why do we assume extra terrestrial life needs carbon and /or water to live?

why can't it be silicon based? they have similar properties to carbon, as in 4 bonds,etc... is it earth centric to assume other life forms need water and or carbon?

[Assistant]
Ok, you have been tasked with searching planets for life.

Oh boy, where do you even start? You barely even have any telescopes.

You live on Earth. All life on Earth is carbon-based and relies on water. This is an absolute fact and you know it to be true, because you're one of those squishy life-forms.

You did the math, and *maybe possibly* life *could* also be based on silicon and eat hydrofluoric acid.

What planets do you search first?


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

[User]
[ATLA] Why did the Fire Nation take so many prisoners of war?

Its just seemed weird they had the moral mindset to take prisoners.

[Assistant]
Their motivation was primarily colonialist, not genocidal (at least until Ozai). They planned to make the other nations adopt the fire nation culture, not wipe them from the face o the world.

If that's your plan, taking captives is going to help that goal more then slaughtering your enemies in their millions.


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

[User]
Why is USD strengthening against other major currencies?

USD has gained nearly 15% against other major currencies like GBP, Euro, Franc, etc since the start of 2022.

Currently inflation in US is not less than UK for instance. So I was wondering what exactly is causing this?

[Assistant]
There are several reasons.

The European countries are more directly affected by the Russo-Ukraine war than the US is. The European countries import a lot of natural gas and other things from Russia. So, the sanctions against Russia are having greater effect on them than the US.

You also have to remember that the Eurozone does not have good procedures for dealing with member states in financial trouble. It did all sorts of temporary things for Greece when there was a crisis there.

The UK is not so involved. But, the GBP tends to be a volatile currency. That's partly because the UK exports a lot of financial services. That export (and some others) tend to be very negatively affected by downturns and economic turbulence.


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

[User]
Why hasn't the double slit experiment been tried with "non quantum" objects?

The double slit experiment has been tried with several particles.  All of them are very small.  Buckeyballs have 60 carbon atoms; "Thomas Juffmann" in Vienna used molecules with 58 and 114 atoms.  But has anyone tried with items that are large?  (Human proteins, for example.)

How are the sizes and distances calculated for double slit experiments?  How big would the slits need to be; how far away would the screen need to be for a macro object?  For example, the "nano scale" zinc oxide used in modern sun screen.

[Assistant]
Here's the simple answer:

The double slit experiment for particles is interesting because it demonstrates the wave-like nature of mass. However, that wave like nature is only observable for *really* small things. If you look at the wave function of an electron, the position distribution is large enough that you get an interference pattern in the DS experiment. However, if you calculate the same wave function for a macroscopic object, the position distribution is *very* small. If you were to put that object through the DS experiment, you would see no interference, only a classical result.


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

[User] If extra wings seen on biplanes add more lift and maneuverability, why dont we add them to modern planes or jets and have them built into the airframe like we do today?

[Assistant]
Biplanes are really not advantageous. The only reason biplanes were used was because technology hadn't advanced far enough to allow any other options. Prior to WWII, plane engines mostly weren't powerful enough to provide the necessary lift with monoplanes, and aircraft structures weren't strong enough to support the forces of flight on a single set of wings. There were some monoplanes in service in WWI but they were far outnumbered and generally outperformed by biplanes. By the 30's technology improved to the point where monplanes became not only more feasible but actually better than biplanes at most things. Once this happened, biplanes pretty quickly went from the majority of planes being manufactured to limited numbers meant for niche roles.

Biplanes can add lift and maneuverability, but this comes at the cost of a ton of extra drag (which means far less fuel efficiency and in may cases worse maneuverability and high-speed performance) and poor visibility. There's nothing a modern monoplane can do that it would do better as a bi-plane, and in fact, designing modern planes such as commercial airliners or fighters around biplane wing architecture would all around worse.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] How would history be different if the Jedi Council had arrested Palpatine and suspended the Senate?

Would we have seen a restoration of the pre-clone wars Republic or the establishment of a new Jedi Empire, led by the Jedi Council in place of the Senate?

[Assistant]
Anakin would have immediately fled to his aid, as this was *exactly* the type of power-grab Palpatine had warned him about. The people would be confused and worlds would immediately rebel (possibly joining the Separatists, possibly not. Who knows), as Palpatine was carrying the Senate with pure charisma.

In this confusion, Palpatine would almost certainly find a way to initiate Order 66, anyway. This wouldn't be as effective, but it would harm the Order, and it would almost certainly drag the Civil War on and tear the Republic to pieces.

Edit: This assumes Yoda didn't object, rally support, and split the Order, too. When Windu suggested this plan, Yoda said it would lead "down a Dark path."


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

[User] Do babies hurt their own ears by screaming?

[Assistant]
Mammals have a built in internal volume control, called the tympanic tensor reflex.  One the brain starts it's motor plan to vocalize, it causes contraction of the tensor tympani muscle which pulls on muscles which tighten up the ear drum, reducing the ears' sensitivity.

However, another related issue is that baby toys, which are usually OSHA rated for sound level (mandatory <85 dB at 1 meter) can cause problems because babies arms are seldom a meter long, and 85 dB at 1 meter can be >100 dB right next to the ear.


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

[User] ELI5: Why is Google Chrome so unfriendly to Flash and Unity? What downsides do these programs have?

[Assistant]
The entire tech industry is hostile towards Flash, that is not a Google specific thing. This is partly due to Flash being a resource hog, and partly due to the fact that serious security vulnerabilities seems to be discovered in it practically on a monthly (sometimes weekly) basis.

Flash became such a prominent plugin mostly because there were no real alternatives for video playback back in the day, now that HTML5 has built in support for video playback it has become a lot less essential than it used to be.

As far as the Unity Player is concerned that was never directly targeted by Chrome. It stopped being compatible with chrome due to the fact that it uses the NPAPI extension interface. Which Google dropped support for due to it being an old and complex standard that they felt caused more issues than it was worth in terms of stability, security and speed.


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

[User] [Batman] Young Bruce is away from Gotham learning martial arts skills and such like, what is Alfred doing with his days?

[Assistant]
In many cases Alfred has become the executor of the Wayne Estate.  That means he's in charge of money, operations, land, buildings, and investments that the Wayne family maintained across the globe.  That would be a full time job in and of itself.

In Batman Begins we see him make a joke about how Bruce's supposed death meant that everything got moved over to Alfred, but that Bruce could "borrow the Bentley" if he wanted.  Obviously the resources of the Wayne family are at Bruce's complete disposal, but Alfred seems to run the ship so to speak.


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

[User]
How do cardio workout machines calculate calories burned?

For example a treadmill or an elliptical. Does the equation for calculation change depending on the age and weight of the operator? Also how does the heart rate monitor factor in? And finally, how accurate are these calculations compared to actual calories burned?

[Assistant]
Treadmill's have a powered belt, so the machine cannot measure your work effort directly.  So they ask for weight and age and use manufacturer specific formulas that estimate work effort.

Elliptical runners are completely powered by the user, with some form of motor brake absorbing the power. So they can measure work effort directly.  You may notice they don't ask for weight or age when you set them up.

Exercise physiologists have a pretty good idea of the food kilo-calories needed to generate an arbitrary amount of power. There is a (low, 20%?) efficiency factor that may vary between individuals and their different levels of fitness and strength when the actual food energy (as measured in a calorimeter) is converted to real work.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Are there any stories of sith that didnt try to kill each other in the Rule of Two; relationship?

I was just curious if there were any accounts of a master and apprentice that got along and learned from each other? Or maybe a relationship that didnt end violently? Where an apprentice succeeds his master when he died of natural causes?

It feels like all of the relationships Im aware of; resulted in the apprentice plotting throughout the duration of their training.

If not, what made any master feel that their destiny was going to ever be different than their own masters?

[Assistant]
>I was just curious if there were any accounts of a master and apprentice that got along and learned from each other?

Certainly. They got along spectacularly, while planning one anothers' deaths.

This scheming is fundamental to the Sith, their entire philosophy is based on viewing the world as a contest of strength in which they must become the strongest. If an apprentice doesn't have the cunning and audacity to gun for the master, if they're made weak by sentiment, the master will dispose of them for their weakness and find an apprentice with some stones.


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

[User] ELI5: If oil and grease both act as lubricants for metal on metal contact; why can't you use them interchangeably?

[Assistant] Typically, oil is used in higher speed, lower stress applications, where heat build-up is more of a concern than stress on the moving parts, such as the fast-moving engine cylinders. Oil serves as both a lubricant, and a coolant, by continuously circulating fresh cool oil from a reservoir, often with an oil cooler similar to the radiator for water/antifreeze. Oil has to be thin enough to be pumped and exchanged. Grease is typically thick and semi-permanent, only occasionally being changed or added, and is used in more slow moving, but occasionally high stress applications such as the moving parts of the steering system.


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

[User]
[GoT] [SPOILER] Why does Jamie tell Cersei that they cant beat the Dothraki?

Just a random thought that came up today. I know that Dany and her dragons were a big reason she won that battle, but it sounds like Jamie is stating that its the Dothraki themselves that couldnt be beaten. What are his reasons for thinking this? Couldnt a horse-focused army be held at bay with spears and pikes? If Im over-simplifying the situation, please let me know.

[Assistant]
Because of sheer number. By the start of Season 7, Jaime commented that Cersei was at best the Queen of three Kingdoms. The North, Tyrells, Martells were not on their side, considering the events of the previous seasons. The Freys were wiped out by Arya so that left just the Lannister, Baratheons and maybe Harrenhal which wouldn't even amount to how much the Dothraki had and that was assuming just the Dothraki.

Remember that even King Robert commented that it would be stupid to meet the Dothraki in an open field.


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

[User]
Why is Venus' atmosphere so thick?

I know it's hot because of greenhouse gases, but why so thick?  Does it have something to do with its magnetic field?  Its rotation?

[Assistant]
Its atmosphere is so thick because it lacks water, which is because it is close enough to the Sun that the water all boiled away and was lost to space.

On Earth, CO2 is released into the atmosphere by volcanoes, and removed by weathering--it dissolves into the water, and chemical reactions put the carbon into minerals in the crust. On Venus, once the water was gone, volcanoes were still releasing CO2 but it wasn't returned to the rocks, so it just built up in the atmosphere. The same thing will happen to Earth in 1-2 billion years when Earth loses its oceans.


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

[User]
Why can't we make ourselves fall asleep?

Clearly we can administer drugs to force ourselves to fall asleep, but is there any evolutionary reason why it would be disadvantageous to be able to intentionally sleep, or is there some physiological reason why it would be impossible?

[Assistant]
Is there any reason why it would be evolutionarily ADVANTAGEOUS to intentionally sleep?

Our circadian rhythms are pretty well suited to the conditions we evolved in, where we would have easily gone to sleep around dusk and naturally woken around dawn.

There wouldn't have been the kinds of distractions or pervasive sleep deficits we experience today, and thus the system worked perfectly well. No reason to adapt otherwise.


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

[User] ELI5: How are we able to know what the core of the Earth is made of if when we haven't even drilled past the crust?

[Assistant]
We get information on the interior from a few different places.

One basic source is from volcanic material--eruptions can bring material from the mantle up to the surface, and examining that is one way we learn about the planet.

For the core itself, we can learn from analyzing the waves sent through the earth when an earthquake happens.

The more dense a material is, the faster waves travel through it. So if an earthquake happens in Japan, stations around the world might notice the waves from that earthquake. But they all record them at different times--measuring the time it took the waves from the earthquake to reach different recording stations can tell us how fast the waves were traveling, and therefore how dense the material is.

Knowing this helps us determine what kind of material is in the core, by comparing its density to what materials we know, and what materials are likely to be found in the earth.


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

[User] ELI5: what causes our stomach to "rumble" when we are hungry?

[Assistant] The rumble is called peristalsis, it's a movement your intestines constantly do in order to move food along your body.  It originates in your stomach then moves down your gastrointestinal tract to the sphincter.  The frequency depends on the fullness of your stomach, an organ which is able to gauge how much food there is and tell your brain.  When you're 'hungry' your organs notice not only a lack of food, but more importantly a lack of nutrients.  Your peristalsis cycles fire faster, up to rate of 1 every 10 minutes.  You actually can listen to this muscle movement with a stethoscope, but the audible rumbles come from simply the right conditions of hollow intestines and a strong enough muscular stimulation.


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

[User]
You cannot get rid of racism, CMV

**I'd first like to add that this is not racism towards specific groups. This is racism as a concept.**

We are a conservative people. Naturally humans judge before thinking through these judgements. We will all have biases toward people who grow up similar to how we had grown up in childhood and somewhat a bias who looks like us. This works between all groups and without exception. Any new group that comes into the majority will be treated as an underclass until both cultures meld over over time and become the new majority, either biologically or by unified (adjusted) culture. That only aids that one new group that entered and the process would be restarted for any other group that enters.

New languages disrupt the collective, the lack of that new group not being already accepted in that culture means that they are lacking in values that the majority currently holds dear (beauty standards, traditions, imagery, etc), the majority coming to understand the new groups breeds stereotypes, studies on representation show that minorities pay more attention to and accept more things coming from people that represent them visually so I can only assume it's the same for the majority. I argue that the idea of ridding the world of racism entirely is impossible. You can end racism for specific groups, you can lessen it overall, but you cannot get rid of it. The idea of a unified people without decisiveness is too idealic.

[Assistant]
You're not being imaginative. Here is just a partial list of ways to eradicate racism:

1. **Apocalypse.** No humans, no racism.
2. **Eugenics.** Make everyone one race. Racism is moot.
3. **Enhancement.** Augmenting our physical body and our intelligence will likely lead to issues and prejudices based on more relevant genetic differences that trump racial considerations. In other words, being black or white is trivial compared to being transhuman vs human.
4. **Cultural changes.** People used to sacrifice goats and do rain dances. Similarly, ideas of race could simply become outdated.


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

[User] ELI5: I'm not supposed to buy wireless surround speakers because the wireless signal is unreliable and the timing/phase might be off, right? Yet modern pop music arena concerts use wireless mics. What gives?

[Assistant] They have a professional sound tech to ensure, by hand, that everything is set up right -- and then it only needs to work for a few hours -- and they use the best equipment, not price-sensitive consumer stuff.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do peoples faces turn red when nervous or embarrassed?

[Assistant] Generally when you're nervous or embarrassed, you probably feel like you're in a high-pressure situation. The body responds by releasing adrenaline and increasing blood flow which causes your face to redden and your heart to pound.


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

[User]
Are all massless particles their own antiparticles?

I've heard that photons are their own antiparticle, and also that the same would be true for hypothetical gravitons, which would also be massless if I understand correctly (correct me if I'm wrong). Are all massless particles their own antiparticles, and if so, why?

[Assistant] Whether a particle is its own antiparticle or not is determined by whether its corresponding field is real-valued or complex-valued. Theres no reason why you couldnt have a complex-valued massless field (massless particle with a distinct antiparticle).


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

[User]
Why can New England weather fluctuate from feeling like spring (high of 60F) one day to being back in the dead of winter (high of 40F) the very next?

It's a pretty normal occurrence in New England for drastically different weather patterns to occur in a short amount of time. I remember one April day a few years ago when it was mid 50s during the day and then by the afternoon there were flurries! Why does this happen and is it unique to New England?

[Assistant]
New England is part of the mid-latitude region of the Northern Hemisphere, which makes it a transitional and dynamically interesting region. There is a transfer of both energy and momentum from the equator to the poles. Part of this energy and momentum transfer is due to the formation of extratropical cyclones which bring cold air from the poles equatorward and warm air from the tropics poleward.

So now your question. The phenomena you are referring to are warm and cold fronts, which are boundaries between different air masses (such as cold/warm, but also dry/moist). When a front passes through a particular location, it can lead to some very drastic changes in the weather.


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

[User]
CMV: I think what Light Yagami did in Death Note was right.

Light Yagami found death note and used it to kill criminals with serious offense. His ideology was that crime cannot stop until all the criminals were killed. I support this view because I have seen people  committing crime and they didn't have regrets of it. Also people who come out of jail become serial killers or regret their whole life. But I do not support killing of those who did crime unintentionally or forcefully.
 I am not fully sure of the concept and what ideology Light used but it was quite influential and the result were positive. In the fiction world after the birth of 'Kira' crime rates were decreased exponentially. There was peace in that society.
I am open for all the criticism and support and I would love to hear your views on the topic.

[Assistant]
99% of the criminals he was killing where ones who where already arrested, tried and in jail.

The entire plot was driven by his egotistical battle with L. He wanted to be worshiped as a living god of the new world. If he actually cared about doing good, he would have kept his head down, taken down criminals the police could never get (like dictators) and not "accept his challenge" and go into a bloody battle with a detective for no reason other than to play a game.

There is little redeeming about Light. He was an egomaniac that perpetrated useless killings on already caught criminals, innocent bystanders and only occasionally did a useful killing. His motive was pure megalomania.

Edit: he was so careless, one of the ways L caught him was that he didn't bother checking if the media even spelled the names of the criminals correctly. He just wrote down the names of anyone he saw in the news with no research to see if he's killing an unrepentant killer or a victim of a media frenzy.


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

[User] ELI5: A digital rental (Amazon etc.) clearly takes less resources than a RedBox rental (aka create disk, ship disk, maintain machine etc.) yet it costs ~6x as much.

[Assistant]
cost has nothing to do with prices (except to say that if cost > price, you wouldnt offer the product)

Willingness to pay dictates price.  And people are willing to pay more for a digital rental because they are easier to use on impulse without driving to a physical location.


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

[User]
CMV: Any politician cheating on their spouse (particularly while in office) should *in most* circumstances be considered a deal breaker with the electorate. It shows a lack of moral backbone, trustworthiness, self-control and an impulsiveness that makes them unfit to lead.

I understand that cheating happens in the real world but the idea of a politician risking their professional future for the sake of a shag is a disqualifying act in my mind.

Not to mention the lack of general morals that betraying your spouse indicates.

Immoral people can of course be effective political operators, even doing an immense amount of good for society. I'm not disputing that in the slightest.

It's primarily the lack of professionalism that concerns me. Knowing that your entire programme for government could collapse and be brought to it's knees (no pun intended) by the illicit tryst becoming public knowledge shows that the cheating politician values their primal urges over the well-being of the people they're supposed to be governing for.

[Assistant]
What happens in a politicians' personal life is nobody else's business. What matters is how they handled the state affairs.

This is a dangerous slippery slope, where a politician can be judged for being single (if he cannot commit to a woman, how can he commit to a country?) or child-less (if he cannot lead a family, how can he lead a country?) or having a smart independent wife (if he gets whipped by his wife, how can he be a strong leader?).

In olden days, only married family-men were promoted in banking industry because people considered married men to be more financially responsible. Even today, most politicians try to show a strong family-image.

This nonsense should end asap, and people should be judged by their work, not private life.


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

[User]
[Avatar] What are some other cross-style element techniques like lightning bending?

In Avatar: the Last Airbender, Iroh explains that lightning bending is the result of applying waterbending techniques to firebending. Are there any other techniques like this that take ideas from one element and apply them to another?

[Assistant]
> Iroh explains that lightning bending is the result of applying waterbending techniques to firebending.

Small Correction: Lightning Redirection was applying Waterbending techniques to Firebending.

In-universe, Lavabending's liquid, flowing state requires more fluid motions than traditional Earthbending, similar to Waterbending. You might be able to extrapolate some cross-bending areas of overlap. For example, steam (water taking from air) or sand (earth taking from air) could probably work.


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

[User] ELI5: Which evidence made us believe that dinosaurs were extinguished by a meteor?

[Assistant]
Couple of things...

1) There's a significant layer of iridium in the rock layers between the two time periods between dinosaurs and non-dinosaurs.  Iridium is not common on earth but is common in meteors.

2)  There's a huge meteor crater off the Yucatan Penninsula that dates to the same time as the layer of iridium.


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

[User] ELI5: How does depleted uranium help penetrate armored vehicles?

[Assistant]
Same way lead does. It's just heavy. As a result, it has more momentum once you get it going, making it harder to stop.

Its relation to radiation has nothing to do with it. Uranium is simply heavy, even heavier than lead.


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

[User]
[Black Mirror] How does the economy in San Junipero work?

Do people have to pay money?

How do they earn it?

Are there dead people forced to spend an eternity serving drinks at a bar?

[Assistant]
>Do people have to pay money?

I imagine that money exists purely for the nostalgic experience of paying for things but nobody actually gives a shit about it as a resource since there cannot possibly be material scarcity.

>How do they earn it?

Probably more of an allowance situation.

>Are there dead people forced to spend an eternity serving drinks at a bar?

No, of course not. There are dead people who *get to* spend an eternity serving drinks.


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

[User]
[Harry Potter] If a man with a Horcrux has his soul sucked by a Dementor, can he still be resurrected?

A Horcrux user was kissed by a Dementor. Is it possible to resurect him?

[Assistant]
A person with the soul sucked out by a Dementor isn't dead.  They keep on living mindlessly.  So there is no need for a resurrection.

The question is whether it is possible to to reinsert the piece of soul in the Horcrux into the empty living body.  Maybe?  Because the piece of Voldemort's soul in the Horcrux appears to have full mental faculties and can possess others.