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

[User]
What is the lowest radio frequency?

Is there a minimum frequency for electromagnetic radiation? Below a certain frequency, would the energy of each photon be below some quantum limit?

Do AC power lines emit photons of 60Hz (50Hz) radiation? Would there be any effects one could test for to exhibit the particle nature of such low frequency radiation?

[Assistant]
There is no lower limit to radio frequency.  All radiation has a quanta of hv, where v is the frequency and h is planck's constant.

Below a certain energy, it gets hard to detect individual photons, so then radiation is detected with antennas. Antennas need to be a good fraction of the wavelength of radiation.  Thus the size of the antenna places technological limits on the lowest practical radio frequency.

Very low frequency radiation (<100 Hz) has some applications.  The US Navy used to maintain a facility to transmit signals on 76 Hz to submarines.  These signals were the only one capable of penetrating seawater to submarine depth.  The bandwidth on these signals was very small.  They could only send a few characters per minute and the antennas were 30 miles long but hugely inefficient.


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

[User] ELI5: How come September, October, November, December are the 9th-12th months respectively, when their names suggest they should be the 7th-10th?

[Assistant] Originally the Roman calendar started in March and had ten months, so the names matched up with their position in the year. After December were 51 days of winter which weren't part of any month, then March came round again. When January and February were added to fill in those extra days, January became the first month but the other months kept their names.


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

[User] [Dungeons and Dragons] I'm a newly hatched red dragon. What can I do to maximize my chances of survival?

[Assistant]
1. Get yourself a bunch of kobold followers. They're going to bring you food, and keep a low profile. They are sworn to silence about your existence, and entirely banned from raiding or killing humanoids.

2. Find a nice lair. Make sure it has a maze, and means for your follows to live. You're going to be spending an incredible amount of time in here, so make sure it's nice too, but that's secondary to security concerns.

3. Make sure your kobolds are trained to be smart - they've gotta be Tucker's Kobolds. Traps, guerilla tactics, and so on that make reaching you a pain.

4. Pay no attention to the Dragon behind the curtain - somehow find a way to fake yourself. Illusion magic, a magic-trained kobold, whatever. Basically make sure that any adventurers that reach you end up killing someone/thing else - not you.

5. Keep a damn low profile.  When you need to leave your lair and stretch your wings - only do it at night, high up, and don't go attacking any people or wildlife, or landing and leaving footprints and other marks.

6. Train. Your physical body is going to be great no matter what, and it's magic that makes the difference. **Practice. Magic.**

7. Live. Hopefully you'll make it to adulthood and be big enough that you can start venturing outside, relatively safe. Don't bother waiting until you're an elder dragon, or you'll have no life at all. Just remember the principle lessons:

> * Deception

> * Co-existence

> * Preparation

Do all these things, and you'll live a long and scaly life.


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

[User]
ELI5: How are pilots able to make flights significantly shorter?

A flight Ive taken many times usually takes around 3 hours. I just took the same flight and the pilot was able to get us there in just about 2 hours. My return flight we were 45 min early. How??

[Assistant]
Theres a few ways:  1. Different altitudes have different winds. 2. Commercial aircraft rarely fly at max speed, so the can literally fly faster (at the expense of increased fuel flow).

The key point the OP needs to know though is that its not up to the pilot. The airlines carefully manage flight plans (including speed etc) to ensure the overall schedule in the most cost effective manner.  Sometimes it benefits the passenger


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

[User]
ELI5: Why do Southeast Asians have lighter-skin colors compared to other peoples at the same latitude?

For background, I'm of southern Chinese background. I'm pretty light/fair-skinned (although I am the youngest in my family - because I'm 12 years old, so my skin color will probably get darker as I get older).

Almost all Southeast Asians (Thais, Vietnamese, Cantonese, etc.) have lighter skin color than Indians or Africans even though they are located at the same latitude as Indians and Africans.

Since Southeast Asia is tropical and sunny, why aren't they as dark skinned as Indians or Africans?

[Assistant]
China has had a huge influence in that region for most its history. The Thai-Kadai peoples (Laos and Thailand) are native to south China around Guangxi (where the Zhuang still are) and migrated to southeast Asia during the time China was expanding (~1200 years ago) which displaced Austroasiatic peoples like the Khmer (Cambodians) and Vietnamese (which was ruled by China several times). Burmese are Sino-Tibetans (same group as the Chinese) and are also descendants of earlier migrations. You never had largescale migrations of peoples from India to southeast Asia but instead just religion and customs.

Your Austronesians like the Malay and the other many languages of Indonesia and the Philippines originate from peoples who migrated from south China to Taiwan (around 8 thousand years ago) who then migrated south. They displaced the native Negritos who are dark skinned.


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

[User]
ELI5: Baptist vs. Methodist vs. Lutheran vs. Presbyterian, etc.

I mean besides the general "Baptists tend to be more conservative" thing. What are the actual official differences in beliefs? They seem pretty interchangeable.

[Assistant]
Okay, short answer is : Doctrine.

There is a continuum for religious doctrine that runs roughly from Arminian to Reformed. This has to do with how they believe we react to God. Armenians believe we continually choose to go to heaven or hell, and can decide to be with God or to stray at any point. Reformed Calvianism is the other extreme, that God chose whom he will send to heaven and hell, and only died for certain people for his own reasons. There is an acronym for this called TULIP that details this doctrine

Methodists are closer to arminian

Presbyterians are closer to Reformed/Calvanism. They believe in infant baptism, (because God picked you anyway) Baptists are horrified by this because you didn't make the choice to turn from your sins and follow God via faith in his plan for salvation.

Baptists are very broad doctrinally and are governed by the southern baptist convention, believing in baptism as a demonstration of salvation. They are relatively centrally located on the aforementioned continuum. evangelism is their focus, and they concentrate on spreading the gospel (the good news that Jesus died for your sins so you can go to heaven.

Lutheran is in line with the reactionary teachings of Martin Luther. All of these denominations believe you go to heaven by faith, not by what you do (i.e. baptism, obedience, communion), but the lutherans are focused on this; and an individual faith with God. as such, they lie in the middle territory overlapping much of the Baptist beliefs. Salvation is for all, which is contrary to TULIP presbyterians.

One branch is not necessarily more conservative than the other. United Methodists are VERY liberal, and primitive Baptists are weapons grade conservative, but and evangelical methodist is more conservative than an American Baptist Church

Conservative -> believes the bible

Liberal -> Bible's a nice guideline, not necessarily all real or literal

The real difference you should know with protestants is evangelical vs. mainline

Evangelicals (Some baptists, non-denominational) tend to be more theologically conservative, but less formal in church settings. they tend to have "megachurches" with rock bands and focus on spreading the gospel. These churches are maintaining numbers and even growing in some areas of the country, which you would expect since they are always telling people about Jesus.

Mainlines  (lutherans, methodists, presbyterians) tend to be more theologically liberal, but more stodgy in execution. they focus on church history, sing hymns and you'd rarely catch jeans in a Sunday service. They are dying demographically, as they are predominately old and white. They don't focus on outreach for spreading the word, but are often active in community service.


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

[User]
ELI5:What is the numbing sensation that washes over ones body when confronted with a negative and emotional situation?

I'd noticed this feeling today because I've felt it for the fourth time in my life. I can recall it because it's very distinct. I primarily source it to depression but, for an example, I saw my ex of two years with another man today and immediately my heart seemed to slow down and thump harder and my entire body had what felt like a wave that still has my fingers tingling and as if I feel extremely numb

The other, more recent time I can recall this is when a very close friend passed away.

What is this feeling called and why does it happen? Is this shock?

Sorry if my explanation is lacking. I'm unsure of how else to describe it.

[Assistant] it's the fight or flight response. Blood vessels contracting as your body redirects blood flow to vital organs, an increase of adrenaline, that changes the emotional and physiological makeup of our bodies. Feeling threatened or under stress brings it out.


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

[User]
ELI5: The War in Iraq.

After reading all of the recent American Sniper reviews, I realized that I am really out of touch with what is going on in the middle east.

[Assistant]
9/11 happened. The people who did it were based in Afghanistan. So we went in there and started hunting them down.

The administration of the USA, realizing that war was in vogue, said that Iraq has WMDs, and would make future terrorism against the USA possible so they had to take  Iraq down a peg early.

USA invades Iraq to get rid of the WMDs.

It turns out Iraq had no WMDs *that posed a risk to the USA*.

USA administration is embarassed at being caught in a bold-faced lie, or being tricked by bad intel.

USA administration from that time and their political allies decide to reframe the war as a freedom fighting mission for Iraq.

USA finds Saddaam Hussein, turns him over to the people who he dictated over for years, and the people hang him.

USA puts in a government that they like and can be chummy with.

Government says that democratic elections will be held.

Elections put people into power that USA does not like.

USA decides they need to stick around a bit longer and make sure everything moves smoothly to the new people in charge of Iraq.

Throughout all of this, young men and women from around Iraq are fighting to get the American soldiers out of their homeland and to maintain their older way of life. Those people are labelled insurgents (because soldiers cannot be tortured).

USA starts to realize that Iraq war had nothing to do with terrorism or nuclear weapons really and was started on bad intel or lies from administration.

People who backed the war need something to make it look like the war was justified.

"American Sniper" is made as a film to justify said war.

Tl;Dr: George W. Bush started a war based on a lie or bad intel. Dick Cheney's company made tons of money.

Edit: made nukes into WMD and the bit in *stars*


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

[User]
ELI5:How does video game anticheat like Vac detect external cheat software on their games?

If I do recall correctly, it is possible for someone to make a cheat that reads memory and makes an overlay on the game without changing any of it in the actual game. So how on earth would anti cheat be able to pick that up?

[Assistant] While they can check for things like modified game files or memory hacking, anti-cheat software often doesn't limit itself to monitoring the game. As a simple method many programs check what processes you are currently running against a list of known cheat software, for example. Depending on the game there may be things that can be checked by the server, such as items with unusual values or a player dealing abnormal amounts of damage.


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

[User]
ELI5: How come when I'm watching a war documentary or war footage you never see soldiers being killed in battle usually you see footage of them already dead, does this sort of footage exist?

Not that I want to see soldiers dying I just have always wondered if they actually have footage of the landings of Normandy as the first soldiers rushed onto the beach and were gunned down.

[Assistant]
They do, but they don't show it for numbers of reasons.

First, cameramen prefer not to get shot themselves. The battleground is a LOT safer once the battle has moved on. So there's a tremendously greater amount of footage that's captured after that happens.

Second, the composure of the shot is a lot tougher when there's actual bullets flying around. You might film a lot of the battle, but a lot of that film is going to be of clods of dirt, sky, or blurry running around.

And finally, battleground wreckage with dead soldiers is one thing, but a snuff film of real living men caught in the act of actually dying is another. That moves it from news coverage / documentary to much less tasteful shock / sensation journalism (or even worse).


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

[User] ELI5: Why do school buses open thier doors at train tracks?

[Assistant]
Not all crossing are controlled by signals and gates, so without stopping to check a train could run into the bus. Also controlled crossing are not immune to failure, it's safer to stop, look and listen for a train than risk the lives of 40+ people.

More to speaking of opening the door, it's easier for the driver to hear a train approaching the crossing. Trains must honk or ring their bell or both at level crossings. If there was an obstruction that prevents the driver from seeing the train, opening the door aids in hearing the train.


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

[User]
On average, what percentage of the Earth is on fire?

The recent wildfires got me thinking. Wildfires are BIG. I wouldn't guess this number to be too big, but if even 1% of my home were on fire, that'd be a huge deal.

[Assistant]
Well, the earth is 197M square miles, 140 of then being ocean. That leaves 57M square miles. That's 37.5B acres.

The largest wildfire in history burned 3M acres. So...you would need 125 of those burning at the same time to hit 1%.

How's that?


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

[User] [Halo] How much shore leave do Spartans get? Master Chief?

[Assistant]
How much shore leave do battle rifles and warthogs get?

The sad reality is that Chief isn't a soldier as much as he's a weapon. And has been witnessed on several occasions, when he's not needed, he's stowed.


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

[User]
CMV: Job shortages that we may be currently experiencing is not because of stimulus.

You hear it all the time. Everyone got paid to do nothing, and now no one wants to work.

This is not true. People didnt want to work long before stimulus. I worked at a grocery store when everything happened, and I was only there because I was a manager. The pay was the best Id ever had. Unless they were from a different time, every single person who wasnt a manager was either a dependent or had literally no other choice of jobs.

I was one of the few people in that store, because of my pay scale, that was actually making a relatively solid living. It was people at my level and above that made an okay living.

Unless you came from a time where workers rights were just mildly better, you stuck it out to gain seniority, wage increases, and a retirement plan that has since been changed for the worse, beginner level jobs are absolutely awful.

The only people who didnt fit this mold were actually working against themselves. I met people who were full-time employees who had been there for 5-10 years having never applied for health insurance, retirement, etc even though they were eligible given their time spent at the company.

I now work at a restaurant. We do an okay job getting servers because they actually make similar money, albeit from tips, that someone making 20 and hour could make, but every other position is not attractive. I dont blame anyone for not wanting to come into the kitchen and get minimum wage to work their ass off at a restaurant thats super busy.

People are taking stimulus/unemployment to try and find something better for themselves. These beginner jobs need to pay people enough to live if they want someone to work for them.

[Assistant] Poverty wage for 2020 was $12.60. Anything less is a sub-poverty wage. The lowest earners should get at least $12.60, so earning above minimum wage, a person would be close to a middle class earner. Imagine the booming to housing, car sales, etc.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why clothes (like socks, gloves) are harder to take off when it is wet?

Edit: Thank you all for the explanation!

[Assistant] Well Its because of the surface tension of water... Water acts like a weak adhesive by creating suction. It is a similar effect that causes two sheets of glass separated by a thin film of water to stick to each other with great force.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does stuffy nose go away briefly after standing up?

[Assistant]
One of the things that makes up a stuffy nose is the mucus membranes being inflamed.  They are literally puffed up with blood.

When you stand up suddenly, your blood pressure in your head drops for a bit.  That's the reason why some people get a bit light-headed when they jump up.  And that drop in blood pressure briefly helps the membranes in your nose go back towards normal.


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

[User]
ELI5: How does diplomatic immunity work?

Are there limits to it? Are there other procedures for punishing diplomats who break laws?

[Assistant]
Diplomatic immunity means diplomats (and certain staff, family members) are immune from the laws of the host country.

So, can they be punished for breaking laws?

Yes.  By being expelled.  This is where the host country basically revokes their diplomatic status and tells them to take a hike.

In some cases their home country may revoke their immunity and allow the host country to prosecute them.


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

[User]
Why is the ISS built out of tube chambers instead of spherical chambers?

Wouldn't spheres allow us to build larger modules without increasing the weight?

[Assistant]
I believe it is limited by the size and shape of the payload container on the lift craft.

The shuttle's cargo bay is only so wide and long. A spherical module is more efficient in space, but less efficient to lift there.


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

[User]
[MCU] If The Avengers hadn't beaten Loki during the Battle of New York, how would he have held onto power?

Let's assume for a moment that the Avengers didn't win in the first movie. They get overwhelmed and die, or admit defeat. Whatever.

Since the portal that allows the Chitauri and the Leviathans to raze the Earth was powered by The Tesseract/Space Stone, how would Loki and his army have maintained power once Thanos comes by to take the Space Stone for himself?

[Assistant]
Well, does the nuke that that World Security Council launched land or not? Because that's an important event - he may or may not survive the nuke.

With enough chitauri, Loki could gain a foothold in the city - but they're not overly durable, so unless they get a constant supply of soldiers, eventually the citizens with guns, police officers, and soldiers are going to be able to turn the tide.


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

[User]
[Contact] How much do Terran scientists and engineers know about the machine they're building?

They're apparently building it from scratch, and the machine seems to create effects that are not replicable with current technology. It's been suggested that the supposed failure of the machine was publicly engineered to free money and time for a more clandestine investigation, but why would you have to reverse-engineer something *you built from scratch*? How much did they (have to) learn to build it, and what was in the plans that were sent to Earth?

[Assistant]
The book goes into more detail. The transmission contains instructions on how to learn an engineering language (starting with basic math and physics) then uses that engineering language to describe the machine.

The entire thing is so detailed it's almost insulting -- the aliens describe each single step in multiple ways. They show you several methods for achieving the same thing. Every stage of the plan is explained numerous times. *Los extranjeros describen cada solo paso de mltiples maneras. Pinapakita sa iyo ang iba't ibang paraan para makamit ang parehong resulta.*

The only assumption the aliens make is that we're capable of sending and receiving television transmissions. They take great pains to bridge the technology gap. So great, in fact, that we could've built the machine in 1936.


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

[User] ELI5:Why do we enjoy spicy food, when it's supposed to be a deterrant?

[Assistant]
Spicy food creates the sensation of pain.
Pain causes the brain to release endorphins as a natural painkillers
Morphine and other opiates bind with the same parts as our brain that endorphins do, so opiates are like huge doses of fake endorphins.

So natural endorphins cause minor amounts of the same things, namely, dulling pain and euphoria. Endorphins are what causes "runner's high" too.

So basically, endorphins are like natural opium that your brain gives its self when it feels pain to cheer it's self up, so when people eat spicy food, they feel good. The response varies from person to person, which is why some people hate spicy food, and some people are spice crazy.


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

[User]
cmv: Censorship only emboldens extremists, it doesnt silence them .

 When you have hateful people like Nick Fuentes or whoever spouting white supremacy, anti-Semitism, the best way to counter the spread of hate is to have public figures denounce/ debate/ prove the theory wrong, but don't just silence them. When you do that, it gives them more power. They can look to their young, naive audience and say " The media is afraid of hearing the truth so they're trying to silence us". when you have that happening, its very hard, if not impossible, to bring their followers back to the side of rational thinking when you have to explain why your side is in the right for censoring them. Nick Fuentes started a channel on youtube, an openly liberal company. There is no way he knew he would not get banned eventually. He was counting on it, i would say. Now he can look to his folowers and say "see, i was right, they're so afraid of us telling the truth they had to censor us".

[Assistant] The argument that censorship doesn't work has to stop. It is powerful and it does work. There's a reason so many people haven't heard of Nick Fuentes before the Kanye drama and it's because he wasn't allowed on the major platforms.


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

[User]
I just noticed that alligators have eyes that look out to left and right sides rather than towards the front like most other predators.

Is it that alligators are so high in the food chain that stereoscopic vision for hunting is of no value to them and they can rely on wide angle of vision for spotting potential prey and just exploit that?
I hope that all makes sense.

(Apologies for not prefixing my post with ELI5)

[Assistant] Also, bear in mind alligators spend a lot of their time basking, not moving. A lot of their prey comes from animals not paying attention and wandering too close. If their eyes are on the side of their head, they can see prey approaching from a much larger angle.


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

[User] [general] What would happen to people with braces in a post apocalyptic setting?

[Assistant]
The various metal parts of braces can all be removed with pliers, though even when performed by orthodontist or orthodontist's assistant it isn't a particularly pleasant experience.

The worst part would be the cement that holds the bands on to the teeth which needs to be laboriously scraped off or it will stay for years and years.

However, braces can stay on for years without causing any problems, as long as extra care is taken with brushing and flossing.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why can people admit to crimes on documentaries and not get convicted?

I watched a documentary called "How to get rich selling drugs". Everyone from dealers, Kingpins to Cartel Lords came on admitting to selling and distributing drugs. Shouldn't they be worried this info will be used against them?

[Assistant] They ~~couldn't~~ [Edit: probably wouldn't] be prosecuted on their statements alone. They would just plead the fifth and say they were lying before. To be prosecuted there would have to be physical proof of their illegal activity.


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

[User] ELI5: If salt is deadly to snails, how are there sea snails? Also, why is salt deadly to snails?

[Assistant]
In nature, things will always move from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.

When this happens through a permeable membrane (skin which is not water-tight), we call this Osmosis.

If the % of salt in a sea-snail's body is equal to the saltiness of the water it lives in, he will not lose moisture, but if we took him out of the sea and put him in a bucket of water which has extra salt dissolved in it, the sea snail would suffer the same fate as a land-snail covered in salt.


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

[User]
[Marvel] Is Captain America a naturally a brilliant tactician or as a result of the super soldier serum?

The super solider serum made Steve Rogers a beyond peak human being. He's known as much for his physical abilities as he is for his tactical and strategic prowess.  If the serum had been reproduced would there have been an army with minds as bright as Steve Rogers or is unique in that regard?

[Assistant] Steve Rogers was a good man with a good patriotic heart. Before receiving his dose of the Super Soldier Semen he was no less - but no more than this either. Following the treatment - which was described as making him "more" of what he was already he would have had greater mental faculties to match his physical prowess.


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

[User]
CMV: Deadly force should have been used to defend the Capitol building.

This is a view I weakly hold and have some doubts about, but which was pretty front of mind for me yesterday.

My reasons for holding this view are:

1. The defense of the seat of government is a military exigency.  Even though the Capitol Police aren't the Army, when you're at the last line of defense of the government, it should be treated as a military force situation, not merely a civilian policing situation.

2. While thankfully no members of the House or Senate, or the current VP or VP elect were harmed, there was a grave risk of the kidnapping, killing, or hostage taking of senior government officials, which is something worth preventing by deadly force.

3.  The Capitol Police were unable to secure the building by less than lethal means.  Non-deadly force was not doing the job. They lost control of the situation and were trying to defend an enormous complex after their initial lines were overrun by the mob.  Their failure to command the complex was complete, and resulted in the innermost and most important places in the complex being breached, with now iconic photos of rioters taking over the floor of the Senate chamber, as well as the Speaker's office.

My hesitations are:

1. The Capitol Police might not have won a shootout with the mob.

2.  Shooting into crowds can provoke both immediate charge/violence consequences, as well as long term political consequences.

3. A gunfight might have further endangered the political leaders who I was focused on protecting.

On the whole I still at the moment think the reasons I hold this outweigh, especially in respect to the military exigency of not letting the capitol fall, but I want to hear some more voices on it.

[Assistant]
We're still waiting to get a full picture of what happened.

But from what I've seen, it looks very much like there are MANY non-lethal steps that could have been taken but weren't. They were unable to secure the capitol using non lethal means, but they were clearly not using all tools possible short of lethal force.

I've yet to see a valid argument for literally opening the gates.

Law enforcement has been very successful subduing much larger crowds on many occasions using non lethal force.


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

[User] [DC/Marvel] What makes humans/Earth so special in terms of superhero activity? For example, Earth has tons of Green Lantern members when they should have just one, not to mention all the other heroes dotted about.

[Assistant]
For the DC Universe, Earth is where the Multiverse was reborn, and thus is a nexus of cosmic energies. It is also where the Life Entity was sleeping, likewise drawing cosmic energies to that planet. Likewise, it is believed that is connected with the prophecy that Earth shall be the birthplace of the next race of transcendent immortal beings.

For Marvel... it's all about how the Celestials used Earth as a grand genetic experiment.


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

[User]
[Final Fantasy 7 Remake] What was Avalanche's plan?

When they disabled the first reactor, they don't mean to destroy it, Shinra did it.

So, they disable the reactor, what's stopping Shinra from repair the damage in a couple of days?

[Assistant] Nothing, but that's time and money that Shinra has to waste on that, rather than continuing to murder the planet. It also shows to others that Shinra isn't invincible, and would theoretically help boost recruitment.


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

[User] Why are you not supposed to use cellphones at gas pumps?

[Assistant]
Mostly because people are paranoid. These is a non-zero chance your phone gives off a spark that ignites the gas fumes and blows up the whole station.

There is also a non-zero chance that the Sun will electron tunnel 100% of it's mass right on top of Earth so take these non-zero chance things with a grain of salt.


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

[User]
ELI5:If a Rail Gun does not use propellant, why is there exhaust fire in the videos?

Rail guns give a projectile kinetic energy through electromagnetic propulsion, much like a monorail.  So why the big boomy looking stuff in the vids?

[Assistant]
That's not fire, that's plasma.

A railgun, consists of two conductive rails, and a large bank of capacitors. The projectile is electrically conductive and sits between the two rails. When the railgun is fired, the capacitors are connected to the rails, and a very high current (around 1000000A) flows through the rails, creating a strong magnetic field which propels the projectile down the track.

This current is so high that it vaporizes parts of the conducting armature that carries the projectile - which creates the cloud of plasma that you see in the images.

Also, there's a number of anwers that say it sets the air on fire. Fire is a reaction between oxygen and *some other fuel* ; oxygen alone does not burn.


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

[User]
[The Twilight Zone] What is Rod Serling, and what are his intentions?

Serling seems to be some sort of demigod as he's been spotted at various points in history, particularly the 20th century. Each of the times he's appeared some sort of supernatural and/or bizarre event occurs at the very location. Is he causing them? I also heard he was erased from existence by some playwright, but reappeared again after a short time.

[Assistant] He is known by many different names/titles... to some he is *The Narrator* and to others he is a god or demigod.. he belongs to a race of omnipotent beings that have the ability to view and alter events throughout time if he so chooses. In most of the *supernatural* events that he is present at he is an observer whose presence is to ensure the outcomes happen as they should. His primary purpose is to observe these events and tell the stories to ensure the lessons learned are not forgotten by time.


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

[User] [Zombieland] Isn't "Double Tap," ie. shooting the zombie twice to make sure its dead, just a waste of bullets in a world where bullets are in a dwindling supply and no longer being manufactured? I can understand shooting twice to be sure, but every frickin' time?

[Assistant] Sure it's a waste of bullets but that's a problem for future you who can rest assured that they'll still be alive as you've made sure a zombie isn't going to eat you because you didn't manage to hit them properly first time.


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

[User]
[WK40k/Doctor Who] The Doctor arrives in the 41st Century and decides to get everyone to stop fighting. How would he go about it?

The 41st century is pretty grimdark, but Doctor Who is a space magician who travels in space and time. Assuming bringing some sort of peace to the galaxy is possible, only Doctor Who has a good chance. It would probably take him up to 90 minutes though, 45 mins for an entire galaxy of Tryannids, Orks and Necrons is pushing it.

"He can't" isn't an acceptable answer in this question, as Doctor Who is really good at stuff like this. So how could he fix things up with as little loss of life as possible?

[Assistant]
* Sonic Screwdriver the Golden Throne into functioning (a good episode would show him delving into its labyrinthine guts to find something that needs fixing, dodging seraphim and servitors on the way). The Emperor awakens, and psychically speaks to the trillions of subjects who -against his explicit wishes all those centuries ago- now revere him as a god. He brings down his own church, instead asking for Mankind to stop fighting itself, stop being so insane and cruel, and to actually progress one iota for the first time in millennia. He outlines the scientific method to the tech-priests, teaching them to explore ideas with rational minds rather than by rote adherence to "rituals" so old their true purpose has been forgotten. This done, he either unifies mankind and causes a technological revolution, or demands that he be allowed to die, depending on whether the Star Child theory is correct, complete with an emotional scene where he asks The Doctor for his help in dying.

* The Doctor gets the attention of the Orks by flying the TARDIS straight through every ship in a a Waaaagh, making him Da Biggest Boss (while The Doctor traditionally hates to kill, he \*has\* blown up entire fleets of Cybermen just to make a point). He points out to his rapt audience of survivors that they're the killiest species in da oonivers, and that fighting the others is frankly beneath them. He tells them of a star system filled with their greenskinned brethren for thousands of years, Orks who have lived on Hellish worlds that have made them tough, and strong, and cunning, and smart, and who sent him to tell them: come and have a go if you think you're hard enough. By sheer coincidence, the route to this system means travelling directly through the areas of most concentrated Ork population, ensuring the maximum possible number will be involved in this new Waaaagh. Once arrived, the Orks will enjoy millennia of fighting amongst themselves, well out of the way of the other species of the galaxy.

* The Doctor walks directly into the path of a Hive Tyrant, which immediately recognises him as Something Else by his psychic signature. He requests and is granted an audience with the Hive Mind itself. If the Tyranids are running from some bigger bad, as has been postulated, The Doctor gives them the means to defend themselves, on the proviso that they never use it against the inhabitants of this galaxy (and he'll be watching!). If they really are just ravening beasts, he performs some Deus Ex Machina that turns the connection into a 2-way psychic transfer, allowing him to manipulate the very essence of the Hive Mind and mellow it out, allowing for a possibility of a Tyranid species that can exist in balance with its surroundings, rather than just consuming everything.

* Rewrites the base programming at the core of a Tomb World, propagates this update to all others. The new Necrons gain a new perspective on their aeons of bitter warmongering, and dedicate their long, long lives to bringing their brethren out of stasis and living alongside all the other species of the galaxy in relative peace, despite their misgivings about being surrounded by the now technologically advanced animals that were created by the Old Ones specifically to destroy them. Eventually, Necron mercenaries become a common sight among the stars.

* The Eldar are hot blooded jerks with too strong a psychic link to do anything with- last time they got powerful they spawned a Chaos god. They're also too proud to consider genetic manipulation that would temper this aspect of themselves or make them more level-headed. Making them accept they they need to change would be extremely OOC, but if anyone can do it, it's The Doctor. Alternatively, The Doctor could simply force the genetic manipulation on them, either covertly or with brazen gloating, as the Eldar have been known to utilise artificial wombs and multi-stage biological impregnation that could easily be tampered with- one dose of Doctor brand gene therapy on an unsuspecting father could introduce a dominant allele that would do whatever needs to be done. A few (dozen) generations later, and the Eldar are a different species altogether. Inhumane, borderline evil, but the only choices are to change or be eliminated in a galaxy of peace, so it's the lesser of the two evils.

* The rejuvenated Emperor shuts the Eye Of Terror, limiting the influence of the Chaos gods severely. The galaxy will never be free of them, not while sentient beings exist, but they can be curtailed, at least. If The Emperor dies and kicks their collective asses as suspected, this one is moot.

* The Doctor uses DNA and chemical analysis to prove that the Tau are being manipulated by the Aun caste, and leads them in a revolution. After centuries of development, the formerly warlike and aggressive Tau castes have enough perspective to see the benefit of collaboration, in the same way humans no longer attack one another on sight like cavemen or earlier hominids. Without their drive for galactic dominance, the Tau's expansion stalls, and while they -along with every other species- still have plans to dominate the galaxy, it's on the backburner for now. A massive, unimaginable cultural paradigm shift just happened, maybe it's time the Tau invented comedy, or music, or something else not strictly related to war or the support thereof.

Any more for any more?


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

[User]
[The Walking Dead] What was the most common way people died during the first 3 months of the zombie apocalypse?

Being bitten and bleeding out? Being torn apart? Being shot my marauders? Sickness? Injury?

[Assistant] Starvation and / or dehydration. Most people, especially in densely populated urban areas, have less than a week worth of food stashed, and no water (since they expect faucets to work). Grocery stores are resupplied daily, but the instant that stops the clock starts. People need to find food, while dodging zombies. If you just hole up and wait, you eventually run out of food. Preppers are very rare.


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

[User]
[Disney's Hercules] Why do the Olympians have such bad reputations today when they were actually pretty nice?

Zeus seems like a kind old guy, not the wrathful rapist of mythology.

Hera genuinely loves Hercules, and she isn't the vengeful, murderous goddess of lore (not that she needs to be vengeful, since Zeus doesn't cheat on her).

With the exception of Hades, all of the gods and goddesses seem to be much nicer than they are in mythology.

Even Hercules himself is a more heroic figure.

Where did they all get their present-day bad reputations from? It couldn't have been Hades (the most likely suspect), he got dragged down the drain.

[Assistant] Definitely an alternate universe. Hercules's twelve labors will never happen in this setting, at least not in the form we know. Hera doesn't have any reason to make Hercules kill his own wife and kids. The kids would be demigods and much harder to kill, plus Herc is now 100% god and could easily rescue Meg from the underworld again.


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

[User] ELI5: How does the sun not burn up all of its hydrogen and subsequent fused elements almost instantaneously? The sun is literally on fire 100% of the time, fusing hydrogen to helium, helium to carbon,etc.. How does it not burn up all at once?

[Assistant]
There is no scale we have that can sufficiently explain just how big the sun is. It fuses 400 million metric tons of hydrogen per second. However, there is *so much* sun that even 400 million metric tons per second means that it only runs out after ~9 billion years of constant burning. Only then does it move on to higher order fusions, which then gives it another billion years.

As for "why" it doesn't all fuse at once, the same reason why we're not fusing right now. Fusion requires insanely high temperature and pressure, something the outer layers of the sun do not reach, so only the core is ever actually fusing.


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

[User]
[Mass Effect + The Hulk] The Hulk ends up in Tuchanka in a pre-genophage era unleashing... well, its Hulkness. Fast-evolving-and-reproducing krogan see him as a worthy challenge and try to take him on for months/decades. Centuries later the Salarians discover the krogan. How are they different?

You have the scenario... GO!

My personal take is of some kind of bigger even more resilient krogan who have abandoned gunpowder and nuclear weapons and returned to more physical ways and brutish aggression.

(If not the best subreddit for this, let me know which one would be. If it is, let's have fun).

EDIT.- In this scenario the Hulk has no means of leaving Tuchanka. Some of the krogan he fights are effectively killed, but there are also some that survive and manage to flee. The specifics reasons for the fighting is to be determined by each poster. Even if you consider one of the iterations in which Banner has more control over the Hulk and the transformation: 1.-Please consider of Tuchanka's constant danger. 2.-Please, no super scientist Hulk. Leave the scientist side to Banner or come up with awesome stories xD.

[Assistant]
Every year, young Krogans gather near where the hermit has made his refuge for another right of passage in a world where only the strongest survive.

But unlike other rituals, they are not here to hunt or attempt to kill the beast - this is an altogether different rite of passage, for today it is not the strong or even the most cunning who will pass it.

The males are excited, they've heard the stories of the most dangerous creature on Tuchanka - elders claim to have seen it been eaten by thresher maws only to tear it's way out of their guts. Murals depict the day it arrived, and the months where it rampaged across the world, further leveling the ruined cities in it's rage before it finally retreated into the remote mountain rage where it now resides.

No Krogan has been able to best it, let alone kill it, those that try have wound up dead or maimed. Some clans even go so far as to worship it as a god.

The path through the mountains is a challenge in itself. When they arrive at it's lair, he ones closest to the front may see it's natural state and wonder if they have found the right beast. But once it's provoked the small pink animal will metamorphosis into the green, hulking monster... then they will run.

Only the most sure and fleet of foot will make it down the mountain unscathed.


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

[User]
Stuck in the Middle

Lately I find myself stuck in the middle of every issue. I seem to be able to understand the merits of both sides of every argument, but cant seem to decide which side I am on.

In a lot of ways I think its a good thing. I believe most solutions are in the middle of the extremes. But its gotten to the point where Im having issues identifying my personal philosophy and principles. I keep thinking about Socrates I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and thats that I know nothing.

Its good to have that understanding, but I dont want to worship confusion. Is there anything I can read that may help with this problem? Or has anyone else experienced a similar issue?

[Assistant]
I would recommend taking notes on readings if you aren't already. After each session of reading and taking notes, you should go over the concepts and write down your opinion on each of the ones you find interesting, or the ones you feel have fallacies. This is a great way to ensure that your own philosophy stays intact as you are influenced by several other philosophical works.

I haven't experienced this, but here is another tip: Keep some sort of a journal where you reflect on events in your life and try to apply some philosophical analysis to these events. That way, you ensure the 'safety' of your personal philosophy. Hope this helps.


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

[User]
ELI5: why does wood when its burning sometimes 'pop' with little sparks?

I'm not exactly sure why it does that. Is there something in the wood?

[Assistant] It usually occurs because there is a pocket of either water or sap in the wood. This pocket becomes superheated and the pressure builds until it releases explosively (the pop you hear). The sparks are little bits of wood that are burning that get knocked off when the pressure releases.


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

[User]
[DBZ]Why would Goku and Vegeta ever need to use the Potara earrings when they can just fuse whenever they want into Gogeta who is just as strong?

Is there some limit to the fusion? Am I missing something? Ive read that both Gogeta and Vegito are more or less equal and power, so it seems to me they should just fuse whenever they want and maybe let someone else use the Potara earrings.

[Assistant]
There's a difference in power levels between Gogeta and Vegito. The Potara fusion method will generally create a much stronger fused being, so long as the two people are compatible enough. Because of this, Vegito is a much stronger fusion of Goku and Vegeta than Gogeta.

The Potara earrings fusion method also lasts longer than the fusion dance method. When they were first introduced, the Potara fusion method lasts for the rest of their lives, except if there as some kind of outside influence. This is why Goku and Vegeta didn't turn Super Saiyan prior to Potara fusing--at least in the manga continuity, it would have shortened their life.

Potara fusion is also less of a power drain than the fusion dance. Because of that, it gives the fused character more freedom to go all out with their kai attacks, even if those attacks may have been a last resort if they used the fusion dance.

The participants don't need to have the exact same power level to do it. They can just fuse. This means that the power increase is based on the highest power levels of both characters, not of the power level of the weaker character. It also means they're not wasting time waiting for a failed fusion to wear off because they got the dance wrong the first time.

In terms of the actual circumstances of the fusion, consider where they were at the time. Buu had already killed everyone else on Earth. The only survivors had been Dende, Hercule, Tien, Piccolo (who'd since been absorbed by Buu), Gotenks (who'd since been absorbed by Buu), and Gohan (who'd been absorbed almost immediately prior to Goku and Vegeta fusing).

Buu was at his absolute strongest at this point. You wouldn't have the time to wait around for ninety minutes because you fucked up the fusion dance the first time (half an hour for the fusion, an hour before you could fuse again). You also didn't want a method that Buu could disrupt.


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

[User] [Goblet of Fire] So to clarify, part of the Triwizard Tournament involves kidnapping friends or family of contestants, drugging them, and hiding them underwater with dangerous sea creatures. Am I right?

[Assistant] All of the merpeople's "victims" were told what was going on before hand, and consented to it. They were never in any genuine danger. Ron brings all this up when he's berating Harry for his insistence on rescuing Fleur's sister.


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

[User]
[1984] What would happen if a solar flare hit Oceania and knocked out all the electricity?

All of the telescreens would suddenly turn off, what would happen?

[Assistant]
Not much.

Big Brother was in the process of eliminating the very idea of revolution. Like, the word wouldn't even exist therefore it would impossible to think of much less execute. Newspeak was well on its way controlling citizens by denying them the ability of independent thought so they'd probably just sit and wait for the tele screens to be turned back on.

In fact, it has been suggested that the inability to translate the Declaration of Independence into Newspeak is what eventually led to the fall of Big Brother.


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

[User]
How do you manage to learn new tools and tech while working on a full time job?

I have been working as full time backend python developer in a company and mainly work with flask and its architecture. The job I do ranges from complex CRUD to RESTful APIs development.

As I work in a corporate tech company I must abide by the project manager requirements and decisions about the system architecture, tools choice and others.

Due to this there is no place to experiment and try some new stacks or tools. I am a guy who enjoys learning by doing rather then just learning and this has been hindering me much. Yes, I could request my project manager to introduce new tools but always the answer is **client doesn't have the budget**.

**Example 1:**
I learned docker container system through my personal projects but when I proposed the benefits of docker to the team they simply denied it with the same answer.

**Someone could say:** *you learned docker system right? That was your goal no? Why rant?*

**My answer:** *Yes, I learned but using it in the real scenario where the project is complex and huge (not just a personal blogpost) would give more understanding about the tool. It would give more insights and also there is debugging, optimization in the course of development which would greatly help to learn more.*

So just by working on a personal project won't give you all the experience and knowledge needed to excel the tool or stack. I can't scale my **personal tutorial project** to a massive application. I do need that good work-life balance.

So my question is, is this feeling mutual or its just me being overwhelmed. If yes, how do you excel new things?

Suppose You love ELK stack and know one or two things about it. Your company doesn't have the budget or client to implement that. What would you do to be the A Game on the ELK?

[Assistant]
Your company hires you to generate money, not to learn. Your manager is right to say that the client wont pay you just to use something new they never heard of.

If you think docker could speed up development time or reduce bugs or do anything that will have a financial benefit for the company, tell them that, they would be bad managers if they wont listen to those arguments.

So dont expect them to use new tec just because they are new and you want to learn them, show them how they would benefit.


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

[User]
[Starship Troopers] Is citizenship still granted to those who are discharged from Federal Service due to injury or other reasons where the person is not at fault?

Going more from the book, what would happen to those in the military who are medically discharged from injury sustained in battle? They might not have the full two years but they did show willingness to put their life on the line.

[Assistant] I dont think anybody got medically discharged. If they were still in hospital they were still serving. If they got well enough to continue serving appropriate tasks would be found for them.  Remember the recruiters who were putting on a horror show?


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

[User]
[general] why is mars always seen as the center of industry/shipbuilding and not the moon

as seen in 40k, star trek, the expanse

the moon is closer so it would likely be a major section of earth security and fall within coverage or earth defense fleet. lower gravity so easier to get stuff off out of its gravity well.

is it simply dont have all your eggs in one basket sort of thing?

[Assistant]
Close proximity to the mineral resources of the asteroid belt; no extant biosphere or large civilian population to worry about damaging if something goes badly wrong.

It is worth noting, however, that Mars is independent in *The Expanse* so of course it has its own shipbuilding industry. Earth has its own and actually has a larger fleet, if less technologically-advanced, than Mars.


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

[User]
What would kill you first if you were falling into a gas giant?

A friend and I had this question after watching The Empire Strikes back, when Luke is hanging from the bottom of Cloud City.  Assuming you are dropped from rest and the atmosphere is habitable (as in the movie), what would kill you first?  Unlike on Earth, where impact with the ground would be the end, you would fall for a much longer time before hitting anything (if there is even anything to hit).  A couple of ideas we came up with after some considerable discussion were (in no particular order):
* Burning up because the ambient temperature gets too hot
* Crushed by pressure like in the ocean
* Suffocating from extreme winds
* Hitting the theorized solid (liquid?) surface
* Lack of food/water

Some things we considered were that as you fell deeper, density and pressure would increase, which would in turn decrease the terminal velocity.  This would seem to rule out suffocating, but I'm not sure if it would be enough.  Also, in many gas giants, the atmosphere extends for many times the radius of the Earth, so the density could reach a point where you would float, leaving you stranded indefinitely.

Let me know if this requires any further clarification.

[Assistant]
Oxygen toxicity is going to be one of the first things to get you.

Exposure to a 20% oxygen atmosphere at greater than 8x earth pressure (partial pressure of O2 of 1.6 atm) will have a deleterious effects on your nervous system, starting with twitching, then full on convulsions, followed by nerve death.

This would happen well before you were crushed by the pressure...divers routinely exceed these pressures (equivalent to about 70m underwater), but have to use special low O2 gas mixtures to do so.


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

[User] If I heat a metal washer, as the metal expands does the diameter of the "inner circle" increase or decrease?

[Assistant] It will increase. You can imagine it as a sheet of metal with a circle drawn on it. If the metal expands, the circle grows. A hole in the metal would grow too. This effect is actually used occasionally to fit pipes together. One is heated so it expands, slipped over the other, and when it shrinks, it clamps around the other and is fixed really tight without glue, welding or screws.


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

[User]
ELI5: How did the mercenary economy work

for example, during the punic wars, Carthage used a mercenary force as their army. From what I've read, campaigns could last years. How were these soldiers expecting to get paid and then spend their money if their period of service was so long?

[Assistant]
They would be paid regularly. As the campaign progressed, the general could coerce the governments of lands they passed through to pay tribute. Non payment would result in pillaging.

The revenues from either would be used to pay/feed troops. If the pay stops the mercs typically abandoned the army quickly.

Also one side could bribe mercenaries from the other side to not fight, or switch allegiances.


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

[User] ELI5: Why can bones heal but teeth can not?

[Assistant] Your bones are surrounded with blood veins that can transport the nutrients necessary to repair your bones if they break relatively quickly. Your teeth lack this surrounding vein structure, so to repair holes on the surface they would need to transport the necessary nutrients through bone. Since bone is too rigid to do this at any perceptible pace, the acid damage from the bacteria will outpace any repair that does happen.


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

[User]
ELI5:How can Marijuana be legal on a state level while it's illegal on a federal level? Does the federal law mean nothing?

I never understood this. (I am not from the US myself.)

[Assistant]
State and local law enforcement agents have no obligation to enforce federal laws.  They usually do help federal agents out of courtesy and because they more or less agree with the laws the feds are enforcing.  But the federal government has nowhere near enough agents to enforce the law nationally, and they never have.  They have always needed state and local help.

If the state has legalized something that is illegal at the federal level, then the state and local law enforcement agents are going to respect the state and local laws.  They will no longer assist federal agents going after anybody that is behaving legally under state law.

Federal agents *can* still arrest people for possession and distribution of marijuana in those states.  The Obama administration has allowed the DEA to raid medical marijuana dispensaries before.  But now that two states have gone beyond medical marijuana, it's a public relations nightmare for the feds.  Trying to make an example of out an entire state would almost certainly backfire and turn public opinion against the feds.


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

[User]
ELI5 why 3G is basically useless now?

I've noticed among myself and my friends that the 3G technology doesn't work as well as it used to, or not at all. When I say not at all, i mean if our phones drop from 4G to 3G there will be little to no service available. Phone isn't connected to the interwebs.

[Assistant] More physical assets and infrastructures are being adjusted to 4g and 5g now,  which leaves very limited resources left to handle 3g signals and data.  This slows any 3g applications down immensely to the point of non- function.


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

[User] ELI5: Will there ever be wireless electricity?

[Assistant] We already have it. It's called inductive charging. Many modern cell phones can be charged by simply placing them on top of special charging pads with no wires required. They're even working on this same basic technology for charging electric cars so that you embed the charging pad in your garage or parking spot and then just drive over it to set it to charging.


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

[User] ELI5: How do we know we haven't found a groundbreaking cure for a disease yet, and that it simply doesn't work on mice?

[Assistant] We don't, also mouse models are pretty bad for finding treatment depending on who is making the claim the failure rate for drugs that work in mice dont work in humans 70-95% of the time. Given this it seems likely a substance tested on  mice that failed would work in humans, the problem is human testing is far more difficult than mouse testing not only due to ethics but also you cant engineer a human to have diseases you want to test.


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

[User]
ELI5: what is the difference between police, sheriff and State Troopers?

Im fairly new to living in the US and I see all three on the roads here. In the U.K. we only had police.

[Assistant]
Police are town or city based, so they only have authority in their town/city.  Obviously since police are expensive not every little town has its own police, which takes us to the next thing.

Sheriffs. Sheriffs are at the county level. They are essentially the police force for the whole county and work across the county and all the towns in it. But they typically wont spend much time in the cities or towns that have their own police forces because those places already have their own police, so you will more often see Sheriffs in more rural areas. But that does not mean they cant come in the town/city.

Another thing about the sheriffs, the head of the sheriffs department is an elected official. You vote for sheriff.

Then, the next step above that is State Troopers.

These are what you would think, state police, they have authority to work across the entire state.

Because of this, they will work most often on the interstates/large or busy highways between the cities, sometimes in the small rural towns, and will work on cases and coordinate with local police for things that span multiple towns/cities/counties.


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

[User] ELI5: How are lethal doses for humans determined?

[Assistant]
Lethal dosage is calculated in terms of the LD50. This is the dose that statistically should kill half of the test subjects it's administered to based on body weight.

Since we obviously can't test lethality of something on humans, we use laboratory animals like mice whose biology is well known and can be compared to ours.

Say you take a population of ten mice whose body weight is each 1kg. You find out after repeated trials that it takes a dose of 100mg to kill an average of five mice each time. This means the LD50 of the poison is 100mg/kg.

Scaling that up, we can say it would statistically take a 10,000mg dose to kill half of a population of 100kg humans. That would be about ten grams of poison, which isn't terribly toxic. One of the most potent toxins on earth- botulinum- has an LD50 in the nanogram (1 billionth of a gram) range.


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

[User] How and why does the human body develop a tolerance for drugs and/or alcohol? Do other species do this?

[Assistant] The reason is different for every type of drug.  For alcohol, the body starts producing more of the enzyme that breaks alcohol down so as to remove the poison more quickly; for opiates, the brain starts to reduce it's own production of related neurotransmitters to adjust for the over-activity from the drugs; and so forth.  Each drug will have a slightly different mechanism, but they're generally all a form of bio-feedback where the body tries to compensate for the effects of the drug by up- or down-regulating some metabolic or neurological process.


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

[User]
ELI5: What's the deal with Idaho's northern border / Montana's western border?

So in my head, borders are usually divided because of Geographical terrain, otherwise they'd all be square, or at least straight.

States to the east have rivers or mountains that act as natural boundaries between geographical areas. I understand why a state like New Jeresey is drawn the way it is.

But why is Idaho/Montana so strange? It seems like a totally arbitrary scribble on the map. Is there some historical reason? Were Montanaians really into those forests? Maybe Idaho gets all it's Potatoes from the north? It doesn't make any sense to me. Any locals around to explain?

[Assistant]
According to the awesome book "How the States Got Their Shapes"
> The separation between Idaho and Montana begins where the Continental Divide intersects the 111th meridian. It then follows the Continental Divide to the point where it intersects the Bitterroot Mountains. Here the crests of the Bitterroot Mountains becomes the boundary up to the Clark Fork River, where a straight line due north completes the border.


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

[User] [MCU] Who knows about the Eternals?

[Assistant]
Thor and the other Asgardians probably do, but for the most part don't care since they are off doing their own thing.

I suspect that the sorcerers know of them as legends but none know about them personally.


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

[User] ELI5: What determines where a person will store the excess fat? Why it differs from person to person?

[Assistant] Hormones play a huge role in this. Men tend to store fat around the stomach (android obesity), women in the hips (gynoid obesity). In fact, once a woman hits menopause, and she stops producing as much estrogen, the fat can actually start being stored more around the stomach like the male pattern.


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

[User]
How does a streaming service work? What does it need?

You start studying CS and everyone you know will leave the tech questions for you. Someone asked me about Netflix, as in how does it work, how much it costs to build a platform and maintain it. And I realise I have no idea at all.

If I were to build a streaming service, Netflix alike, what would I need? What are the main points to focus? Is creating and launching a smart tv app harder than a mobile app or web? How would you start?

[Assistant]
The frontend apps are the easy part. Those almost don't matter, as all they do is authenticate against the backend and then request it to start sending over the video stream.

And from very basic technical view, the backend part is easy too. You have a bunch of video files on file servers and let the paying, authenticated customers download them, more or less.

The hard part is the scaling. Dealing with a lot of requests without running into bottle necks, like saturating your network and all that. Suddenly you're building datacenters in all major regions your customers are from to shorten the path between them and the videos. Then you add content delivery networks that cache the requested videos even closer to the customers to reduce the load on your central datacenter even further. Then you invent better video codecs that shrink down file sizes without sacrificing too much quality, so you have less data to store and transfer.

And so on and so forth.

Streaming is easy. Streaming worldwide to millions of people is hard.


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

[User]
[Terminator]How far could skynet's time machine go? Could it sent someone to any location and anytime?

Could Time machine sent someone to Andromeda Galaxy at 1 billion years ago?

[Assistant]
Skynet, in a desperate bid to get Terminators dispatched before a paradox reset the timeline accidentally overshot some coordinates.  A T-800 ended up being crushed when a dinosaur stepped on it.

Likely Skynet does not go too far back in time as it becomes exponentially more difficult to predict what changes in the timeline that would occur.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why is it so hard to remember simple things, like what you had for dinner last night?

You know when you don't know what you had for dinner last night. When dinner was literally 12 hours ago. Why is it so hard to remember what you had for dinner?

[Assistant]
I can remember what i had for dinner last night.

But, to answer your question, our brains are trained to remember important information, and it tends to get blurry when it comes to handling repetitive information. Had some Spaghetti and Meatballs last night for dinner? Well how many times in your life have you had that? Did anything eventful happen at dinner last night? No? Well, then to your brain, it just files that under "similar dinners as other nights" drawer, and doesnt place much importance on remembering it.

This is mostly because your brain requires a constant spam filter, or else it would become overrun with the HUGE amounts of information it is required to take in all the time, so to help with that, it tends to get forgetful when dealing with repetitive and unimportant information.


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

[User]
[Man of Steel] How would have things changed for Clark if he had saved his dad?

Would the witnesses reported him?
If so, would the reports be believed by the government?
If so, what would Clarks life be like after? Would he be better prepared for Zod if the government had known about him earlier? Would he be autopsied by the government or could they come to an understanding?

[Assistant]
Clark can't fly yet.  He doesn't have super speed.  Nothing in the movie indicates he can move people like playthings without hurting them.  Their cars are trashed and the highway is backed up for miles and there's no safe or fast way to evacuate Jonathan, Martha, and Hank (the dog).  They're stuck with the witnesses for the foreseeable future.  Certainly long enough to put together a convincing and reliable profile.

Unlike the kids on the bus who grew up with Clark and were saved directly by him, these witnesses owe Clark and his family nothing.  The world contains bigots and the fearful.  Clark gets reported- if not directly hounded- immediately.  By 1997 there was cellular technology.

This triggers an alert with Amanda Waller's pilot ARGUS agency so by the time the Kents get back home, the farmstead is already swarming in Men In Black.  They try to make a run for it, but Waller's task force are able to take the Kents hostage and compel Clark's obedience.  This hypothetical version of Clark didn't have the fortitude to obey Jonathan for the sake of the world, so he doesn't fight or run even when the Kents tell him to when their safety is at stake.

The catch of a Kryptonian, a Star Ship, and Command Key skyrocket Waller's importance, funding, and power accelerating the curve on metahuman study, capture, and exploitation.  A version of the Suicide Squad is assembled faster, with more advanced technology, and with Clark as an unstoppable closer.  Clark, meanwhile, is turning darker, embittered, and lost.  He can't answer any of their questions, he's routinely subjected to experimentation, and he's routinely reminded that Waller has her finger on the button to the bombs inside Jonathan and Martha's heads.  At some point, Clark is pushed to discover he can fly and suddenly he's not just a strongman but a god-like personal weapon of mass destruction who can act without a trace.  He's still not ready or able to kill for Waller, but he's coming closer and disappearing people for her making her assent to power easy.

Waller's more advanced power-curve means she's hunting the same prey as the Batman and they butt heads.  So Waller takes on the Batman.  It's a brief and hard fought war, but she calls in her ace and Clark ends Batman's career over his knee.  Waller imprisons Bruce and takes over his holdings with Clayface or a similarly powered metahuman.  Batman's research leads to additional metahumans and Waller has a stranglehold monopoly over metahumans on Earth... she crushes magic and removes the Amazons and Atlanteans as factors (not to say they're wiped out, but held in check) with her many pawns.

16 years later, the Scout Ship begins to give off a signal and it is discovered.  Clark is not told about it.  They plan to extract everything they can from it, but in the process, set off the beacon which summons Zod.

Zod sits on the darkside of the moon observing and researching the planet which is the only suitable candidate for terraforming they've encountered in 33 years.  In this timeline, Clark never went on the ship, never met Lois, and Lois never published her story about the Scout Ship.  While the tornado incident was reported, Waller's agency suppressed all records of that story shortly after, so Zod has no indication that Kal-El is on Earth.  He doesn't believe the Codex is on Earth, he has no reason to offer it an ultimatum, so after evaluating Earth's fighting capability to be harmless, he descends to terraform the Earth without warning.

With no advanced warning or plan, the World Engine gets much farther before Waller can even respond.  Metropolis is well and truly a crater by the time she sends her heavy hitters against the invaders' command ship.  None of them on are the scale of a Superman and get wrecked by the gravity weapon's effects.

Remember, they don't have Jor-El to give them a plan or explain what's happening.  Moreover they wouldn't have cracked his AI before Zod arrived.  They're essentially as ignorant as anyone else, except they recognize the technology as resembling Clark's.  Note further, they need the Jor-El AI's cooperation in activating the Phantom Drive on Clark's vessel to use it as a weapon (unless, in the real timeline, you think Clark never tried putting the key in after 33 years; doubtful).  So they wouldn't have that tactic available.

Waller's reluctant to show off Clark to the world, but there's no choice.  Gotham has been swallowed up by now, she orders Clark to take out the ship.

He rips through it, tears it apart, and shuts down the Black Zero.  HOWEVER, the World Engine pre-dates the Phantom Drive technology by 20,000 years and operates INDEPENDENTLY of the Black Zero (the Phantom Drive just makes it faster / more powerful).  The Earth is still getting terraformed, albeit more slowly.  However, out of the wreckage of the Black Zero comes Zod and his crew, powered under a yellow sun.

They're barely a match for Clark, who has been using his powers brutally for years now, but their numbers are enough to push him to kill for the first time, simply to survive them.  In the process, it dawns on Zod that this is Kal-El, that the Codex is on this planet, and this is the last son of Krypton, the son of his mentor, the son he was responsible for after killing Jor-El.

Held down by half-a-dozen Kryptonians, foaming at the mouth, Zod reveals this to Clark.

"YOU ARE NOT ALONE.  See our strength?  WE are your people."

Clark collapses and takes it in.  After his treatment at humanity's hand, 16 years removed from the kindness of the Kents and his hands stained with the evil Waller has had him do... he arises Kal-El, loyal to Zod.

While the World Engine works away, Zod and his dozens of powered Kryptonians start to assemble the Scout Ship, take out Waller's strongholds, and as a favor to Kal-El, rescue the Kents (a crippled Bruce Wayne manages to escape in the process).  The Kents try to appeal to Clark, but they've been so far removed from him, they're more like sentimental pets than a strong influence.  Clark wants them safe but he can't relate to them anymore.

Waller was powerful, but she didn't end everyone.  The remaining world powers and significant metahumans take out the World Engine and stop the terraforming.  Zod is enraged, retaliates immediately and the last of humanity's resistance is destroyed.  From the Kal-El's vessel, the Phantom Drive is recovered and retrofitted to the Scout Ship, with intentions of fetching a new World Engine.  Zod entrusts this mission to Faora, to bring back a World Engine so that Krypton can begin a new.

However, the remaining Kryptonians aren't so ready to return to a life of servitude under Zod, now that they've enjoyed Superman-level power and used it to crush Waller, etc.  As soon as Zod's second in command is gone, Jax-Ur plots to kill the Kents, frame Zod, to turn Kal-El against him.  Once they've battled and weakened, Jax-Ur and his coup kill Zod and Kal-El and claim Earth.  Kryptonians become the dominant race on the planet, then spread throughout the galaxy like a plague.

----

Jonathan was right.


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

[User]
Can anyone explain the paradox of Schrdinger's cat?

Okay, so I understand that while the cat is in the box, we should assume that it is both dead AND alive. However, I don't understand how the measurement, taken by the Geiger counter, affects the level of radiation. Wouldn't radiation occur regardless of whether it is measured or not?

[Assistant] It's not really a paradox. It's more of an attempt at reduction to absurdity. The idea is that a nave application of quantum mechanics would lead one to conclude that the cat is neither alive nor dead (or both alive and dead), when in reality cats are always one or the other.


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

[User]
Why do airplanes fly so high? Wouldn't it be shorter if they flew at low altitude? I mean... Earth is round, so it's smaller radius, therefore smaller length.

Does it have to do with air pressure?

[Assistant]
It is all about efficiency, there is less air to plow through meaning you can fly faster with less fuel and the added benefit of avoiding most weather.

Also the differences in distances traveled around the globe by being a few kilometers up are negligible.

The Radius of Earth is 6,378 km

A jet airplane flys 11 km above the surface.

* Circumference is 2pi * r

* Circumference of Earth = 2pi*6,378.1 = 40,074 km

* Circumference of Airplane flight = 2pi*6,389.1 = 40143 km

Even flying around the world it's only ~69 km (0.17%) longer a distance than the ideal surface distance.


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

[User] Pictures taken on the lunar surface seem to have a much higher contrast between shadow and light than on the Earth. Is this just me or is it really a thing?

[Assistant]
It's not just you. It's a thing, and that thing is called the atmosphere. When light hits the atmosphere it is scattered somewhat, which means that when light hits the surface of the Earth, it comes from many different directions, not just straight from the sun. That means areas which would be in shadow from the sun are now slightly less in shadow, because they might receive light from some other part of the sky.

This effect is exaggerated in thick cloudy weather, where you can find basically no shadows at all. The light comes from everywhere.

If you have ever tried taking photos outside, you will have noticed the difference. Since blue light scatters more than red, the light arriving from parts of the sky other than the solar direction is predominantly blue. This gives shady areas a bluish hue, which is the reason why your camera might have white balance settings like shade, clouds and sunlight.

On the Moon, there is no such effect. Essentially the only way some place on the Moon can be bright is to be in direct sunlight. The Earth might contribute a bit, but maybe not as much as a full moon does here. (?)


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

[User]
[Stargate] How powerful would a near-ascended Alteran/Ancient infantry soldier be?

If a near ascended ancient was but on the battlefield, how effective would their powers be in combat? Could they say, take on a Promethean forerunner?

[Assistant] near ascended ancient infantryman is kind of an oxymoron. ancients spent most of their lives in deep meditation and study in preparation of ascending. non-violence was a big part of the ancients method of ascending. however we've seen that humans near ascension gain astounding intellect, telekinesis, telepathy, and even mastery over their own bodies. as such if we assume that ancients get similar abilities before ascension and are given ancient tech and weapons i'd say they'd be on similar footing with a forerunner. if we assume an ancient equally as exceptional as the ur-didact i'd still say they're roughly equal.


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

[User]
[thor] could Thor pick up his hammer if he under mind control?

He was*

[Assistant]
That depends on the type of mind control.

If Thor were reduced to a mindless puppet, than Mjolnir would judge the worthiness of the person controlling him, since they're the one who is actually trying to wield the hammer and are just using Thor as a tool

but if he's only experiencing minor mental influence, then he is definitely still considered worthy.

Tl;Dr: The more autonomy Thor has, the higher the chance that he can still wield Mjolnir.


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

[User] [Star Wars] I'm a Jedi Knight and I just completed all my duties for today. What can I do in my free time?

[Assistant] Your time is largely your time, able to be spent how you choose it. Quite a few Jedi may use their free time to train, meditate, or study, and given the high expectations of discipline in the Order a bit of that is certainly expected, but no one's really going to give you a hard time for kicking back and watching a few holos to relax.


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

[User] ELI5: Why are some cheeses made into wheels but others in blocks?

[Assistant]
Generally aged cheese is wheel shaped(think parmesan reggiano) and fresh cheese (like mozzarella) is in a block/sphere form because those shapes are more beneficial to their manufacture.

Parmesan is shaped like that because each individual unit is big and heavy, so to make moving them around easier, they are shaped like a wheel so they could be rolled and pivoted around on their side. This is much easier than if they were in a block shape. The reason why they make the wheels so big and heavy is that the cheese ages better when it's that size. The wheel shape also gives flat sides to stably set the cheese down, while also allowing for better airflow than a box shape.

Commercially made Mozzarella is shaped in blocks, because it doesn't have to age, so you can make the individual packs smaller and blocks stack nicer with less wasted room. Handmade mozzarella is made into balls because of tradition and it looks pretty.

Some cheeses are shaped a certain way simply out of tradition and respect for the old way of doing things.


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

[User]
[sci fi in general] Why is it always assumed that if belligerent aliens could reach earth we wouldn't have a chance?

I can get behind the idea of Aliens devloping FTL technology but what if that's what they put their entire planets resources into and kinda just left their weaponry at lets say, just above chemical-projectile weaponry level - sure, they're not like an adversary we have ever fought before, but why do we instantly assume they have laser death rays and stuff?

[Assistant]
Interstellar travel requires solutions to problems that are far, far beyond our capabilities; a civilization that is able to do that would have technology that outpaces is in every imaginable way, by necessity.

For example, space debris. One of the bigger issues with putting something in orbit around Earth is that there's a bunch of stuff floating around, moving at very fast speeds, and if one of those things crashes into your vehicle, it could very well cause a catastrophe.

Now imagine that you're traveling at a considerable fraction of the speed of light. Now, a single grain of sand is a doomsday weapon to your vessel, just because of the speeds involved. An interstellar vessel needs to solve for that, which means they will have durability that makes our weapons look like squirt guns.

The ability to accelerate something to a high fraction of the speed of light also allows for some very high-impact weaponry. They don't need laser guns and death rays when they can just throw a rock at us at six-hundred million miles per hour. They could cause an extinction-level event trivially.


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

[User]
[Star Trek] Is everyone in starfleet entirely adverse to recording anything ever?

So I've been looking through the records of a few missions (NCC-1701 and 1701-D) and I've noticed something; despite the fact that these ships are some of the most technically advanced pieces of equipment that the UFP has to offer, people aren't really ready for anything going wrong.

For example, anytime there's a teleporter mishap everyone acts like this is the first time someone's been turned inside out or phase-shifted out of time or something; never once does someone call up the tech manual on a terminal and check out the F.A.Q.s or common errors.
Also there doesn't seem to be much established procedure on temporal mishaps, if your ship gets displaced in time there's not much you're supposed to do other than reverse the polarity on something and cross your fingers hoping it gets fixed.

It seems to me that these problems have to happen at least every so often, does nobody record the fixes to save people headaches and possible unwanted hyper-evolution?

[Assistant] Common problems are generally dealt with automatically by the ship. Most of the time when you're watching the highlight reel of Enterprise D missions, you're seeing them dealing with unprecedented issues like a giant space baby or a god-like trickster or trying to detect a cloaked Romulan fleet that's involved in a Klingon civil war.


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

[User]
ELI5: How are vector illustrations not based on pixels if our screen is made up of pixels?

From my understanding, a pixel is the smallest distinguishable unit on a digital monitor. So how can a vector not be pixel based? Isn't everything that's on our screen made up of pixels? So even if we're using a software like Adobe Illustrator, isn't a vector line made up of a bunch of small pixels in actuality?

[Assistant]
>So even if we're using a software like Adobe Illustrator, isn't a vector line made up of a bunch of small pixels in actuality?

The vector itself is just a bit of math saying "A line exists between point A and point B".  The resulting line is *displayed* using pixels, but the underlying mathematical representation means that you can display the same vector on a higher-resolution screen, and it would fully take advantage of the higher resolution by being drawn with more pixels.

If the image itself were stored as pixels, then showing it on a higher resolution monitor would just make the image smaller, and not more detailed.


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

[User]
how would you explain x^-1 and x^1/y?

How would you explain taking a number to the negative power?
I don't understand how that would be the reciprocal of x!!
I also don't get taking a number to the reciprocal of something like 4^1/2 how is that the square root of 4?

[Assistant]
Well, for the first one think about it this way. If you multiply two numbers with the same base raised to an exponent, you simply add the exponents: a^x * a^y = a^x+y. Now what happens if you divide by a? Lets say a^3 / a = a^2. But that's exactly the same thing as saying a^3 * a^-1 = a^2. So by comparison a^-1 must be the reciprocal of a , if we follow the rules of multiplying two numbers with the same base.

It's the same kind of idea with raising something to the fraction of a power. See if you can prove it to yourself.


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

[User] Why don't birds fall of trees when they sleep?

[Assistant] Birds in the order Passeriformes have a specialized method for this. They have flexor tendons in their legs which, when perched, automatically closes their toes which allows them to grasps branches, wires, etc. with no extra effort. Passerines account for about half all birds so there are many that are not able to perch effectively.


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

[User]
[dc and marvel universes both] Why don't civilian governments have megabases on the moon and the bottom of the ocean?

the technology is there, but mostly only hero's and villians seem to take advantage of it. surely there would be some benefit do developing space faring civilization

Is there an off-limits agreement or something? the planets have dealt with enough alien bullshit by now to see the necessity haven't they?

[Assistant]
You wouldn't know it at first glance, but the economy's pretty bad. Every superhero battle causes a ton of property damage. Even unpowered folks like Batman can be expected to burn down a few warehouses every couple weeks. Also, space and undersea exploration tends to create *more* superfreaks. You can't seem to leave Earth's atmosphere without getting hit by cosmic radiation or discovering long-lost alien tech.

The Doylist answer is that the superhero genre needs to be set in the present day, or at least something that looks enough like it. The man on the street can't live a life too different from what we know, because then we'd shift into straight science fiction. It's also why the supers never share their tech. Even Spider-Man's webshooters would have world-changing effects. Police could carry them instead of guns. Besides the obvious use, they could make instant bulletproof barriers with it.

If Tony Stark shared his Iron Man technology, the world would be a lot less tempting to would-be alien invaders. If the super-soldier syrup was successfully reverse-engineered, why not give it to every person on the planet? And so on. Pym particles could eliminate world hunger. Kryptonian tech probably could too.


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

[User]
CMV: Too many people go to college in the US.

TL;DR: I believe that the obsession with telling everyone to "get an education" is misguided and has been incredibly harmful to our society. While higher education may benefit individuals, sending as many people as we do into higher education is not a net benefit to the country.

Close to 70% of graduating high school students are now attending college of some sort directly after graduation. This has had a number of unfortunate results:

1. When 70% of the population \(excluding high school dropouts\) wants to go on to higher education, it means that there will be a mathematical guarantee that a significant amount of individuals with below average academic skills, intelligence and education will be attending. The result is that schools either must admit students that they know can't handle the workload or reduce the academic rigor in order to accommodate less capable students. The latter is a major disservice to the capable students, both because they learn less and because it makes college less useful as to employers as a discriminating factor \(see next point\).

2. Employers can no longer use a bachelors degree as a meaningful discriminator because they are way too common. When having a bachelors degree in a field not directly related to your job \(i.e. non\-STEM\) was less common, an employer could infer that whoever had it was at least of an above average intelligence and academic ability, even if they didn't go to an elite educational institution. Essentially saying, "even though an English degree isn't really directly related to this job, this person still must be reasonably capable to have gotten a degree at all." Now that degrees are handed out left and right, this is not longer useful. It is also very damaging to capable people who didn't get a degree and has forced people to take on more debt to attend graduate school or accept lower salaries in order to be competitive.

3. Too many people are taking courses of study that aren't economically useful. Someone with 40th percentile intelligence is not going to be able to complete a degree in organic chemistry or mechanical engineering, so the result is they study largely useless degrees, wasting their time and money learning stuff they will never use on any job. While I certainly believe that having academics in a society has value, there is a limit of how many history and psychology degrees can be given out and still have marginal value to society. The jobs just aren't there for the majority of people to justify the time and cost of college. A significant portion of people going to college would be much better off learning an in demand trade or skill. Spending 4 years of your life and going deep into debt had better improve your employment prospects, and I really don't believe it does for most people of average to below average ability. Go into a retail store or restaurant in a major city and odds are that multiple non\-management employees will have degrees. 20 years ago, this would have been unheard of.

4. It kill innovation and entrepreneurship. Because so many young people come out of school with a ton of debt and no real skills \(even if you have a more useful degree\), it kills entrepreneurship. Someone of middling intelligence who has a BA in psychology isn't going to be able to start any business that they couldn't have out of high school. They certainly won't be as capable of starting a business as someone who spent those 4 years in trade school and/or an apprenticeship learning how to do a real world skill. Even if they have the ability, being saddled with debt means that they are less willing to take the risks required to be an entrepreneur.

Now, I know there is a ton of statistics that say that people who go to college earn more, but I contend that there is a ton of selection bias in this data because the most talented, able, and best connected people tend to go to college and losers, slackers and sub 90 IQ people tend not to. For example, I believe that if you expelled the entire entering class at Harvard and banned them from going to any college at all, a large majority of them would still be high income earners 10 years later. I believe this is corroborated by the fact that the inflation adjusted median income for middle income people has remained more or less stagnant in spite of more and more people going to college \(ie people who used to have blue collar/trades jobs now go to school for no aggregate benefit\). Almost all of the wage growth has gone to the highest earners \- essentially the jobs that always required higher education, even when going to college was comparatively rare.

I also understand the softer benefits of going to college\- personal growth, networking, "finding yourself", etc. This is all well and good, but for something that costs as much as it does, it just doesn't make sense for the majority of people.

[Assistant] I would contend that more people are going to college at least in part because the jobs that are available are increasingly needing a higher level of education than they did before. This has been a continual trend. Consider a time before people getting a high school education was universal, and consider your arguments as arguments in that situation saying that that too many people are going to high school. Every single one of them applies (except possibly the debt one if the high school is publicly funded). If you think that everyone getting a high school education is a good thing, what stops those same reasons from applying to college now that more and more good jobs actually use skills that rely on a college level of education?