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

[User] [Star Wars] Would Vader have ever gone for a Padme clone, if he could get one made?

[Assistant]
Given how cloning works in the Star Wars Universe, he'd be raising a child in real time at best and stuck with a rapidly aging knockoff at worst. He'd wind up with nothing close to what he originally had, and he knows it. However, if you take the cloning element out of it, the undercurrent of your question actually has pretty strong canonical legs.

The current, ongoing, (delayed by Covid) arc of the Darth Vader comics involves him teaming up with one of Padme's surviving body doubles while on a quest to  figure out *exactly* how Padme died. She's surgically modified to be identical to Padme and she has a lot of the same basic personality traits that Vader was attracted to in Padme.

Whether or not Sabe the body double survives this arc will be a half-decent indicator for his general opinion on the concept of replacing Padme with something that's close, but not quite. It's only half-decent, though, because this arc is set between episodes five and six and is very strongly implied to be the story of how he began his long slow turn back to the light. Vader directly after episode three might react differently to the idea than Vader after episode four or episode five.


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

[User] ELI5: A pound of lard has 4200 calories. Consuming 3000 calories makes me gain a pound of fat. How does eating a pound of fat create more fat?

[Assistant]
It doesn't quite work like that.  The oft-cited 3,000 calories in a pound of body fat isn't quite accurate.  But even using that, it takes more than 3,000 calories to accumulate 3,000 calories, because processing those calories burns calories.  One body fat pound == 3,000 does not mean eating 3,000 extra calories == a pound of body fat.

Body fat is also only about 87% fat.  Lard is solid fat.


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

[User]
[Halo (Bungie/343 Industries)] Do Spartan-III's make Spartan-II's obsolete? Do S-II's have virtually any advantage over the S-III's, at all?

I've lately been reading a lot of 'Spartan II vs Spartan III' style threads on various forums, and the consensus I'm getting is that S-III augmentations actually put them on-par with S-II's, combat-wise, and that the only reason that we notice any difference between these generations is due to the financial need for S-III's to use weaker SPI armor instead of the expensive MJOLNIR that the S-II get to use.

So if the S-III augmentations are just as potent as S-II augmentations, then why are the S-II's considered 'non-expendable' (Much unlike the S-III's), who theoretically could replace them rapidly, since both generations possess similar physical attributes and abilities?

[Assistant]
So in terms of say a modern military logistics the 3s are better in most regards. The cost of making them is offset by their effectiveness and they're still replaceable. They benefit from nearly 20 years of spartan 2 development and research and have a wider pool of possible recruits. They can even skip the child soldier aspect and train a 3 in about a year compared to the seven a 2 needed.

But there are trade offs as in everything. Alone a Spartan 3 isn't going to win a battle. They're tough and capable but only marginally ahead of a standard special forces soldier like an ODST. They work in teams and need additional support to pull off their missions. Because of the desperate nature of the war that created them they also lack longevity. Most are theorized to be sterile and suffer from implant degradation and severe cellular defects after a few years. When deployed like suicide troops and with a short operational lifespan 3s sacrifices for cost and production speed are reasonable. Long term they're unsustainable and will result in a negative loss as the older 3s decay or require expensive and intensive medical procedures to lengthen their operational lifespan.

2s by contrast are ridiculously expensive. Each 2 takes over 7 years to train and has to be brought in before puberty from a small pool of possible applicants. Ethical dilemmas aside they're the cost of a warship each with no guarantee they'll survive training and augmentation. But a 2 is a fortress on the battlefield. Able to turn a tide single handedly and operate for extended periods of time without support. Nearly 35 years after coming into operation they had only improved combat effectiveness rather than decreased. The oldest serving 3 that is known was around 5 years since coming online and had severely diminished capabilities making them equal to standard special forces.

In a paper scenario the 3s are soldiers meant to be used and spent as needed to accomplish the mission. Taken from common materials and molded quickly and cheaply into a usable but ultimately expendable form. The 2s were flagships. Entire battle strategies planned around them. Each one a massive cost in time and resources but used sparingly to avoid losing such an investment needlessly. 3s could and were used in desperation to stave off extinction. 2s were meant to be used for more than just fighting and intended to be the culmination of human warfighting technology.

Neither makes the other obsolete as they fill overlapping but distinct battlefield roles. While the 2s were better in every way they cost too much and took too long to be mass produced. The 3s were lesser but cheaper. A trade off made to maximum battlefield usage while limiting the resources spent on them.


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

[User]
Why do women tend to live longer than men?

I know men tend to take more risks but what are some other reasons?

[Assistant]
Tons of speculation on this thread.

Currently we believe a big driver to be the estrogen effect. Women produce around 4 times less mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, produce much more superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase...all factors that decrease cellular and chromosomal internal injury.

Postmenopausal women or post-oophorectic women lose this advantage but it is again seen once estradiol therapy is initiated.

Testosterone and risky behavior were once thought to be large factors and have since been shown to be minimally involved, if at all. Castrated males have shown no greater longevity no matter the stage in life their testicles were removed.


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

[User]
Why are investors willing to invest so much money into Spotify, even though it did not make any profit since its start?

Is it "simply" the hope Spotify will make a lot of money some day?

[Assistant]
>Is it "simply" the hope Spotify will make a lot of money some day?

In a word, yes, although the reasoning can be a little more sophisticated. Stock prices are essentially the aggregated present value of a company's future cash flows over an indefinite time frame divided by the number of shares on the market. When investors buy shares of presently unprofitable companies, it's because they believe the company will eventually earn enough money to pay out dividends, buy back shares, or simply make the value go up enough that the shares can be sold to somebody else.

Generally, you'd expect that investors are putting more than just "hope" behind their reasoning for these expectations. In early rounds of non-public funding, early investors put a lot of effort into analyzing all sorts of aspects of the business model, the company's leadership, the financials, etc. to determine if there's a credible expectation that it will generate a huge return on a risky investment. Once a company like Spotify goes public, data about their performance has to be publicly available, which gives public investors the opportunity to analyze their performance and finances in order to base their expectations.

Nonetheless, there's a lot of criticism out there about investing in these big, unprofitable tech companies like Amazon and Spotify. Many people believe that rising stock prices are ultimately a lot of hype fueling itself in a feedback loop rather than well-reasoned analysis on future cash flow expectations. This kind of phenomenon was essentially the basis of the bursting of the .com bubble two decades ago, and a lot of people think we're heading that way again with the newer wave of web and app IPOs.


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

[User]
[GoTG] Ronan and Thanos (Spoilers)

When Ronan gets his hands on the infinity stone from the orb he claims he is going to come after Thanos after he is done destroying Xandar.  Is this even remotely possible for Ronan to accomplish or would Thanos just laugh at power gem boosted Ronan and swat him like a bug?

[Assistant] Ronan goes down hard. Even if the infinity stone gives him enough power to take on Thanos he made the huge mistake of telling Thanos of his intentions. Thanos is an absolute genius and he is a master of preparation. By the time Ronan arrives Thanos will already have devised a means of gaining the upper hand.


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

[User]
Does the shape of a lightning bolt have an effect on the sound of the thunder?

Primarily if we were to graph a bolt of lightning and compare it the the levels recorded to that associated roll of thunder, would we see a correlation?

What if the sound were graphed in a 3D space? How different is a forked lighting bolts' thunder VS the thunder from a bolt with no forks?

Does this make sense?

[Assistant]
The jagged and irregular shape of a lightning bolt is one thing that causes thunder to rumble. Different points all along the lightning bolt are different distances from your ears and thus the sounds arrives at slightly different times. If a lightning bolt were perfectly straight, for example, you'd hear a big boom but it would be uniform in intensity for its duration (discounting effects of distance on sound intensity).

A forked bolt would make a sort of ka-boom sound as the two separate forks of the bolt create sound waves that arrive close to each other but not at the exact same time (at least in most cases, you could prove mathematically that at a point equally spaced from each fork, the sounds would constructively interfere to create a louder boom, however it's pretty unlikely that you'd happen to be in the exact spot where this happens).


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

[User] How different would I be if a different sperm reached the egg instead of mine?

[Assistant] You could be a different gender since the sperm determines gender. In terms of how you look (your phenotype) the maximum difference would be the sum of alleles for which your father is heterozygous. In terms of raw genetics, this maximum difference would be the sum of single nucleotide polymorphisms for which your father is heterozygous (many of these don't directly influence phenotype). In terms of averages it seems more likely that you would genomically be about 25% different with a different set of crossover products coming from your father.


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

[User] [MCU] When Odin took away Thor's powers in his standalone, did Thor become as strong as the average Asgardian without mods or as strong as a human?

[Assistant]
Regular Asgardians are still tremendously strong. We see one on Agents of Shield and he effortlessly bends a combat knife.

When Odin banished Thor to Earth, he took away his godly might. He's effectively just a heavily muscled and well-trained human up until the Hammer comes back to him.


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

[User] ELI5:How can dogs smell cancer?

[Assistant]
The current theory is that cancer cells produce characteristic organic compounds which get into the bloodstream and are then also present in the patient's breath - only in tiny amounts, but enough to  be detected by a dog's amazingly keen sense of smell.

Which compounds those are exactly is still being researched, in the hope of using the knowledge to produce test kits.


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

[User] ELI5: What is the purpose of fainting? What are the benefits of this mechanism? In extreme situations (e.g. being under attack) humans and animals sometimes faint but I see this as counterproductive and it would probability be better to become more alert in these situations, right?

[Assistant] Our brains need a *lot* of blood to stay alive. Normally, our bodies work just fine pumping blood against gravity and up to our noggins, but sometimes things go wrong. If for any reason there's a drop in blood pressure or heart rate or reduced level of oxygen to your brain, your brain is going to make you faint. Why? Because it will make you horizontal very quickly, and that will help restore blood flow to your brain since your body is no longer working against gravity. So fainting (technically called syncope) is about preserving bloodflow to the brain, which will prevent brain damage. Preserving your brain is the paramount consideration. If your brain thinks it's not getting enough oxygen, it doesn't care about anything else in that moment. Anything that causes a sudden drop in blood pressure, or heart rate, or blood oxygenation can trigger fainting. Some of these things are physical, and some are psychological.


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

[User] [Star Wars] Unless General Grievous was force sensitive, how was he even remotely fast enough to duel with Obi Wan?

[Assistant]
I feel your question doesn't quite reflect the nature of what happened. Grievous was a cyborg and his mechanical limbs actually allowed for the incredible speed with which he could attack. His spinning attack could strike ~20 times a second and would overwhelm most opponents, so speed is not the issue, and we know he had killed jedi before. The real factor in question is Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan was able to go toe to toe with Grievous' speed as Obi-Wan had absolute mastery of the defensive lightsaber style of Soresu. Very few Jedi could have stood up to Grievous' attack on their own, but Obi-Wans speciality allowed him to block, counter and parry the onslaught of blows from Grievous.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do wolves & dogs wag their tails when happy and hold them still when agitated, and why do cats wag their tails when agitated & hold them still when calm?

[Assistant] Different species use different ways of communicating their internal states (e.g. their feelings and emotions). Dogs and cats, while both domestic animals, share little else in common. They are not closely related evolutionarily and therefore it is quite logical that those groups or even species within those groups develop different ways of communicating with each other. Thus cats and dogs have different ways of communicating to us.


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

[User]
CMV: If you have more than 15 items you should not be able to use self checkout.

This irks me to no end. I go into the store for one or 2 items, easy enough I will just use self checkout and be on my way in 5 minutes or so. NOPE. Get to self check out and it is backed up with people that have A CART FULL OF SHIT. WHY?!? Inevitably these peoplw have things that need codes put in or they have bagging errors and they are backing up the queue for people like me that would take less than a minute to check out. If you cannot get your items through self checkout, at least scanned, in 2 minutes you should not be there. People with a cart load of groceries should be with a dedicated cashier, not bagging and checking their own stuff. Change my view.

[Assistant] Self checkout has never been about speed, it's been about saving the supermarket money. There is not a posted limit on the number of items, it's not the express checkout lane (which is poorly enforced to start with, and there's someone there who can shame you easily for it). I'd say the logistical problems of getting a lot of groceries through it is a design flaw rather than a user flaw. There should be larger counters and more bagging space at each station to make it more user friendly.


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

[User]
ELI5: How is it that everything in life is in a constant state of entropy (where everything degrades over time), and yet it's the general consensus that the universe/life has naturally progressed on it's own? (Related to the data.is.beautiful post from this morning)

I'm agnostic/atheist and still have a hard time wrapping my brain around this.

[Assistant]
The sun is converting hundreds of tons of matter into energy every second.

This enormously entropic process ultimately drives the vast majority of chemical processes on Earth.  Reactions that become more ordered (like photosynthesis) require a significant energy input from elsewhere.

The Earth isn't a closed system, chemistry here can run against the current as long as the sun keeps providing fuel.


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

[User]
[Fallout] Why did the resource wars even happen?

We see that the ever dwindling supply of oil lead to a break out of wars, eventually leading to the nuclear apocalypse but why were they fighting over oil if everything they used was nuclear powered?

For example, T-51b power armour can last 10000 years due to it's fusion reactor. Why didn't they just adapt to fusion?

[Assistant]
The wars weren't just fought for oil, they were fought for ALL major resources. Even a fusion reactor is no good if you don't have the uranium you need to run it. Plus, the old staples like arable farm land, clean water, sugar cane and plutonium for the Nuka-Cola. Hell, even just living space would be at a premium.

It's also important to note that fusion tech didn't exist for long before the war. The T-51b was cutting edge tech manufactured just before the war went nuclear and even the fusion powered cars like the Corvega were still being advertised as brand new. Maybe if the war had been delayed a few years the fusion tech could have saved the world but it was too little, too late.


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

[User]
Lightning produces ozone. Many ionizing air purifiers also produce ozone. Does an electric current exposed to air always produce ozone?

Does this mean that those open coil electric heaters are bad for people with asthma? How do ionizing air purifiers generate ions?

[Assistant]
Molecular Oxygen (dioxygen) is broken into two oxygen atoms with enough energy input (either photon or thermal). One of these excited atoms will then encounter an oxygen molecule in a collision, creating ozone.

Your heaters at home aren't likely to produce any ozone at all as they don't produce a corona discharge (occurs with a large potential on a curvy object). This is the mechanism by which so-called air purifying ionizers produce ions.


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

[User]
[Marvel] Who did the Watcher make his oath to?

The Watcher swore an oath to only observe, never to intervene. But who did he swear it to? Does the Watcher have a boss who comes by and checks to make sure that he's only watching? Uatu seems to look for loopholes in the "just watching" oath all the time, so I don't think he made that oath just on his own or else he'd be fine breaking it with no consequences.

[Assistant]
The oath of non-interference is a defining aspect of the culture of his people.

The Watchers are one of the first species to develop sentience after the birth of the universe, if not the first.  After developing interstellar travel, the Watchers made an attempt to accelerate the development of a younger species.  The primitive species was not ready to be responsible with the knowledge they were given, and quickly destroyed themselves with weapons of mass destruction.

This is the reason for the oath; to avoid repeating the mistake of causing harm with their good intentions.  The make the oath to themselves and their peers, and their governing council is the body that enforces it.

The Watchers still gather knowledge with the intent to share and uplift others, but now their intent is to learn as much as they can before the death of the current universe and bestow the next universe at birth with all the accumulated wisdom of its predecessor.


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

[User] [Comics] Why doesnt Batman also use a staff like Robin?,wouldnt it be more practical then just using his fist?

[Assistant]
Batman is a master combatant and trained marksman, so we know his choice to not use a weapon is a conscious one.

Bruce doesnt use a weapon because being unarmed keeps him the most versatile and adaptable to any situation. Batman would also probably consider using a weapon too often as him becoming dependent on it and worse off overall because of it.


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

[User] ELI5:If I boil a kettle does everything inside become sterile? if so how long does it stay sterile?

[Assistant]
Actually sterilized?  No. Boiling water and steam are damned effective at killing germs, but you generally need much higher temperatures than you'll achieve in a kettle to reach an effectiveness where you can call it sterile (99.9999999%  of microbes killed). In particular, bacterial and fungal spores are generally tenacious little bastards and will survive. For medical sterilization, when steam is used, it's heated under pressure to a much higher temperature than is normally attainable, and objects are kept in for as long as 30 minutes.

As for how long it stays sterile?  Until it isn't.  Once your sterile tool touches something nonsterile, it's contaminated.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] How come if the far far away galaxy has the force and the Yuuzhan Vong galaxy had the force, our galaxy doesn't have the force?

Shouldn't the force be something that pervades the universe? Why would it be localized? Or do some humans have it but it isn't cultivated?

[Assistant]
There were only 10, 000 Jedi Knights in a republic of trillions, at the very least. Assuming -conservatively- there were only 100 trillion in the Republic that would average out at 1 person who can become a Jedi for every 10 billion sentients. So even on Earth, we'd fit the average if there wasn't a single person who could become a Jedi.

Then keep in mind, the Republic clearly has more humans capable of using the force than other species, which makes other species even less likely to be force sensitive. In our galaxy, it may be possible that the Togrutans, or Twi'leks, or Muuns are more sensitive to the force, meaning there'd only be a 1 in 100 billion chance of being born capable of becoming a Jedi.


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

[User] ELI5: How does tilt photography trick our minds into thinking the subject of the photo is a miniature?

[Assistant] When you lean in and look at a miniature or model, you're eyes are focused on what's right in front of them, and things in your peripheral vision are blurrier - Usually, in a photo everything is clear no matter what part you are focused on- but in tilt-shift photography the focal point is clear and draws your eye to it and the surrounding areas are blurry, recreating that 'miniature' look.


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

[User]
[Attack On Titan] What was it like when the Titans first appeared?

What was the reaction? How did world leaders react? How were they able to overpower us despite our technology (drones, bombs, etc)

What were the theories of current scientists on their origin?

[Assistant]
We have no idea what the world was like before. From what drawings we have seen it appears that the Titans invaded during a world in the 17th-19th century tech range. All evidence is kept hidden by the higher ups, as the manga goes into detail that they are intentionally hiding the history of the Wall, the Titans, and humanity itself.

We will just have to wait to see if the Survey Corps can find anything beyond the walls.


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

[User]
[Harry Potter] Does magic have an upper limit?

It doesn't seem like anyone really tries to push the boundaries other than ol' voldy and he had a pretty limited and self centered view on it. If someone really tried to push magic as far as it can go, what could they accomplish?

[Assistant]
There seem to be upper limits. A perfect spell can't really be more perfecter. You change your coats colour from red to green. That's it. It's green now, can't get greener, can it? Avada Kedavra kills. The victim is dead. The end.

But there are also spells that are bit more complicated to measure.

Wizards and witches become famous for mastering a single feat, like Andros the Invincible for example, who was able to produce a Patronus of gigantic measure. Considering how even an unformed Patronus is considered a success for the average wand-user, it is unarguably impressive that he was able to cast such powerful spell. At the same time, he probably set the upper limit for a Patronus. The perfect happy feeling, the perfect execution of the spell, the right timing and the right character. But that's really metaphyscial.

A better example would be apparating. This spell definitely has limits due to actual physics. Every case of splintering shows that. You can't apparate into a wall, or at least you shouldn't. Hasty apparations or trying to apparate to a foreign place usually lead to splintering as well, so it's a human limit too.

So I'd say yes, there definitely are limits to magic.


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

[User]
ELI5: What are birth marks and why do we get them?

Edit: Thanks for all the replies guys loved reading them all!

[Assistant]
**What are birthmarks?**

There are different types. Some are a bunch of blood vessels and capillaries close to the surface of the skin. These are not permanent, but are common among newborn children. This kind is usually red.

The other kind is an above average accumulation of pigment cells in the skin. These are typically brown, and are long lasting if not permanent.

**Why do we get them?**

In short, nobody really knows. There are theories about late mutations in embryo development, but the short (and real) answer is we aren't quite sure.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do power tools (especially ones that need high torque) often employ a motor spinning at a ridiculous speed and then a deep reduction, instead of a motor spinning directly at the tool's speed and higher torque?

[Assistant]
An electric motor works by having magnets and electromagnets arranged around the axle, which attract and repel each other in succession to spin the motor. To get high torque you need to have very strong magnets and/or very strong electromagnets. Increasing the strength of the magnets and/or electromagnets by 20 times you will have a motor which is 20 times as big and heavy.

On the other hand, electric motors can naturally spin at very high rates. A reduction gear which increases torque by 20 times (and reduces RPM) will be smaller and lighter than the motor you attach it to, making this a far better solution to get high torque at low RPM than building a bigger motor would be.


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

[User]
how are planetary rings stable ?

Something just occurred to me, if all extraplanetary masses formed from from gravitational forces acting on small bits of debris pulling them together, and planetary rings are just that except in a stable orbit around a larger mass, how hasn't the same process happened there ?

[Assistant]
Close enough to a planet, tidal forces will tear apart any moon that's held together solely by gravity. The near side of the moon is closer to the planet so pulled more strongly compared to the far side, and this difference in gravity is stronger than the moon's own gravity.

This also means no object can come together under gravity. Things with different orbital radii will be travelling at different speeds and the gravity between them isn't enough to overcome that.

It is within this distance, known as the Roche Limit, that planetary rings exist. Small moons, held together by the strength of rock and ice, can exist within the roche limit but large ones cannot. A loose object on the surface of such a small moon would float away, in its own orbit round the parent planet that's slightly different to the orbit of the moon.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why is there WAY more snow in the northern hemisphere than in the southern hemisphere?

Even at the bottom of South America there is little to no snow during winter (excluding on mountains) even though it's not far above Antarctica. Why is that ?

[Assistant]
Because it's surrounded by ocean, so has a maritime climate - which doesn't get all that cold.

The northern hemisphere has large land masses, which lead to continental climates, which can get very much colder because they don't have the thermal damping of the oceans.


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

[User]
[MGS4] Question about FOXDIE

Why didnt the FOXDIE kill Ocelot during the brief fight with Snake after he burned Big Bosss body?

[Assistant]
Actual reason: The plot demanded that it didnt.
Kojima approved reasoning: Ocelot had prior knowledge of FOXDIE and was taking some kind of blockers in conjunction with all the drugs he was taking to be Liquid, sort of like the nanomachine blockers that Snake was using throughout the game. During the battle on the boat, he simply did not take the blockers or drugs, so he could die with the clone of the man he loved, as Ocelot. Either that or the drugs themselves acted as a means to cancel out FOXDIE, but thats way to straightforward for a game made by Kojima.


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

[User] [Dune] We're told over and over that the spice has "geriatric properties", but what does that actually mean?

[Assistant]
Geriatric = an aged person.  So it lets you get older than normal

"Without melange and its amplification of the human immunogenic system, life expectancy for the very rich degenerated by a factor of at least four"

It lets you get older by a lot.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why is ESPN in so much trouble?

I understand the omnipresent threat of "cable-cutting," but surely these concerns are overblown? What's going on?

[Assistant]
ESPN is the most expensive cable Chanel by far for cable companies to subscribe to.  They pay each channel for the right to broadcast their channels but ESPN demands an extreme amount.

So much so that cable companies have to increase what they charge for other channels and packages to compensate

As a result many cable companies are toying with the idea of dropping ESPN completely in order to make them more competitive with streaming services that are already far cheaper than Cable.


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

[User]
If 98F is my inner temperature, why does it feel so hot when the ambient temperature is 97F?

Why does my body feels the need to cool itself at that temperature?

[Assistant]
Because your body is constantly generating more and more heat you'll only feel comfortable when your body is able to shed heat at the right rate.

At 97F the air around you is barely conducting any heat from your body, but down at 70F it feels just right.

But then water at 70F will feel pretty chilly, because water is more conductive than air at equal temperature.


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

[User]
How do you remove indium metal from a metal surface?

We got indium on a copper surface and want to remove the indium without damaging the copper surface.

Is ther anyway to do this with a solvent or anything from than mechanically peeling/scratching it off?

[Assistant]
You can oxidize it off in a dilute acid solution. I'd use 0.1M Sulfuric acid, with include 0.1M Copper Sulfate. Volume of solution needs to be calculated based on the amount of In you need to remove. Don't let the Indium exceed 0.05M or so.

Use alegator clips to connect your In coated piece to a sheet or snarl of Cu wire that's been well cleaned and has at least twice the surface area of the one you're trying to save. The Indium should dissolve off leaving the Cu exposed below.

The Cu underneath might look a little dull but light polishing will restore the shine.


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

[User] How do biological receptors recognise a photon if photons have no mass?

[Assistant]
Photons have energy, and interact with objects through the electromagnetic field. Namely, photons interact with electrons, exciting them to a different energy level from which the electron has sufficient energy to participate in chemical reactions (oxidation/reduction). These chemical reactions move electrons through many molecules with each reaction taking some of the energy from the electron until the electron arrives back down to the ground state from the molecule in which it started in. It's kind of like a Ferris wheel, of energy where each car is a molecule and the photon provides the initial energy to move an electron to the top. In the end all of the energy of the photon is dissipated into some chemical signal and heat.

In fact, most biological units are so small that their mass is almost always negligible, so it does not matter if how massive the signal is, but rather what chemical energy it contains.


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

[User]
[Time Travel] I've been assigned to stop a nuclear terrorist attack in 1855 Philadelphia. How do I enlist the local authorities without blowing my cover?

There are hostile chrononauts in the region that wish to unleash the device. I have clothing, a standard issue ferromagnetic side arm, and 500 dollars in period-appropriate money.

[Assistant] Not too sure but lets say they are  inside a building. Beat yourself up a bit, black eye, torn clothes, cuts, etc. Run to nearest police and say you escaped from a cult of kidnappers. Hopefully this will cause a good amount of cops to show. Also are you wearing modern clothes?


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

[User] [ELI5]: If something is 1 in 292 million, then how do over 400 million lose?

[Assistant]
The odds of a coin flip landing heads is ~50%, but you could still have a run of many flips all landing tails. Take that same logic and blow it up to huge proportions.

Also bear in mind that there is no system that prevents multiple tickets from having the same numbers. If each number was unique, you would be correct that thered have to be a winner. But as it is, there are many losers with the same numbers.


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

[User] Does the air inside the tires of a moving car move inside them?

[Assistant]
Yes, in multiple ways. When the tire is stationary, the air molecules are still constantly moving and bumping into both each other and the sides of its container. When the tire is moving, the molecules that hit the sides of the container (the spinning tire) are flung in the direction of the spin, causing the air to generally spin in the same direction as the tire, albeit in a delayed fashion (the air will be delayed to get "up to speed" as well as delayed to stop spinning inside the tire when the tire stops). ~~However, the air molecules do not actually move any faster than they normally do -- they just change direction.~~

EDIT: There is a change of velocity in the air molecules when spinning, however while the change is relatively small compared to their velocity when the tire is at rest, there is a change present. Although, the heat caused by the friction of the road on the tire contributes considerably more velocity to the air molecules in comparison.


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

[User] ELI5: What exactly is radiation/ radiation poisoning and why aren't there ways to "flush" it out of your system?

[Assistant]
Think of radiation as little tiny bullets, that smash into the molecules that make up your cells, breaking them apart.

If enough of your molecules get smashed, then you have "radiation poisoning," which is really just the symptoms associated with that kind of damage. But note, it's not like what we normally think of as poisoning, because there's no "poison" left.  The damage is already done, and it's done at the atomic level.

That's why it can't just be flushed.  The body needs to recover from the damage, not remove the "toxin" that caused the damage.


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

[User]
If Venus and Earth are approximately the same size, why is Venus' atmosphere so much thicker?

I'd heard years ago from a forgotten source that the reason is because of the fact that our moons mass is particularly high compared to ours (highest ratio in the solar system) and that over time the moons gravity had pulled a lot of our atmosphere out into space where it dispersed.

When I mentioned this in a discussion about exoplanets and how it is likely a lot of them will be uninhabitable since most of them probably won't have moons as large as ours and therefore will have much thicker atmospheres everyone pretty much told me I was wrong and downvoted me.  I went to find the source for this but could not.  I left it at that, but then I remembered Venus, and how it has no moon and has a much thicker atmospere.  So I'm wondering, if the lack of moons around Venus as opposed to the very large moon around Earth isn't the reason for the much different atmospheres on these two planets, what is?

[Assistant]
Most of Earth's CO is bound in the carbonates (such as limestone). When CO dissolves in water, it forms CO anions, which react with several metal cations to form insoluble carbonate minerals, such as limestone or dolomite.

When you heat carbonate minerals, the CO is released, and carbonates turn into oxides (for example, limestone CaCO turns into lime CaO, releasing the CO in air).

Since Venus has no surface water, but is geologically active (though not as much as Earth), it cannot reabsorb CO into the crust as limestone, while it can release it into the atmosphere from mineral deposits. Earth has massive amounts of CO bound in limestone, while pretty much all of Venus's limestone is in its atmosphere.

Regarding the atmospheric composition; the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere is of biological origin. The primordial atmosphere of Earth had no or very little oxygen.


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

[User] If the deepest we have drilled into earth is 7.5 miles, not exceeding earths crust, how do we have detailed descriptions/illustrations of what the other of the thousands of miles look like? For example earths core, the mantle and inner core.

[Assistant]
Seismic waves. Earthquakes.

When there is an earthquake different waves will move through the earth, through the different parts of the earth, at different speeds and in different ways. We can measure this at different points and begin to paint a picture. What you are seeing on your seisometre took x time longer to be seen compared to the one closer by, so it traveled through at this speed, or was reflected in this way...

We also have other clues. Gravity we can see how strong it is at different points and heights and work out some density calculations, this adds more information, as well as the magnetic field that's produced meaning we'd have some more liquid parts, and volcanos bringing stuff up from deeper underground.

All of these help paint a picture, and with them together we can deduce what the unseen layers must be.


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

[User]
What is fire, and why does it form the shape that it does (like in a candle flame, for example)?

I am guessing that it is made out of some sort of matter (photons presumably). But if this is so, what gives the shape it is?

[Assistant]
If you have ever sat around a campfire, or a warm fireplace in your living room,
or even the burners on a gas stove, you will agree that fire seems quite
substantial. You can see it, and you can see the instantaneous effects when
something flammable comes in contact with it. Paper blackens and burns,
plastic melts and also burns. But what is fire? What exactly is the yellow or blue
flame made of? How does it work?

The simple answer is that the fire you see is a chemical reaction. Nothing more, nothing less. How that
chemical reaction manifests itself into a visible flame is quite fascinating
though, so bear with me.

To make this explanation simple, I'll first describe the fire you see on your gas
stove. All flames work in a similar manner, but Methane in particular is easy to
describe.

If we looked at a methane molecule, listed in chemical books as CH4, it would
consist of 1 carbon atom with 4 hydrogen atoms attached to it.

Methane by itself will do nothing. If you filled an air-tight room with methane
and tried to light it, nothing would happen. To make fire, we need
oxygen. Luckily, about 21% of the air we breath is oxygen.

Single oxygen atoms by themselves do not float around in the air we breathe. In fact, few
atoms like to be by themselves, and will normally attach to others in clumps.

Oxygen atoms are therefore most commonly found attached as a pair.
Therefore, an oxygen molecule is listed as O2, which means two oxygen atoms
bonded together.

If you mixed oxygen and methane in an air-tight room, nothing would happen
either. At room temperature, there is not enough energy for the methane and
oxygen molecules to break their atomic bonds and react. However, all we need
is a small amount of energy in a tightly focused spot, such as a spark, and the
reactions can start.

Okay, now to the fire. Assume we have a methane molecule, and an oxygen
molecule (CH4 + O2), and enough energy (the spark, or previous reactions) for
those molecules to break their bonds. Note that we must put energy IN to the
reaction for the molecules to break apart. There is no heat generated in this
part of the process.

Hydrogen atoms and Oxygen atoms are rather unstable by themselves, and
they will want to bond with something (this is a bit simplified, this gets even
more fascinating in detail). One of the oxygen atoms will attach to the carbon
atom (CO), two of the hydrogen atoms will join together (H2), and the remaining oxygen and two hydrogen atoms will
join (H2O). When these atoms bond together, they release the stored energy in
them that made them unstable to begin with. This is the heat you feel, and is
able to continue the reaction by providing enough energy for other methane
and oxygen molecules to react. This is why we don't need a continuous spark
for a gas stove, the reaction itself is enough to keep it going as long as the
methane and oxygen continue to be supplied.

This first part of the reaction happened very quickly, almost to the point where
you could say that the original molecules broke apart and re-bonded almost
instantly. That is not the end of the story though. Some of the resulting
molecules haven't shed enough energy yet, and are still unstable. Another
oxygen molecule will be added to the reaction, adding to the CO and the H2
atoms, so we end up with CO2 and H2O. This is called oxidization, and takes
considerably longer than the first part of the reaction... about a millisecond or
so, and produces less energy. If there is not enough oxygen in the mixture, this
second process wont be able to complete, and that is when you will get a sooty
flame.

So to summarize this whole process, you take a methane molecule and two
oxygen molecules, add a bit of energy to get them excited, and you end up
with a carbon-dioxide molecule (CO2) and two water molecules (H2O) and
energy.

CH4 + O2 + O2 --> CO2 + H2O + H2O (In other words, methane and oxygen
become carbon-dioxide and water - pretty clean too).

But where is the heat coming from? If we put in a little bit of energy (the spark)
to start the reaction, where is the energy coming from that is causing the heat
and light?

The simple answer is that it is coming from the methane molecule. Hydrogen
and carbon atoms dont really like to bond together very easily. It takes a
considerable amount of energy to get them to do so. That energy remains
'stored' in the molecule and is released when a reaction with other molecules is
able to take place. This is equivilent to pushing a large boulder up a hill and
then jamming a little rock under it so that it cant roll down. By using a little bit
of energy to unjam the little rock, you release a large amount of 'stored' energy
as the bolder rampages down the hill.

The light you see is just the visible spectrum of the energy released by the
combustion (and refracted through the plasma). The fire moves and waves as
oxygen is consumed in one location and the reaction moves to where more is
available.

The same process happens for other combustibles also, such as wood in a
campfire, wax in a candle and petrol in your car. Same principle, just slightly
different chemical reactions.


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

[User]
Can someone explain source code directories to me? (e.g., src, makefile, include, etc)

I've been googling this for two days but i can't figure it out. I compiled or built a Fortran package from source and don't really understand what I did or what each of the folders inside the source directory mean. All I know is the src contains the main instructions. But what is in the include folder? Why does it exist?

This is a broad question, but basically I want to understand organization of source code and the process of compiling it or building it into an executable. Thanks!

[Assistant]
Unfortunately it's different for almost every project and idioms are different in different programming languages and the cultures surrounding them.

There's some common rules of thumb but these are fuzzy at best.

src - the majority of the code

build - intermediate build results

dist - compiled / build results

docs - documentation, sometimes auto-generated

lib - library the contains the bulk of the code's logic, but less of the IO (this might just be a Haskell thing)

include(s) + deps - header files or dependencies

How the code gets built is a much harder question to answer concisely, there's more than a few courses on this subject.


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

[User] How much holy water do I need to drink before I become toxic to vampires?

[Assistant]
There is no way to make yourself toxic to vampires by drinking holy water.

Holy water is pure H2O blessed by the grace of a higher deity. It's nothing but hydrogen, oxygen, and benevolent deific power. If you add anything else, the vessel becomes an impure container for the energy and it is returned to being normal water.

This includes saliva, stomach acid and any of the other numerous substances inside your human body. It stops being holy water the second it is drunk, and though its holy spark is imbued into the drinker's body, the feeble flicker of a blessing is nothing compared to the bright spirit of a living being, so it has no real effect, other than to be unusually refreshing and bouy the drinker's spirits.

No, a better option for becoming toxic to vampires to fill yourself with holy energy straight from the tap. Purify your spirit, become close to your deity, and let its power fill you up. Have no fear and be sure that you are under its protection, and carry a holy symbol of its power.

Holy water just burns. Holy power *kills*.


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

[User]
Question : decided to learn about Existentialism, what to read ?

Hello, I've decided to learn about Nihilism and Existentialism, what books should I read and in what order ?

Most answers I found just throw authors names - Kirkegaard, Nietzsche , Sartre , Frankel ...

I decided to start from Kirkegaard - Fear and Trembling, Is thats the right chose ?

Sorry if it's weird question, philosophy is very new realm for me.

[Assistant]
The Ethics of Ambiguity by Simone de Beauvoir. She never got the same fame as Sartre and Camus but this is definitely a very approachable and understandable text compared to others. That and Sartre's Existentialism is a Humanism are a good quick pair and then if you feel like tackling Being and Nothingness and other massive tomes, go for it.

Also, for a great read which is about 50% philosophy 50% history/biography, check out Sarah Bakewell's  "At the Existentialist Cafe" which is a great overview of existentialism and its major players. Draws a nice narrative line from Heidegger and Husserl through Sartre, Camus, de Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty, and many others.


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

[User]
[Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer] Why does Rudolph's red nose stand out so much amongst all the other abnormalities the reindeer have that are accepted at face-value?

Rudolph's mom has thick, human-like eyelashes and pink eyelids.

The coach reindeer has flexible enough lips to seal around a whistle and blow it.

Not to mention, the people teasing him are the only twelve or so reindeer born with the ability to fucking fly, let alone fast enough to visit every Christmas-celebrating household with children in the entire world. The original 12 had to eat magic corn for this ability.

They also, for some reason, all have their antlers at Christmas, despite male reindeer normally shedding them in late fall.

And you're telling me Santa isn't a misfit himself? A millennia-old human being who rules a kingdom of elves with the industrial capacity to produce enough toys to give away to every Christian child in the world for free with overnight shipping and doesn't use that capacity in a more profitable way?

[Assistant]
Note how people who are abnormally strong are treated in our society vs those with harmless but unsightly skin conditions.

Generally, the difference between "a misfit" and "an exceptional individual" is if their difference can be used by the powerful (and, indeed, Rudolph does go from the former category to the latter once the powerful *do* figure out to exploit it). All of the other reindeer have useful abnormalities. Rudolph, initially, doesn't.


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

[User] ELI5: How do they decide on which direction to point the James Webb telescope?

[Assistant] By committee of course! Research proposals are submitted to a review board which then will rank them based on things like potential research value, etc. The end goal is to book as much of the telescope's time as possible and to work out a schedule where it can move the most easily between points of observation. The telescope can't point just anywhere at any given time as some areas of the sky are only visible during certain times of the year, meaning scheduling certain windows of observation is important.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why do dogs lick people?

Does it represent a particular emotion on their part?

[Assistant]
The licking action is a sign of submission. When a dog wants to let another dog know that he's no threat he will do things that young puppies do to make him seem less aggressive. Sometimes it's done in excitement as well, to welcome the pack leader home. This comes from asking their mother to vomit up what prey she ate while she was gone.

The dogs that do this most often are ones that are bred for keeping their juvenile traits, or dogs that are purely pets. Most dogs that work for a living show their respect and adoration in more adult ways.

The exception is the slow, lazy lick of your hand or foot while you're both relaxing. This seems to be a form of affection, although they don't seem to do it to each other very often.


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

[User]
[Constantine] How did John deceive Lucifer first time?

In their talk towards the end Lucifer asked John, "Is it another one of your cons?" It means when John committed suicide as a teenager and went to hell, he somehow conned Lucifer to get out of it and gain life again. Any idea how he did it?

[Assistant] Constantine sold his soul three times to three of the strongest Demons of Hell. Finding out and knowing that a three way war would weaken the Demons and leave God the actual victor, they decided not to collect Constantine's soul and revived him.


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

[User]
Help for job after long pause ?

Hi,
I really need help in this. I am a housewife living in Canada. I am planning to resume job after a long hiatus ( 8 years ). I did my MCA and worked at least 8 years ago in India as .Net developer, then I came to Canada. Now I want to start job and I know technology has changed a lot and pretty much with kids dont want to do coding much ( little bit is OK ),
So to be in pace I am planning to do a certificate course or diploma from a college here.
I feel that cyber security has a bright future and if I learn tools then I can accomplice the job with less coding ( I am not sure about this ).
Can some one suggest me what course and from which college should I do course ?
Is cyber security career is good ? If not then can someone suggest ?

I will really appreciate...

[Assistant] Whats good for you is what you want to do.  If cyber security interests you then that is what you should do.  Once a programmer, always a programmer.  Logic is logic.  The only thing that changes is the syntax.


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

[User]
[Wall-E] Why did the humans equip EVE with a gun?

Ok, so EVE was designed with the purpose of retrieving the plant by humans in space. We know this.

It can't be for clearing obstacles, as she has an attack mode that is triggered by slight movement and noise almost instantaneously.

This leads me to ask, what were the humans expecting her to find? Is there things living on Earth that Wall-E hasn't encountered? Horrible hybrid creatures, evolved to survive the harsh post-apocalyptic climate? If so, why don't we see any of them?

[Assistant] B+L was most likely in the automated warfare business as well. Eva tends to shoot at anything that moves, programmed to defend herself from assault robots that are still functioning but with bad or corrupt cores who attack without specified orders. There weren't robots deployed to the area we see in the movie but she needs that gun to keep her safe (and potentially the plant life safe) from killer robots in former war zones.


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

[User]
[Halo] How strong is a Spartan III compared to a Spartan II?

Obviously a spartan II in full Mjolnir is going to be a lot stronger, but how would they compare if they were both unarmored? Are the spartan IIIs worse, or are the augmentations better?

[Assistant]
Spartan IIs and IIIs have roughly equal enhancements. Outside of their armor theyre pretty much on par in terms of raw strength and speed. The differences are primarily that the IIs were all pretty much peak humans even before they were augmented, the IIs have significantly more combat experience, and the IIs in general got access to better equipment (at least during the human-covenant war).

The augmentation tech had advanced enough by the time they made the IIIs that they could be a little less selective. The IIIs were still great candidates, but not necessarily the absolute peak humans that the IIs were. The IIIs were also meant to benot necessarily expendable, but much cheaper to deploy and less costly to lose. A single suit of Mjolnir armor costed as much as a full on destroyer, so they werent gunna hand those out to the bulk Spartans. Instead the IIIs got SPI, which was still some good armor. But it didnt give them a boost anywhere close to what Mjolnir gave to the IIs. And the majority of the Spartan IIIs just really didnt have a chance to reach the same level. Most of them were killed after just a handful of missions.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why are imported chinese products of such low quality and price?

And are they the same in China itself?

[Assistant] Because you usually don't know its from China when its high quality. If your going to go through the quality assurance process to keep the quality up, your also likely to brand the product and not advertise its Chinese origin.


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

[User] ELI5: How do the helmet microphones that a helicopter or small plane pilot uses only pick up voice and not the helicopter engine?

[Assistant]
The use active noise reduction. There are two microphones, one pointed towards the mouth and one pointed away. One picks up speech + noise and the other just picks up noise. Subtract the 2nd signal from the first and you are just left with the speech.

Similar technology is used in telephones, noise cancelling headphones, fetal heart beat monitors, etc.


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

[User]
ELI5: How the hell plants/weeds can literally push through concrete without any access to the sun?

Seriously, what sort of voodoo is nature pulling? How does photosynthesis even take place which would cause the plants to grow, much less hulk out and push through stuff far more dense.

[Assistant] Seeds aren't just plant-growing factories, they are also like batteries. Without any light or leaves to photosynthesise it, the plant burns stored chemical energy in the seed, analogous to a starving human burning through their fat reserves. This is also why seeds can be so nourishing for animals to eat.


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

[User]
[DC] Many seemingly common occupations of heroes should be outrageously time consuming. How can a fortune 500 CEO be a superhero and have time to sleep and work?

The same could go for many jobs.

Reporters, Police or Military, Government, all of these are 40-80 hour weeks. Where does the time come?

Especially with Heroes like Batman and Green Arrow with no superpowers.

[Assistant]
Batman has sleep deprivation, peak human stamina + mind, and a great manager Lucius Fox.

Green Arrow has a great manager and uses himself as more of a symbol for liberal corporation rather than the actual worker.

Tony Stark is Iron Man, Iron man is Tony Stark 24/7.


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

[User]
Why do hibernating animals not lose their muscles, when sleeping for longer periods?

Our muscles get cut out after a week of no use/training, but what about hibernating animals who sleep for longer periods? I know that they get their energy from fat storage and lower their temperature and cell activity to reduce energy demand, but do their muscles not need some kind of stimulus to create the reason for muscles to exist and be functioning when the animal wakes up?

[Assistant]
Hibernators still tend to lose a good proportion of the protein (4  65%, depending on the species... less in bears, more in small hibernators) and strength (~25% over 130 days in bears) in their muscles during hibernation. Animals in fasting and hibernating states will always lose protein from muscles, which are catabolized to provide amino acids for gluconeogenesis and for obligate protein biosynthesis elsewhere in other tissues. These losses just tend to be much less than in bedridden humans (~90% loss of strength over a similar period).

The key adaptations that occur in hibernators is the reduction of 1) protein turnover (catabolism and anabolism is reduced), and 2) amino acid catabolism (via the urea cycle). Protein sparing tends to occur in fasting animals anyways, but the incredible reduction in the metabolic rates of hibernators leads to the further down regulation of these processes and the preservation of a large proportion of their pre-hibernating lean body mass.

Also, in hibernating bears specifically, the balance between protein catabolism and anabolism is maintained; proteins involved in skeletal muscle and liver protein biosynthesis are up regulated to balance out the catabolism of proteins that occurs. This is energetically expensive, but is likely the reason why bears do not undergo disuse muscle atrophy. There is also some degree of urea recycling to scavenge any amino acids that are degraded via the urea cycle, and this is presumably accomplished by the gut microflora because this biochemical pathway does not exist in vertebrates. These processes are likely the key factors that allow bears to conserve the vast majority of their lean body mass, muscle strength, and nitrogen over the several months that they hibernate.

Further reading/sources:

Carey, H. V., Andrews, M. T., Martin, S. L. Mammalian Hibernation: Cellular and Molecular Responses to Depressed Metabolism and Low Temperature. Physiol Rev 83 (2003) 1158-1181.

Fedorov, V. B., Goropashnaya, A. V., Toien, O., Stewart, N. C., Gracey, A. Y., Chang, C., Qin, S., Pertea, G., Quackenbush, J., Showe, L. C., Boyer, B. B., Barnes, B. M. Elevated expression of protein biosynthesis genes in liver and muscle of hibernating black bears (Ursus americanus). Physiol Genomics 37 (2009) 108-118.

Hellgren, E. C. Physiology of hibernation in bears. Ursus 10 (1998) 467-477.


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

[User]
[Warhammer 40K] What was the Imperium doing for 18,000 years?

Even the most pessimistic predictions place the Singularity around 2100, by 10,00 AD the Imperium should have been so far above everything in the galaxy that there was absolutely no threat. Did humanity just sit around for 18,000 years until big wars happened?

[Assistant] The Warp Drive is actually listed as not being invented until the 18th Millennium, so before that humanity probably traversed the stars in large sub-light colony ships. The Warp Drive signified the start of major human expansion into the galaxy and also the start of the Dark Age Of Technology, which lasted from the 18th through to the 25th Millennium. The Dark Age was the peak of Mankind's power in the galaxy, a time of wondrous and fantastical technologies that have all been lost to the ages. Around M25, the Men Of Iron, AI's that we're built to serve humanity, all rebelled at once, almost wiping out humanity and plunging it into the Age Of Strife, however, the humans eventually triumphed but all remaining human colonies were pretty much severed from each other. Around four to five thousand years later, the Emperor would reveal himself and begin the Great Crusade, which then led onto the Horus Heresy, and so forth. The Imperium itself was not actually formed until the Emperor had united all of Terra, and it is not known what humanity referred to itself as before the formation of the Imperium.


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

[User]
Is it possible to halt a light beam with light?

I was reading about destructive interference, and I suspect that this might give some insight to my question, but I don't know if it totally answers it.

Basically if there are two lasers perpendicular to one another, could one beam act as a wall so that the other does not shine beyond it? If it is possible to do is it dependent on the actual wavelength of the light, or is it relative (as in a blue laser would block a red laser but not a green one)?

Thanks in advance!

[Assistant] Light belongs to a class of particles that do not bounce or recoil off one another, they simply pass right through each other.  This may make more sense if you think of light as a wave - waves do not bounce or halt one another.


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

[User]
ELI5: What exactly is Freemasonry? What do Freemasons do?

I met someone with the logo on their car the other day, and I also saw a Reddit post detailing a found Freemason badge from WW2. No conspiracy or anything, Im just interested in what it is.

[Assistant]
It's pretty much a community club for r
people. They've got weird initiations and all, but for the most part; they pretty much sit in a room together and have cake.

If you're part of them though, it can be a great place to find employment as most of the people there are business owners and will throw you a job, that and they can help you with finances.

It's a great place to find information, not any kind of insider info on government or world order types of shit, but more like which people are good to make business deals with, who will fuck you over, who to hire and who to avoid hiring if you're someone with a business, shit like that.

That's pretty much it.

Source: Family has been involved for centuries.


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

[User]
[Lovecraft/Meta] Are the great old ones, elder gods, etc. as overpowered as this sub makes them out to be?

I mean, at this point they might as well be completely omnipotent according to this sub. It doesn't matter how powerful or well organized an individual or group of individuals are. They can be powerful enough to destroy a universe like Goku, or capable of waging a war the likes of which early 20th century humans (folks of the mythos) never could like the Star Wars Galaxy and the Federation, it makes no difference seemingly. Even though in the call of Cthulhu it seemingly took a boat to the head to incapacitate or otherwise stop Cthulhu's attempt to reawaken. Honestly, are they really so overpowered? Remember, the humans of the mythos wouldn't even beat us 21st century man in a war.

[Assistant]
Okay let's explain things.  The Universe is inside Yog-Sothoth.  Like, mathematically.  The universe is a subset of things that are also Yog.  Yog is the All-in-One and the One-in-All that defines the sweep of the universe, but is not limited by it.

One calls him and Azathoth co-rulers of the universe, but that is entirely a human understanding, for the blind idiot God cannot rule and Yog does not issue orders.  Instead you might define the universe as a dream they are sharing, a dream that shall vanish if the Outer Gods in the court at the center of all things allow their terrible music to falter and Azathoth awakens for an instant-eternity.

In contrast Goku can punch a sun to death.  Wow.


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

[User]
[Dawn of the Dead 1978] Is there any way they could have successfully fended off the bikers and retained the mall?

Let's say they knew they were coming, and had prep time. And for the hell of it, let's say Roger is still alive, to even the odds a tad more.

Could they survive the siege and keep the mall?

[Assistant]
Not sure if steering locks were in a thing back then, but without seriously hampering their escape routes they could have positioned the trucks wheels so with steering locks, if going forward they would move into the solid walls of the mall (without enough speed to do any damage), and reversing would be into another truck, so they effectivly cannot be moved.

From this position, they have the height advange from the roof to pick off any bikers near the trucks. They could still be shot so it's not without risk.

It showed zombies wedged between the mall doors and the trucks, so any bikers crawling under the trucks would encounter them + they could be shot from the inside at distance with rifles while only having enough room to manoeuvre pistols, or mall group could have put plywood all over the glass doors so anyone between the trucks/doors couldn't do shit even with a gun.

If the mall people didn't care about a quick escape through the doors (as they had the helo) they could have completly disabled the trucks.


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

[User] [Dark Souls] There's this one annoying undead that keeps barging into my home and attacking me to get my souls. I've killed him multiple times, to no avail. He always comes back. Has anyone had any success with imprisoning pesky undead with no means of self-harm, until they hollow completely?

[Assistant]
Currently, someone's working on a more permanent solution, but they're being thrown into an Asylum to hollow for the meantime.
Report it to a guard and it should be taken there.
Either that, or they'll join Farron's Legion.

In distant lands, they've employed artificial soldiers to continually kill Undead each time they resurrect.


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

[User] ELI5: If all carbohydrates get broken down to their most simple form, sugar, why is it unhealthy to just eat tablespoons of sugar?

[Assistant]
Most of the dangers come from the glycemic response to these various foods.

Pure sugar with nothing to slow the absorption rate will spike your blood sugar. This causes your pancreas to release Insulin to counteract that spike, which in turn reduces your blood sugar below normal levels, so your body releases glucose into the blood stream to compensate, which spikes it again, causing your pancreas to release more insulin... Lather, rinse, repeat until your glucose levels have hit a steady baseline.

This yo-yo effect taxes your pancreas significantly, as well as has other downstream effects on your body.

The more effort it takes your body to absorb the sugars, the healthier it is for your system when consumed in moderation.


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

[User] What is one thing no told you about programming that you wish you knew earlier?

[Assistant] Not that you could do much knowing it in advance, no one tells you soft skills are as important as actual programming. Not just for networking and interviews, but for actually doing your job. Very few developers are working with clear and unambiguous requirements written by technical people. Before you can start writing code, you often have to figure out what needs to be done by interrogating people who have no idea what they want over email or during meetings. Asking the right question can sometimes save you hours of work.


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

[User] ELI5: How is it possible to teach a person who is blind and deaf?

[Assistant]
I'll stick your hand in water, and sign the word "water" into your hand. You'll eventually associate it. That is basically how it works. You slowly build up. You are presented something, and you are given the sign for it. Very similarly to how we learn to speak- we are presented something and given the word for it. Eventually, it advances into writing.

While it is more difficult and not as extensive, it (obviously) can and has been done.


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

[User] Can insects/spiders get obese?

[Assistant]
Arachnid keeper here! As far as arachnids go they can become obese from being overfed in captivity. You are very unlikely to find an obese arachnid in the wild as most arachnids are opportunistic feeders which means a meal is whatever comes their way at the time. It could be days, weeks or even months between their meals! They are built to survive like this though by storing energy in their bodies and that allows them to survive even a year without food!

For example, a tarantula that is obese will appear to have an extremely plump abdomen and will be rather slow compared to others of it's genus. An obese tarantula may run into quite a few problems also, such as trouble shedding their exoskeleton. A fall could also be life threatening as just enough height and it will burst, killing the tarantula.

I hope this has been insightful!


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

[User] ELI5: Why is it so much easier to stay in a bad mood than a good one?

[Assistant]
A mild bad mood (not anything like clinical depression) is a survival response to an unfamiliar or challenging situation.  Our body is telling us to be alert, be on guard, and be attentive.

A mild good mood (that isn't clinical mania) is a signal that we are in a familiar and comfortable situation.  We don't have to stay alert because we are safe.

Humans being humans, and the modern world being the modern world, we are more likely to be uncomfortable than comfortable.  But that's okay, it's part of growth.  What we might want to do, though, is carve out a space and time to be warm and safe and comfortable.

Curl up an hour before bed with a good book and a cup of hot tea, for example.  Or meditate or pray.  Or journal.  Or maybe just clean and organize, some people find that ritual comforting.  Listen to music.  Play with your children.  Cuddle with a loved one.

Whatever it is, find a time and place for it in your life.  And don't beat yourself up if you are in a mild bad mood the rest of the time.  It's okay, it means you are challenging yourself, and some day the uncomfortable will feel comfortable -- at which time, it's probably time for a new challenge.


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

[User] ELI5: Why is it easier to dwell on upsetting moments rather than happy moments?

[Assistant]
Memories get bound more strongly the stronger the emotion that accompanies that memory.

Oftentimes, happiness is simply the absence of negative emotions.  Yes, sometimes you feel ecstatically, exuberantly joyous. But most happy memories are the moments where nothing in particular is stressing you out, and you are calm and peaceful.

Compare that to when you feel very angry or scared.  Memories are not only stored cognitively with its sensory perceptions (sight, sound, taste, touch, etc...) but are also stored in your midbrain in emotions.  The emotions get stored in one place, the sensory/visual memories in another (like in the hippocampus but not only there).

When you have a negative memory of strong emotion, your emotional brain (midbrain) remembers the emotion.  It makes it easier to conjure up that sensory memory, especially whenever that particular emotion surfaces for any reason again.

Happy moments are usually the absence of negative feelings, and very very happy memories do get remembered vividly, but then again, often produce nostalgia or even sadness or grief, as the memory ended.


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

[User]
ELI5: How do chia seeds jellify liquid?

Everywhere I read about chia seeds absorbing liquid but they don't, they stay the same size and the liquid around them become like gel/jelly. What is happening?

[Assistant] The ELI5 answer s - The seeds have a shell on them that, when exposed to water, turns to a gel and absorbs the water.  The benefit of this is that the gel keeps water in contact with the seeds, instead of running off, so it has "fuel" to germinate and become a chia plant. (Also allows it to stick to terra cotta for chia pets)


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

[User]
CMV: I vote Democrat in Federal elections and Republican in State and Local elections

On most issues, I lean to the left. I think sexual orientation should be a protected status on the Federal level. I hated GWB's cowboy diplomacy and prefer Obama's diplomatic views (see Iranian nuclear deal). I think Republicans are batshit insane these days and I would be embarassed to have one represent America on a global stage. Their antiscience and pro-religious views are terrifying. Their embrace of corporations borders on treasonous.

I vote Republican in State and Local elections because I want lower state taxes. I agree with Republicans on gun control and I'm not worried that Democrats will ever pass sweeping gun control regulations on a Federal level. I'm neither gay nor a woman so their homophobic state laws don't effect me and neither do their views on abortion/contraception.

If it matters, I live in Illinois.

I've been told I vote very selfishly. I reply that this is how the system is supposed to work - we should all vote according to our self-interest. CMV.

[Assistant] Are you sure they're actually lowing your taxes? Look at Kansas, where Brownback has thoroughly slashed corporate and income taxes but raised sales and sin taxes. The state is circling the drain because of stupid Republican fiscal policies. You have to be extremely wealthy to benefit more from tax cuts than you lose in services.


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

[User]
How many antacid tablets would one have to consume to lose stomach acidity?

If antacid tablets (like tums, for example) are used to treat exceptionally low stomach pH, then I figured they must be able to raise the pH of a healthy person's stomach as well. This got me wondering how many antacid tablets it would take to raise stomach pH so much that food becomes undigestable, at what pH that would actually happen, and what other effects this whole process would have on the person trying to consume so many tablets.

Tl;DR: how many antacids does it take to make you sick, and how sick would you get?

[Assistant] Stomach pH doesn't have a whole lot to do with digestion. There will be some enzymes that do not work as well in the stomach but digestion happens primarily in the small intestine which is a more neutral pH. The acidity of the stomach is primarily a defensive mechanism to destroy bacteria that are ingested.


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

[User] [MCU] What exactly is the difference between Thor's "realms" and Doctor Strange's "dimensions"?

[Assistant]
I think the 9 realms are all actually physical locations/planets in our dimension, just really far away.

The dimensions in Dr. Strange are not located in our concept of "space," meaning you couldn't reach them even if you had a spaceship that could travel between galaxies in an instant. They are *beyond* space as we perceive it - and you need some sort of specific power to interact with them.


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

[User]
CMV: Reality TV should not be a thing and is just exploiting unintelligent humans to make themselves unattractive and complete imbeciles

At least in Australia, reality tv like Married at First Sight and The Block have become a breeding ground for people who want more Instagram followers and not the people it was created to target like people in financial struggle and people who struggle to find love.

I'm not entirely sure who's in the wrong here, whether it be the producers or the applicants but the experiments that happen under the microscope always seem to be tampered with and it becomes incredibly aggrevating to watch. These shows should not be exploited for fame and simply for the people that can't get the life they once hoped for.

Would be happy for someone to make me want to watch these shows. Go for it.

[Assistant]
However stupid or incapable or pathetic you feel, these shows show you people that are worse for you to make fun of and feel better about yourself. That is their purpose, not some experiment, or helping those people in any way.

And by the way, none of it is real. Random people causing drama is not because they suddenly got a short circuit in their brain, it's because they are told to cause drama for the views.

Whether that's morally tenable is another question, but you are absolutely mistaken if you think  the point is to find people true love or portray normal life or run some experiment.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why we're supposed to drive with one foot instead of both

(I drive an automatic, not entirely sure what the protocol is for manuals)

Anyway, when I started learning how to drive, two feet just felt completely natural to me. I mean, two feet, two pedals, makes perfect sense. I have an accelerator foot and a brake foot. Contrary to what some people may think, no, my brake foot doesn't lean on the pedal the whole time and accidentally hit it, so if that's the main argument against two-footed driving then it's a stupid one.

So what's the big deal about being supposed to drive with one foot? My dad, mum, old driving instructor and boyfriend all say/said I'm wrong for using both feet, but one-footed driving doesn't come naturally to me, and I feel like the one-foot-shift from accelerator to brake could be dangerous in situations where you have to react quickly. (I know this probably isn't the case, but that's just how it looks/feels to me)

Obviously I have nothing against one-foot drivers and know I am in a minority using both feet (I also think the toilet roll should come from behind, but that's another matter...), but I am a good driver and would like to know why I am frowned upon just for this minor detail that doesn't really seem to affect anything about how I drive.

EDIT: I realise this probably doesn't need to be explained like I'm five, but it didn't really seem to fit AskReddit.

[Assistant]
When driving two footed, if your right foot is on the gas and you need to brake NOW, the instinct is to slam both feet down, but car engines almost always overpower car brakes, and so you will keep going, or best case slow down much more slowly than you would otherwise.

For manuals you always use the left foot for the clutch, and the right foot for the brake and gas.  Occasionally some people will do a heel-toe start where you push both the brake and the clutch with the left foot but that is a VERY niche case.  Not sure if this is reversed for right hand drive countries or not.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do all the countries in the world use the same number system, but different languages?

[Assistant]
Do you mean the written numbers? Or do you mean the base of the number system?

The Arabic numerals were created in India and then everyone else borrowed them because they worked really well or they didn't already have a number system of their own. They replaced Roman numerals because Roman numerals are clunky. But not everyone uses Arabic numerals. In Arabic, they actually have a different written number system. There's probably some other lesser known systems as well.

If you're talking about the structure of the number system, such as the base, that varies a lot. Some languages use base 12 or base 20. French uses a vigesimal system between 70 and 99. Some languages don't have numbers greater than 2 or 3.


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

[User] ELI5: What causes the shower to make that high pitched screech when you turn up the heat a bunch?

[Assistant] Bernoullie's principle states that a faster moving fluid is at a lower pressure than a slower moving one, so the speed of the water through the pipes lowers pressure enough for the hot temperatures you're requesting with the shower knob to turn some of the water to steam which is then heard as a screech.


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

[User] Why dont we use salt water for toilet water? Wouldnt it save millions of gallons of freshwater?

[Assistant]
Saltwater is more reactive and corrosive than fresh water, for one. Harder to maintain, I'd expect.

Also, you would still want fresh water to your house for showering and cooking, so you'd have an additional set of pipes running to each building.


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

[User]
Are cells from an elephant the same size as cells from a mouse?

Or do cells, like say skin cells, etc, scale with the size of the animal?

[Assistant] Nope, cells don't increase in size as animals get larger.  The main exception is nerve cells--some nerve cells stretch from head to toe, and thus must be longer (but not usually fatter) in larger animals.


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

[User]
Effects of muscular overweight

I tried google, but I didn't find any anwer. I was wondering what are the effects of being overweight when the weight is caused by muscle mass. Bodybuilders sometimes have a BMI of over 30 which makes them obese in the ordinary sense, but they have body fat percentage as low as 7 %.
What are the differences or the similarities when comaperd to "normal" overweight?

[Assistant]
BMIs are about as useful as nose length in determining health. The similarities are that both eat a lot and the difference is that one is healthy and the other isn't.

>BMI of over 30 which makes them obese in the ordinary sense

No, in the useless BMI scale sense. They are not obese.


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

[User] [W40k] What happens if I, the average smhuck, dies?

[Assistant]
Assuming you're human and not a Chaos worshiper, your body just rots and your soul gets ripped into the Warp and is used up (eaten) by a deamon.

If you do follow Chaos, your soul will just get eaten by your favorite deamon.

An iff youz a Shotta boy, Mork 'n' Gork eatz youz!


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

[User]
ELI5: Why is coffee/pepper that you grind at home better than coffee/pepper ground at the factory?

Would people be able to tell the difference in a blind taste test?

[Assistant] Coffee, pepper, and many other spices have very volatile oils that evaporate fairly quickly after their outer shells/skins are broken. So the closer to end use you put off the grinding of the spice the better it will taste and the more of those oils you consume. Grinding them in a factory means you lose a lot of those oils, and therefore lose flavor.


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

[User]
[Fairy Tail] How is it that every fight ends in the female wizards clothing just barely covering the important bits?

I mean most anime are pretty bad about this but I feel like Fairy Tail is one of the worst. Literally every female character is ridiculously busty and within a few minutes of fighting their clothing is in rags. How is that even possible in universe?

[Assistant]
Magic used to protect the body only extends outwards to things your mind is very strongly attached to keeping safe.  Most of your clothing does NOT fall under this protection, but the parts barely concealing your decency do fall under this protection, purely because the wizard's mind thinks those parts are important.

Thus, when in a very dangerous fight with lots of swords flying and explosions everywhere, most of your clothing is going to get burnt or cut off, except for those parts the wizard considers most important.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do soft baked goods go hard when they get stale, and hard baked goods go soft when they're stale?

[Assistant]
Harder baked goods absorb moisture over time because they start out dry compared to the moisture in the air and become softer as a result.

Softer baked goods that already have moisture in them which is used chemically to make their gel-like structure instead lose moisture over time (since there's less moisture in the air than in them).  This makes them harder.


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

[User] [DnD] What would happen if you put a Bag of Holding inside of a Bag of Holding?

[Assistant] Under the old rules, an earth-shattering kaboom as both bags are destroyed.  The explosion is so powerful it rips a whole in the fabric of space and time sucking everything in as a desperate attempt to patch the rift.  Fortunately, it is a localized effect.  Especially as rift usually closes very quickly.


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

[User] ELI5 What are gamma values in pictures and why does it affect png (aka make it worse than jpeg?)

[Assistant]
This comes from the days when computers were much slower and monitors were huge and heavy boxes with thick glass on the front of the screen - the CRT, or cathode ray tube, uses intense electromagnets to shoot tiny bits of stuff at a screen that glows when hit by this stuff. That's how it makes colors and pictures, by changing how the stuff is fired at the screen and by aiming to make flat lines to cover the whole screen down from the top, 30 or 60 times every second.

When this was going on, in the earlier days of computing, we hadn't figured out how to make colors exactly the same from Mac os and Windows and other computer operating systems. When we tried the normal way they looked different, and that did not work for us.

So we tried to use this gamma value to preserve the color we would see on the screen from one device to another to make them match. But something went wrong when not everyone agreed on how or even if they wanted to use it at all. So all sorts of things happened, some devices used it right and others did not. It was a mess!

The gamma value specifically tells the computer how much of the color to show, from none to all of it or possibly even more. That's because the gamma was used to say 'this device is already showing more green and red and blue than the one that made the image, so turn down the colors of this image so it looks right on this device' or 'this device naturally shows less green and red and blue than the one that made the image, so turn them all up to match'.

Over time we realized how silly this was and fixed the problem in a better way so everything matched all the time outside of gamma images. Now the gamma value is a leftover of what was tried before, and most browsers don't use it or have a default set up to work in most cases.

Better or worse depends on what you're doing. PNG is designed to be good on websites, so it can get smaller than a jpg or gif with the same picture. But not all browsers support it the same as jpg or gif formats, there are still old browsers out there still using the gamma values or trying to. Because of that it is a matter of knowing who will be using your site and images - if you need to use the old stuff jpg may be a better bet. If you have all new stuff png may work better. When you make new png files, the gamma can be left out to make it like a more efficient jpg format.

Great question!


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Why don't Jedi, Sith, and other force wielding factions use shields in one hand and lightsaber pikes in the other?

I realize there's Darth Desolous but he was an isolated example more than anything in the galaxy.

Not only could you have a good defense, but the pike would give you a massive range advantage.

In my time researching ancient fighting styles of planets across the galaxy, I came to one frank realization; Swords are frankly pretty romanticized and overrated, considering they were nothing more than sidearms, in the same way small slugthrowers and blaster pistols are romanticized (Damn you bounty hunters spreading your dumb ideas!).

You could give polearms cheaply out to masses of peasants and they could stop cavalry before they attacked them.

You have reach and the ability to hit your foe before he does to you.

Why weren't shields and pikes given out to force-users to fight with?

[Assistant]
Spears and similar pole-weapons have some very strong advantages in massed combat, but in duels are relatively easy for skilled swordsmen to counter. Once you are inside the reach of the sword, all advantages from the spear disappear, and are replaced with some notable disadvantages. There is a reason why, traditionally, swords have been far more common in single combat and in duels, and that is their relative versatility in close quarters.

I think the popularity of the Lightsaber is derived from its strength as a dueling weapon, as this is the kind of combat that both Jedi and Sith have gravitated towards. Even when squared off in large formations, Jedi and Sith have a tendency to pair down into dueling parties rather than typical infantry melee.


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

[User] [General] Whos the luckiest character in fiction?

[Assistant]
Gladstone Gander, Disney comic universe. Able to coast by on supernatural luck where things always go well for him.

Donald was once mad at a casino owner for getting Scrooge to become a gambling addict. He send Gladstone into the casino and bankrupted the place in an hour.


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

[User]
How do our ears know where sounds come from?

All sounds enter our ear canal...how can the brain distinguish where it comes from when they all hit the ear drum?

[Assistant]
Yeah having two allows you to pinpoint left vs right. Up vs down (and left vs right really), comes from developmental learning. Specifically, the different shapes of the outer ear cartilage will reflect sound at very slightly different frequencies (and wavelengths). Your mind learns to associate these tiny differing frequencies with differing locations.

You can hack this by filling your outer ear (not the canal) with tape or something and trying to locate various sounds. Youll find yourself pretty terrible at it.


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

[User]
ELI5 How do we build in the middle of the ocean?

How do we build in the middle of the open sea? Do we have to find a more elevated spot to lay the foundations?

ELI5, if you wanna explain it like I'm 25 that's cool too.

[Assistant]
We usually don't. If we're building anything out there, it's probably some sort of oil rig like "building" that floats. Usually the bottom of the ocean is too far down to build on, and even if you could build on it, it's squishy mud that won't support the weight.

In places we do build, it's usually shallow enough to do so and the area has firm enough ground to lay foundations on.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why is carbon fiber often used as a stick to hit objects in sporting goods

Things like Badminton rackets, Tennis rackets, golf clubs, softball bats and hockey sticks. I know its light and all but what are the other reasons why is it used as a stick to hit objects? Can someone give me a detailed answer?

Edit: Is tensile strength an important factor to making these sticks if so why?

Edit: Since this post booming might I ask are there any other benefits to Carbon Fiber in sports equipment that most of us don't know? Explain why does the certain sport play or know is enhanced when you use carbon equipments. (What are some weird sports that have carbon fiber equipments and why)

Edit: I should make a video with all this information. Would benefit me if I could get some Carbon Fiber facts that are not found on google. Like other than the advantages of carbon fiber I'm pretty sure there are disadvantages carbon fiber in certain sports applications and applications in general we should know.

Edit: Why isn't Carbon fiber used in every sports? What are some sports that Carbon Fiber isn't suited for and why?

Edit: Would like to know more about stiffness and strength, corrosion resistance,  X-ray transparency, Low CTE (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion), Chemical resistivity, Thermal and electrical conductivity and its effects on the sports you play or know about.

Edit: What is the impact resistance of carbon fiber compared to other materials used in sports?

[Assistant] Carbon fiber is light, but strong.  If your Hitting Thingy is heavy, then you'll get tired much more quickly from swinging it around.  If your Hitting Thingy is weak, then it'll break from you hitting things with it.  Carbon fiber solves both of those problems.


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

[User] Why does the morning sky look so different from the evening sky when at any given moment it seems like the same thing; the sun close to the horizon?

[Assistant] Largely it has to do with the water content in the sky. In the morning the moisture content is greater at ground altitude wheras during the day the sun's heat removes that moisture giving the sunset a more "dry" sky. So the different colors are determined by low atmospheric water contemt.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does water form into droplets as its smallest unit? What's special about that specific size?

[Assistant] Surface tension causes drops to take a shape which minimizes their surface area per unit volume.  It starts as a sphere, because that's the most effective shape, and then it's pulled into a droplet by air friction as it falls.


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

[User] [Harry Potter 2] How would looking at the Basilisk kill a person? What kind of death would it be?

[Assistant] It's so instant that you don't even realize you've died. Moaning Myrtle basically tells us this. She was crying in the bathroom, looked up, saw a pair of yellow eyes, and then the next thing she knew she was dead. No pain or anything, and it happened instantly.