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

[User]
[General fantasy] Do Lawful Evil characters generally have more in common with Lawful Good characters or Chaotic Evil characters?

If put into a situation where they were forced to "team up" one way or the other how would they go?

[Assistant]
Lawful characters by default would work better together, due to the shared nature of lawfulness. While transgressions would be better accepted by a CE character, otherwise cooperation would be hindered by their...*personal* interpretation of the cause.

For example, in Planescape there's an example in the form of the Mercykillers, who were formed by the merger of a LG faction with a LE faction. The result you get is rather clenched teeth and most certainly uncompromising, but essentially functional. The Mercykillers are extremely harsh and kill-happy, but also reliably consistent and follow their own rules even when they don't like it. Hanging judges to a man, but as much judge as they are hanging, and won't slaughter you in the streets until they have proof of your crimes.

Compare this to the best known interaction of LE and CE, which is the Blood War.


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

[User] ELI5: Why are vanilla flavored items always white, when the bean itself is dark?

[Assistant] Vanilla flavored items are typically flavored using vanilla extract, as opposed to using the actual bean. The extract is made by submerging the beans in a liquid solution which then absorbs the flavor. The vanilla extract is actually yellowish. This is why a lot of vanilla ice cream has a yellow tint. If the ice cream is pure white, then it has likely been flavored using imitation vanilla flavor instead of real vanilla extract. This is common in cheaper products because vanilla extract can get expensive.


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

[User] Does a cancerous cell still does it job as a cell i.e would a cancerous kidney cell still filter blood?

[Assistant]
Sometimes. Cancer cells are generally bad at their jobs.

Melanocytes make melanin, a pigment that gives skin color. Most melanomas are dark-colored from overactive melanocytes that are still doing their job, albeit in a disorganized out-of-control fashion.

Some melanomas are depigmented. These look more like an expanding pink or white scar. They've lost the ability to make their characteristic pigment!

Children with pituitary gland tumors often grow extremely tall because the tumor cells still produce a flood of human growth hormone and develop other problems from over/under-production of pituitary hormones. Thyroid tumors are really bad because an overactive thyroid from an adenoma will force your metabolism to go at warp speed and make you overheat and force your heart to beat really fast all the time.

To answer your question, maintaining organized plumbing is important for a kidney. Even if cancer cells are still trying to filter and concentrate waste it probably won't be very helpful.


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

[User]
[Marvel/DC] Has there ever been an immortal who's not a megalomaniac or an arrogant god?

The immortals either think we need to be their slaves or we are not worthy of them. Has there ever been an average Joe type immortal who lives among us?

[Assistant] The number of people who are "immortal" in one way or another in Marvel/DC is ridiculous. Can you be a little more specific? Do you mean something that transcends time and space like The-One-Above-All, or do you mean something lesser like Wolverine?


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

[User] How do stock trading companies, like Robinhood, get access to the NASDAQ and NYSE? Is there an API that allows anyone to connect to these exchanges?

[Assistant] There are many 'private' API's companies use to exchange data. So it's not 'anyone', but it often is 'an API'. But you won't be able to access these private API's without signing a contract (and generally paying money).


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

[User] ELI5: Why does only one sperm cell get to fertilize the egg? How is multi-sperm fertilization prevented and does this prevention ever fail?

[Assistant]
So, there are 2 main ways this prevention of polyspermy happens.

1st, there is a fast reaction by the egg upon sperm entry. It depolarizes the membrane, which prevents other sperm from being able to bind to it. Kinda like a magnet.

2nd, is a slow reaction. It is the hardening of this egg membrane, which is called cortical reaction. This hardening of the membrane makes the egg impenetrable to other sperm.


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

[User] ELI5: How come celebrities can't sue the tabloids for libel, when the tabloids print and publish so many false things about them?

[Assistant]
in the US it's notoriously difficult to win a libel lawsuit.  The person suing would need to prove that the statement was false, caused harm to them, and was made without research into the truthfulness of the statement.  If the person is a public figure they also need to be able to prove the statement was made with the intent to do harm or with "reckless disregard" for the truth.

Either the celebrity can't prove the statements are false, they would rather not have to prove it, they won't be able to prove the tabloid didn't research it, or most commonly it'd be hard to prove the lie actually caused harm and the tabloid had "reckless disregard" for the truth.


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

[User]
Why can't we create underwater breathing technology

by mimicking what happens in fish' gills?

Edit: I mean by "extracting dissolved oxygen from water to stay submersed indefinitely." (thanks ragnarokrudolph)

[Assistant] We are endothermic and have a high metabolic requirement--one that is further stressed when we are submerged.  Animals with gills, on the other hand, are almost exclusively poikilothermic and require much less oxygen.  For us, the challenge is getting enough oxygen from the water to sustain our metabolism.


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

[User]
What happens in a photon-photon colliding when each photon energy is 120 Mev?

Hello,
I am a 17 y.o stduent who is trying to fully understand photons colliding. We usually know that when two photons collide and each one's energy is 0.511 Mev they produce an electron and a postiron and this idea is the same for other particles. But what if two photons with an energy, which is not equivalent to any other particle, collide? What would they produce? Or would they even collide? Like for example 120 Mev. Thank you very much.

[Assistant]
They can pair-produce other particles, as long as the energy in the center-of-momentum frame exceeds twice the mass of the produced particle.

They can also scatter elastically without producing any particles.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does our face, especially the nose and forehead get oily but other body parts like your knees don't?

[Assistant]
Our faces are very porous- little holes from where hair used to be. While cells on our face stopped making hair (at least some of them), some of those oils are still being made; the oil isn't soaked up- and there is a lot more being made compared to our knees.

Also the sun stimulates production of these oils.

On a cellular level: differences in how the cells are 'wired' - what their job is.


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

[User] ELI5: How do the heart rate monitors that clip on to your finger also find oxygen levels?

[Assistant] One side of the clip has a light and the other has a sensor. When you clip it on your finger, it shines both red visible light and infrared light through you finger and it hits the detector. oxygenated blood and deoxygenated blood absorb different amounts of infrared and visible light, so by comparing the amounts that the sensor detects to the amount that was emitted, it can tell how much of your blood is oxygenated and how much isn't.


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

[User]
[Elf] Does Buddy the Elf have (magic) Powers or is he an ordinary human?

He starts life as fully human, but when he was taken to the north pole, did his mortal self 'die' at the hands of elf incompetents only for them to bring him back to life with aid of their magic so that he could become this elf/man immortal? He reveals some special powers of song, dance, merriment (charm spell?) and snowball stamina and ability to stay up all night and decorate (sneak? Dazzle?). Is this all explained by his diet of sugar alone? Is this a sustainable diet once you break through certain barriers?

[Assistant]
In order to master something, you need to do it for 10,000 hours or consistently for about 10 years as a common rule of thumb. That's about an average of three hours of practice a day, every day of the year. Now imagine doing something for nearly 16 hours a day for 30 years. People are gonna think you're downright magical in speed with your skill.

There are some people that only need about 4 hours of sleep to be fully functional. It's rare, but Buddy could be one such person. And in order to stay healthy, as long as you get all your nutrients you should be fine. There's been several cases where people live off of junk food or fast food while only taking the missing vitamins who turned out healthy. As for the sugar, he either developed a tolerance or they lowered the amount in his food.


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

[User]
ELI5: If L Ron Hubbard was such an experienced Sci Fi writer prior to Scientology, why are the themes in Scientology often a bit "goofy" even from a realistic science fiction standpoint

Im trying to avoid breaking rule 7 here, but I guess thats a question I've always had. Here you have this guy whos written tons of Science Fiction books, but his big crowning achievement of Scientology has a bit of a.. silly "plot" Even in book format I think many people would say "Oh well thats lame". So maybe I don't know enough about him, science, or Scientology, but is there kind of a definitive explination to why the whole Xenu/Volcano People thing is.. less than convincing for the average person?

[Assistant]
"Experienced" does not necessarily mean "good". Hubbard has never been considered a particularly good writer by most people who read sci fi, except for scientologists who, admittedly, have to be brainwashed into thinking it.

He was creative, sure, but that also doesn't mean you're actually good. But hey, people have to believe something, sometimes. And scientology does a good job of hiding their wacky Xenu beliefs until after you're so far in that you're either brainwashed and already falling for it, or too financially or emotionally invested in it to back out so easily. And when you do anyways they threaten you and send people to your house to harass you so you stay quiet about it.


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

[User]
[MCU] Captain America has been drinking. Will a breathalyzer or blood test pick that up? Is he legally considered drunk?

Hypothetical here: If Captain America, for whatever reason, goes to a bar and puts away three bottles of whisky in under an hour, then gets on his motorbike, starts riding home, and gets pulled over by the local sheriff's department, will he register as drunk on a breath or blood test?

We know he can't get drunk, as such - at least on mortal alcohol - but will the presence of the alcohol in his system register?

And, as a follow-up question, if he *doesn't* register as drunk on conventional testing, but thirty deeply unpatriotic bar patrons all bear witness to the fact that he drank all that whisky, could he be prosecuted for DUI according to the letter of the law?

[Assistant] The reason he can't get drunk is that his body's metabolic rate is so high that the alcohol leaves his bloodstream before the effects can occur. It's not that he just powers through his drunkenness, there just isn't any in his system. So a breathalyer test would show the same results as a sober person and since the legal limit is based on the amount of alcohol in the blood and not the amount drunk, he'd be fine.


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

[User] ELI5 What exactly happens to muscles when they go "sore" ?

[Assistant]
When you use a muscle to the point of soreness, you are literally tearing the muscle fibers apart. They rebuild themselves and get larger and larger (that's what lifting weights does and why you get bigger muscles)
But just like a cut on your finger, while being repaired, they are kind of tender, raw and stiff. Your healing from the damage you did.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do people still need to fight so hard for net neutrality if they already voted into office a president who promised to support it? Why didn't the democratic voting process settle it?

[Assistant]
Let's say your teacher wants to read you Horton Hears a Who!
And the kids in your class, even little Dilly, they all want to read it too. They shout, "We want Who! We want Who!" And so do you. And so do you.

But the Librarian, Mrs. Pennysnatch, gives you Babar. The fucking elephant.

"That's French!" you cry, "And he marries his cousin! We don't want this neocolonial bull shit!"

So you and Dilly and your teacher all go the Principal. The Principal agrees, Dr. Suess is creative and cool and Babar is ass pie. But when it comes to books, Mrs. Pennysnatch sets the rules. The Principal can fire Mrs. Pennysnatch, or he can try to convince the school board to make Dr. Suess required reading, but he can't actually purchase books himself. Mrs. Pennysnatch is the only one with an Amazon account. And she used to be French, just like Babar. In fact, Mrs. Pennysnatch used to work as a sales lady, and what did she sell? She sold Babar all day long. Until she became the librarian.

And now she decides what to buy, and what you read. And when it comes to Who, that just won't do, that Who won't do, it's not for you.


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

[User] How do gas mask filters for radioactive particles work? Why do they expire if not used?

[Assistant] Its the valves which expire rather than the filter media. Inside the mask, there are thin rubber sheets which act as one way valves. One the rubber starts to break down, it allows contaminates to be breathed in via the exhaust.


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

[User] ELI5: What actually happens when we fall asleep and why cant we do it on demand?

[Assistant]
The human brain sleeps in cycles, it's called your circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm controls when you need to sleep and then controls the cycles of your sleep. Some people call it your internal clock.

The circadian rhythm is influenced by a lot of factors, many related to evolution and the habits of human civilization. For instance, darkness can trigger the need for sleep (because humans have typically used daylight for hunting and working). The reason you can't do it on demand is likely explained by what happens.

When you sleep, your brain doesn't just shut off. You actually go through two cycles where your brain is still acting, but slowly relaxing. When you hit stage 3 is when you are in "deep sleep". Your brain is using minimal activity. And then, you enter REM sleep which doctors think is like your brain's maintenance time. With all this activity cycles, sleeping and waking on demand would be difficult to maintain. This is why if you wake up during a dream (which usually occur during REM) you tend to feel groggy.

TL;DR. Your circadian rhythm controls when you sleep. You don't control your circadian rhythm.


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

[User]
Does infinity naturally occur physically in the universe?

Is there any evidence that shows something goes to infinity in nature? Like there is infinite time, or infinite space in the universe?

If there is no evidence suggesting that, does that mean there may be a finite amount of time or space? What would be the implications of that?

[Assistant]
We don't know if there's infinite time or space, because we can't see that far into our universe and we don't live forever. In fact, we think the universe is expanding at an accelerating pace, but what will ultimately happen we don't know! Will it eventually slow down? Will it continue to accelerate out forever?

Now, outside of spacial and temporal coordinates, there are other ways in which infinity appears in nature. For example, our current theory says that you cannot accelerate an object with mass to the speed of light. This is because as it gets faster, it takes more and more energy to increase its speed- and to the speed of light, infinite energy.

Of course, infinity also often comes up in math, the language we developed/discovered to explain what we see around us. Infinity pops up frequently when working with the differential equations in quantum mechanics, especially in boundary conditions (like energy in a well, for example). Mimicking the functions we see through Fourier or polynomial series requires infinite sums. Infinity comes up a lot!


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

[User] ELI5: Pork rinds are incomplete protein and are labeled "not a good source of protein" but beans are also an incomplete protein and do not have this same label. Why?

[Assistant]
Because it's not just a question of protien, but of the types of protien and the regulation. In the USA,  the Food and Drug Administration requires that food for people aged 4 and over that has, "a protein quality value that is a protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score of less than 20" must have the label, "not a good source of protien." What this means is that the foodstuff in question must have a certain number of absorbable proteins or it must have the label.

How does this relate to beans and pork rinds? Pork rinds are fried pig skins, therefore they're rich in collagen, the protien that gives human skin structure too. Unfortunately, that's about the only protien it provides, worst still humans don't digest nor absorb that protien very efficiently. On the flip side, beans have a wider variety of more easily digested and absorbed proteins so it is not affected by the regulation.

Edit: it's 4 and over, not just 4.


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

[User] [Astro] Does our Sun radiate anything else other than photons?

[Assistant]
Yes, plenty of stuff. For one, the fusion reactions that power all the good stuff also produce neutrinos. These are extremely light particles (the lightest particles with non-zero mass that we know) that almost never interact with other particles. Right now, there are hundreds of milions of neutrinos going through your hand every second.

Since the plasma that the sun is composed of is largely very hot, parts of it can escape into space. This is called the solar wind, which is comprised primarily of protons, electrons and helium nuclei (alpha particles). Since these are all charged particles, their heading is altered by magnetic fields. On Earth, the geomagnetic field causes solar wind particles to be redirected towards the poles. The interaction of these particles with the atmosphere causes the aurora borealis (northern lights) (and the equivalent near the south pole).


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

[User] ELI5: Why do movie studios care if I pay for Netflix and use a VPN to change my location? They are getting paid either way.

[Assistant]
The problem is that when Sony released a movie in Australia, it formed a contract with a studio in Australia to do that. So that studio owns the right to distribute that movie in Australia. If you use Netflix and a VPN to access the U.S. version of Netflix, you're cutting out the Australian company that actually owns the right to distribute that movie in Australia.

It'd be like if you paid for the right to be the exclusive seller of BMWs in Colorado, but people were buying BMWs in Colorado directly from Germany. You're getting screwed even if BMW isn't.


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

[User]
ELI5: How can Netflix acquire the rights and permission to ship DVDs of a movie, but not acquire the rights and permission to Instant Stream it?

I understand why every movie ever made isn't on Netflix, and I understand why new movies don't immediately appear on Netflix too. What I don't get is why would a distributor of a movie would agree to let Netflix ship out their movie on DVD but not allow them to stream it.

[Assistant] Why indeed. What's the truth is that the digital streaming rights are negotiated completely separately to the DVD Rental rights, and movie studios see streaming as a threat to their big-ticket DVD sales, that's why hardly any new releases get authorized for streaming. Understand that Netflix WANTS to stream everything they offer, but if the movie studios don't offer the rights, they can't. Netflix's hands are tied. Understand?


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

[User] How do blackouts work? Was the memory never recorded, never saved or deleted while sleeping?

[Assistant]
There are three stages to memory: encoding, storage, and retrieval. During a blackout from drinking, the prefrontal cortex is inhibited, which is responsible for a large portion of encoding events into short-term memory. Information must be encoded into short-term memory before it is stored into long-term memory. Therefore, because this information cant be properly encoded and stored into short-term memory, the memory is unable to be processed into long-term memory via the hippocampus.

Think of a livestream thats not being saved.

So basically the information is never recorded.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do coin batteries seemingly die, then after a days rest return with renewed vigour?

[Assistant]
Battery voltage depends on how much load is being placed on the battery. One that's 3.0V at rest will fall to, say, 2.9V with a light load. Under a heavy load, it might fall to 1.5V.

The reason is there is a rate limit to how fast the chemical energy can be converted to electrical energy. If a battery is placed under a heavy load, the reaction goes as far as it can before it "falls behind" demand. You're basically stripping off the "surface charge" and have to wait for the "deeper" charge to replenish the "surface". If you then let the battery rest for a while, the chemical reactions can "catch up" and restore voltage.

The voltage drop is also influenced by the battery's own internal resistance (which is always more than zero), so if you put a battery under load the voltage will instantly drop some (due to resistance) and then slowly fall more as you deplete the surface charge.


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

[User] How does Bender survive for thousands of years under Planet Express in Bender's Big Score with no alcohol/fuel?

[Assistant] At first Bender made do with a sort of "Mushroom Schnapps" that he brewed himself.  He also had a few six packs hidden away.  But after all the alcohol ran out he simply shut himself down.  In shutdown mode robots require no alcohol.


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

[User]
[Dune] Why did Paul's prescient talents expose themselves on the night of the Harkonnen attach on Arrakis?

It seems that something happened that night...  When Paul and his mother are in the tent, Paul becomes something... different.  Why?  It seems like a coincidence that that happened to be just enough time to get enough spice built up in his blood.  Was it that?  Or was there something else that happened that night?  Perhaps the stress of the evening did something?

[Assistant]
Paul and Jessica were being sent into the deep desert to die. They struggle for their lives, and find the package the traitor left (a thousand deaths are too little for the traitor). They realized Leto is dead, their friends are dead, the House is lost, and they are alone.

All of this trauma, coupled with being in the deep desert where raw spice is abundant, triggered Paul's growing changes. It was an adapt or perish trial, a gom jabbar of the desert, and Paul adapted with the help of the raw spice breathed in every breath.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Did Anakin and Padme have access to contraception?

Wondering because it seems out of character for Padme to not be prudent about that kind of thing (though Anakin totally seems like the kind of person to rely on pulling out).

So, what does birth control look like in the Star Wars universe?

[Assistant] In novel "Queen's Peril," Padme (then 14), her handmaidens, and female members of the royal security forces are on menstrual suppresion shots administered by medical droids. It didn't seem to be a big deal among the Naboo people.


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

[User]
Struggling to give life meaning

30yo male here.

Struggling to find my meaning of life. I find Stoicism very appealing but mostly to deal with personal things. Meanwhile I'm floating to and fro, from feeling a deep sense of civic duty and desire to be active in politics to hedonism or nihilism.

I'm hoping to find a balance and to find an answer (that is satisfying to me, at least) as to how much I should/can care about 'the world' while maximalizing my own happiness. Or perhaps personal happiness isn't paramount relative to the good I can do for others. Or when speaking of happiness, what is the right balance between short-term gratification and making life less pleasurable in the short term in return for (potential) deeper happiness down the line?

At any rate, I'm sure these are questions all of you have had and seem like babby's first ponderings to people who actually occupy themselves with philosophy. So any suggestions of reading material that could give me more insights or understanding of the problems I deal with, or writings that have spoken about this topic, will be appreciated.

**Edit:** I've gotten a good amount of comments with a lot of effort behind them. A number of you have also messaged me. I'm going to take my time reading all of it on the few moments I have 'me'-time. You guys are great, I really appreciate it.

[Assistant]
For a philosophically informed self-help take on such matters of finding a balance, you can take a look at Edith Hall's Aristotle's Way. Not a work of philosophy, but it's written by a respectable classicist who appears to love Aristotle.

For Aristotle, virtuous activity includes, among other things, finding the right balance between extremes (which are vices). The more you develop these excellences of character (which is what virtues are) by practice,  the more habitual they become, and the happier you get, or, perhaps, the more your life becomes a life worth living. And human beings are political animals who can flourish only in a good society, so there is no fundamental conflict between your well-being and the good for the society. So in this sort of account, there is no fundamental conflict between engaging in political activity oriented towards the freedom of society as a whole and your individual happiness. The good and happy life requires political engagement and solidarity, but of course, in a balanced way.

If you want to pursue your interest in  stoicism, you could take a look at Pierre Hadot's works, The Inner Citadel, and Philosophy as a Way of Life.

If you want something less philosophical, and more popular self-help, Massimo Pigliucci is a philosopher of science who has a recently developed interest in trying to apply stoicism to modern everyday life. He has books, blogs, videos. Just keep in mind he is not a scholar in that area.


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

[User]
ELI5: When a company is bought for "$3 billion in cash" what actually happens?

Is cash actually exchanged, or is cash just a liquid asset that is transferred to a different account digitally?

[Assistant] The "cash purchase" is a juxtaposition to an equity exchange where stock is used to purchase another company.  A literal transfer of funds occurs - just like if you were to do a bank-to-bank transfer between two of your accounts, or to execute a wire transfer.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why can't eyesight fix itself? Bones can mend, blood vessels can repair after a bruise...what's so special about lenses that they can only get worse?

How is it possible to have bad eyesight at 21 for example, if the body is at one of its most effective years, health wise? How can the lens become out of focus so fast?

Edit: Hoooooly moly that's a lot of stuff after I went to sleep. Much thanks y'all for the great answers.

[Assistant]
It can. If your eye is damaged, it will at least try to repair itself. Lenses are usually left foggy afterward, as scar tissue does not play nice with the optically smooth surface needed for a good lens.

If you're referring to nearsightedness/farsightedness, they happen because your body makes the eye the wrong shape. It's exactly how your body thinks it's supposed to be, so it doesn't fix it.


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

[User]
Was The Dude ethically or morally entitled to get a rug from The Big Lebowski?

In case you haven't seen the movie: Bunny Lebowski is the much-younger wife of wealthy (sort-of) businessman Jeffrey Lebowski. She owes money all over town, including to known pornographers. Some of these people she owes money to sends a couple of goons to collect on her debt. However, the goons mistakenly visits the wrong Jeffrey Lebowski: not the wealthy businessman, but instead our hero, an unemployed and semi-professional bowler nicknamed The Dude (also His Dudeness or El Duderino, for those not into the whole brevity thing).

The two toughs assault The Dude and one of them, a Asian-American named Woo, procedes to micturate all over The Dude's rug. This was a valued rug (it really tied the room together), and The Dude is upset and wants renumeration. He realizes he is unlikely to get it from Woo, as the goons are presumably members of organized crime.

However, in discussing the issue, The Dude's friend and bowling partner Walter Sobchak points out that the one that the people really at fault here is the other Lebowskis: Bunny has acted irresponsibly and as a result, Woo peed on the dude's rug. Woo intended to soil The Big Lebowski's rug, not The Dude's. In addition, The Big Lebowski is a very wealthy man, and could very easily compensate The Dude, and as the husband of Bunny has a moral obligation to do so.

Sobchak summarizes his argument as follows:

> "Jeff Lebowski. The other Jeffrey Lebowski. The millionaire. Plus, he has the wealth, obviously, and the resources. So there's no reason, no [redacted] reason why his wife should go out and owe money all over town, and then they come and they pee on your [redacted] rug. Am I wrong? Am I wrong? That rug really tied the room together, did it not?"

The other Jeffrey Lebowski is not impressed with this argument, responding "Did I urinate on your rug?". He feels he is not personally responsible for Woo's actions, and therefore feels that he is in no way responsible for compensating The Dude.

Numerous complications follow from these initial events, but I'm curious as to what your take is from a standpoint of moral and ethical obligation. Who is has the stronger argument here, Sobchak or The Big Lebowski?

[Assistant]
Sort of. Maybe.

The Big Lebowski is enabling his wife's irresponsible behavior. While he could not foresee the specific consequences of this morally blameworthy behavior, he could foresee that bad things would happen to people due to his behavior. Woo urinating on The Dude's rug is one such consequence.

Because the causal connection is remote, the responsibility is attenuated. There are after all, many intervening agents: Bunny, Woo and Jackie Treehorn.

You can here take a number of positions. One would be that all agents who behaved unethically in the causal chain have joint responsibility. Basically, they jointly have a responsibility for getting The Dude a rug and if someone in the chain refuses to do what is right, it's up to the rest to still get The Dude his rug. So given that Bunnie has no money of her own and Jackie and Woo are unlikely to pony up, then The Big Lebowski owes The Dude a rug.

Another view is that they share the responsibility but not jointly. Basically, The Big Lebowski owes The Dude less than a full rug, but more than nothing. If Woo, Jackie and Bunnie don't pay their share, that's The Dude's problem, not The Big Lebowski's.

Another view finally is that because other moral agents acted badly downstream from The Big Lebowski's actions, he actually is not responsible at all. Basically, The Big Lebowski did a bad thing in enabling his wife, but that did not imply that Woo had to pee on the rug. Woo did that of his own volition as an independent moral agent. So he soaks up all the responsibility.


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

[User]
How do satellites fall out of orbit?

I've heard of satellites that fall to Earth, and I've wondered how that happens.

[Assistant]
Even at the altitude that many satellites orbit, there is still a tiny amount of air, which causes some drag. This slows down the satellite, causing it to drop into a lower orbit, where the air density is a bit higher, etc...

Without correcting the orbit of the satellite every now and then, satellites in low orbits will simply see their orbit decay due to air resistance.


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

[User] ELI5 Why do toenails grow so much slower then fingernails?

[Assistant]
Your toenails are subjected to a lot less trauma than your fingernails. Your fingernails have to compensate for this trauma by growing quicker, about 3 times as fast.

If they didn't, we'd tear our fingers to shreds. Figuratively speaking. Nails protect the soft tissue around them and help with dexterity by providing counter pressure.


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

[User] ELI5: police, sheriffs, state troopers, highway patrol. Whats the difference and why arent they the same organisation?

[Assistant] This is a result of how the matter of policing the laws is done in the US and may not make sense for the rest of the world. When the US were founded there were fully functional governments in the colonies. They had their own laws, their own police forces and even their own armies. The US started as an alliance rather then as a nation. And the states are still very independent with their own police forces to this day. Although there is a few federal police forces like the FBI and Secret Service tasked with enforcing specific part of federal law. But most states had similar issues as the entire country. There were a huge distance between towns and the communications infrastructure were not established. So towns had their own laws and their own police. Usually in the form of a town sheriff. Bigger cities had a more traditional police force. But there were still state troopers that handled crimes across county lines and in remote areas. With the introduction of highways some sheriff deputies, police officers and state troopers have been tasked with patrolling these highways. However it is mostly state troopers doing these patrols as the highways stretch across many countries.


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

[User] ELI5: how exactly does water ruin electronics, assuming that they are turned off after and dried throughly, what damage to hardware is done that is irreparable?

[Assistant]
Different components react differently to water. Most ICs, for example, will dry just fine, but may end up with residual water stuck underneath the chip, unable to dry.

Capacitors can corrode from the inside out, and transistors do weird things when exposed to water, but immediate drying and cleansing with alcohol will usually prevent that.

Now, the unfixable stuff.

LCD screens are toast in water if water gets between the digitizer and the glass. Also, rechargeable batteries often use alkali or alkaline elements (think lithium ion batteries, among others) that are highly reactive to water. If exposed, very VERY small amounts of water can get into the battery and destroy it, either slowly or immediately.

Other than that, water with any kind of mineral content can short circuit boards and/or leave deposits that hinder the board's ability to function, and can even cause heat build up. Dropping a phone into distilled water, however, won't do much, except cause a physical mess inside the device. The components themselves would be fine for the most part (except the battery and screen.)


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

[User]
What do you do when you can't find a scientific explanation for your results?

(Almost) 3rd year meteorology PhD student in the UK.

I've had some interesting results from one of my model sensitivity tests but I'm really struggling to explain the result scientifically. I've come up with multiple hypotheses on the basis of the model change, but none of them have borne any fruit.

The dataset does seem to have a correlation between the variables I expect when I look at the mean values but upon closer inspection, some of it has no correlation whatsoever.

I'm running out of ideas and this is the last puzzle piece I need to tie up this paper/thesis chapter. Where do I go from here?

[Assistant]
UK Physics PhD just for perspective: For your thesis, it's probably okay to have just exhausted all the likely possibilities.

Your thesis is basically an argument to show you approached your work in a scientific manner, and thus can actual do research independently.

Outlining what you found, what models you tried to explain it with and why those don't work, is evidence of that.

You will also have to show that the results of your model are real to get away with that. I.e. That the result hasn't come about from some error in how you tested it.

The other thing to do is go through a very thorough re-review of the literature to see if a similar result has been published.


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

[User] ELI5: Why is it that I have the ability to independently move one eyebrow but not the other?

[Assistant] Because they're 2 separate muscles controlling your eyebrows. Apparently this skill can be learned, but basically it comes down to some people's brains are able to independently control the muscles under your eyebrows, and some people's brains can't do it.


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

[User] [Purge] is conspiracy a thing in the Purge universe? If I wanted to kill someone on purge night, so stockpiled weapons, and dug out a tunnel below where theyd be meeting (as in Election Night), and wrote down detailed plans to murder them, but was caught before the night, would I be prosecuted?

[Assistant]
Yes, and yes. It's Purge *Night*, not Purge Week.

By the law as writ crime is only legal during the event itself. If you get caught engaging in a pre-Purge crime, you're pretty much at the mercy of the officer who caught you. Depending on the cop's opinion on the Purge, and what you're up to at the time, your mileage can vary greatly.

If the cops run you in, that's it. Crime is still crime before the Purge, and conspiracy is a crime. You might be able to get a jury to nullify the charges by appealing to pro-Purge patriotic fervor, but a judge is likely going to be less sympathetic.


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

[User]
Getting tired of moving every few years?

Hi,

It comes to no surprise that, as an academic, you have to be mobile and willing to relocate to score a good position. The last 9 years or so, I have been going through different countries in Europe to build up my career, but now that I have found a good position, I am hesitant to move again.

I have finished my post-doc position in Germany, and I initially planned to move (back) to Denmark where I did my Masters. I landed a great position in a company that still has a scientific flair despite being industry. However, I have built up my social circle here in Germany, and I am feeling quite comfortable. It is also closer to home and my ageing parents.

I have always put career before my social needs, and I never had any problems to just pack up and leave. However, the recent pandemic, and also some mental health issues are holding me back to move again, despite the good job offer.

I honestly feel a bit disappointed in myself, that I am even considering giving up on my plans to stay here (where job opportunities in my field are a bit rare).

Has anyone dealt with a similar "fatigue" that keeps you from moving to a new location, despite it being the most "logical" choice career-wise?

[Assistant] It sounds like you're looking for the validation to draw the line and put your life before your career and let me tell you, if you have a nice social circle and it's convenient with your family, don't be so quick to discount that. You can get academic accolades from anywhere, but having a nice life situation is harder to achieve, especially during COVID.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why does oil in a frying pan, sometimes pop while it heats up ?

I am curious as to what causes this issue where sometimes my oil seems to explode upwards and splash all over my kitchen.

It never seems to happen when the Oil is fresh.
It stops happening once the Oil gets hot enough.

But why ?!

[Assistant] Its bubbles of boiling water forcing its way out of the oil. The oil in the bottle/can accumulates some moisture from the air after it has been opened. Also the pan might have had some water on it when you started cooking. It stops happening once all the water has boiled away.


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

[User]
How do antivirals target only viral RNA and not host RNA?

Edit: I understand that many antivirals affect the viral polymerase, but Im most interested in nucleoside analogs like molnupiravir how do they affect only viral RNA and not host RNA?

[Assistant] The drugs dont target RNA per se, but the enzymes that make the RNA. since the viral enzymes are different than human enzymes, it is possible to find drugs that inhibit viral RNA synthesis but dont inhibit RNA synthesis by our cells.


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

[User]
[Superman] I'm an average guy but Superman really ticked me off and I want to get back at him somehow, what's the best way to do it?

Superman was fighting some freak from space and he tried to laser him and ended up hitting my car, damage wasn't too bad but he ruined my weekend and I'm out the insurance deductible. Like I get that things happen but he shouldn't be firing off his eye beams willy nilly in a parking garage. Point is I want some revenge, now I'm not a psycho or anything I don't want to murder him or his family or whatever but I'd really like to ruin his day, like make him swear under his breath and maybe yell at his wife and kids and feel bad about it later. So as an average man with an average income and no supervillain connections how does one get back at Superman?

[Assistant] Supes is pretty sensitive, if you actually faced financial hardship from the damage to your car (whether through actual repairs or being unable to commute) and told him about it hed feel bad about it. Hed also probably find a way to make restitution to you. If you just want to be petty... (mildly NSFW) >!line a room with lead sheeting (Superman has been known to preemptively investigate rooms/buildings that are lead lined when there is no legitimate/reasonable reason for them to be) and fill it with files that are *not* actually villainous schemes but rather completely mundane things that he would not be comfortable reading (my choice is explicit slash-fiction starring Superman and fellow Justice Leaguers) that he will have no choice but to read so make sure they arent villains schemes (or even worse, have to bring them to Batman to make sure there arent any hidden codes/cyphers)!<.


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

[User] ELI5: No matter how many videos i watch, I just can't wrap my head around the concept of Analog and Digital (in sound) and the difference between them. Please make it as simple as possible for a 16 year old with a slow brain like me.

[Assistant]
All sound you actually hear is analog. You are hearing minute rapid pressure changes over time in the air and these happen continuously (as in there are no instantaneous jumps in the pressure, it rises and falls continuously and smoothly in time). It's a bit like drawing a wiggly line across a piece of paper.

The difference between analog or digital is how you store, process and amplify the audio - but to send it to your ears it needs to be made into analogue pressure changes in the air.

Analog is something that operates on a continuum (wiggly line on paper), digital means it operates in discrete steps (you can think of it like a series of dots on the paper).

Take a light bulb and attach it to a switch. It can either be on or off - that's two discrete states so it's digital. Attach the light to a dimmer switch and it can have any brightness - it's operating in an analogue sense. Now you attach it to another switch which has 10 positions associated with 10 different brightness - it's still digital, but it's a better approximation of the analogue dimmer. Eventually you make a dial switch which has 1000 different positions - at this point its still digital under the hood, but effectively as far as a human can tell its an analogue device because the steps are so small.

Now you want to set the light to half brightness. On the analogue switch you do your best to turn the dial half way, but any minute error will be preserved. Let's say you're 1% off centre - your light will be 1% brighter/dimmer than you actually intended. On the digital one you turn it to position 500 - and every single time you can turn it there exactly time and time again.

So back to audio - analogue sound is recorded as some continuous phenomenon like how magnetised a piece of tape is, or the shape of a groove in a record. This is fine, however each time you make a copy of the analogue original you can never make an exact copy. If you make a copy of a copy it gets worse. Inside an electronic device the signal needs to go from place to place and at each stage can degrade slightly - also its very difficult to avoid external electromagnetic background noise being added along the way. Inside a single device, like a record player it's not a huge issue - but when you want to transmit/share and move the audio to an audience around the world it becomes a problem.

Now comes digital, its operating in discrete steps, so you can store your audio as a set of instructions along the lines of "set to sound level 100, set to sound level 90, set to sound level 85...." and so on. Since these instructions are discrete it's easy to make perfect copies of them and share them with others.

These instructions happen thousands of times a second. CD digital audio files have 44000 instructions per second and each instruction can be set to any of 65536 different levels - so it's actually quite a lot of data. There are tricks to compress this to less data while minimising audible differences but that's another topic.

To actually produce the sound from a digital source, you need something called an analogue to digital converter. There are a few ways to do this, but essentially you take all your discrete points in time and you join/smooth them together like drawing a smooth line through a set of points on a graph - this smoothed continuous signal can then be fed into a speaker (you can also feed certain digital signals into the speaker directly and the speaker does the smoothing for you since it can't move instantly from one position to another). To save digital audio in the first place, you use an Analogue to Digital converter which takes a reading from the microphone tens of thousands of times a second.


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

[User] ELI5: How do owls achieve noiseless flight?

[Assistant] A quick and simple explanation: they have huge wings compared to their body mass, they glide when they can, and are very good at gliding very slowly and thus quietly.  In addition they have special structures their feathers that help reduce noise.


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

[User]
Why did modern man's ancestors migrate to cold climates from warm ones?

It is well established that modern human ancestors began in warm climates, and migrated over many centuries into colder climates. So, why did they leave warm, hospitable climates for colder, harsher climates in the first place?

[Assistant] Any area can only support a limited amount of population, after that its starvation or migration. Plus natural disasters make people move. Repeat. In most places it gets cold just very little over distance so the migration is very gradually.


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

[User] ELI5 How unplugging and replugging my modem helps my internet connection.

[Assistant] Most modems have provision to reduce the data rate on the line if the error rate gets too high. Not all have the ability to try again later at a higher data rate, and revert if all is well. So each burst of interference on the line triggers your modem to reduce the data rate. To start again at a high rate, reset the modem by unplugging it for 15 secs or so.


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

[User] ELI5: How can computers detect and tag people's faces on Facebook, but can't read CAPTCHA?

[Assistant] Faces are all similar so can look for patterns like two eyes and sections of skin above (forehead) the eyes or below them (cheeks) while captchas generally dont have a pattern. The letters can be twisted or covered by lines which makes finding the shape hard.


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

[User] What is the white stuff inside pimples? What it's made out of, why we have it, and why does it exit in this way?

[Assistant]
A pimple is an infection. Bacterial infections begin with a bacterial pathogen and an inflammatory response to the pathogen. For pimples, anaerobic bacteria colonize a hair follicle and consume the sebum produced by sebaceous glands. This forms lipid byproducts which irritate the surrounding area. This inflammatory reaction recruits immune cells called neutrophils (a type of WBC). Neutrophils come in and dump bleach on the bacteria. As neutrophils die, they accumulate and form what we call pus or the white stuff. It only has one immediate way out; through the hair follicle to the skin surface. Thats why it exits that way.

Edit: correction about sebaceous glands (not sweat glands)

Edit2: Im getting a lot of questions about the one way out. Added that exit to the skin surface is the only immediate way out. After a few days the pimple will resolve following absorption back into the body.


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

[User]
Why doesn't plato appear as a character in his dialogues?

Just wondering why he writes as he is socrates, instead of writing as himself? or even writing about himself in third person? I know that he mentions himself very briefly but why not more? I have been searching for this answer for a long time and have yet to find a straightforward response.

[Assistant]
>I have been searching for this answer for a long time and have yet to find a straightforward response.

That is because there is no straightforward response to find. Plato did not write down anywhere his motives for not putting himself into his dialogues. We can speculate about why he did things, just like we can speculate about any author of fiction when it comes to why they did anything, but there is not one obvious right answer.


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

[User]
ELI5: How are spiders able to crate webs from A to B if said points are two trees or poles several metres away from each other?

Saw a line of spider web earlier today stretching across 2 trees that were several metres apart. The web was about 2 metres high off the ground. How exactly did the spider get from point A to B with It's web
?

[Assistant] They let out a web string and let it flow on the wind. The string is sticky, so as soon as it touches the other tree, it attaches there. Afterwards the spider can use that string as a base to create the rest of the web.


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

[User]
ELI5: Is picking and eating the contents of your nostril genetic? Also, is there a reason "we" do this?

I'm 27 years old and I think I've reasonably hidden this from my partner of 6 years. We have a 1 year old and a 3 year old. Our 3 year old also openly picks her nose and eats it, and continues to despite us chastising her every time she does.

I know I enjoy it because it's salty and helps unblock my nose. I also hold most likely misinformation that it boosts your immune system. I've been doing this as long as I can remember (childhood).

This isn't something you can generally ask people, so throwaway obviously but a genuine question and any information appreciated.

[Assistant] I suspect this behavior is quite common, and that it's similar to when animals lick to groom themselves.    Eating boogers could provide information as to whether one is sick, or perhaps help avoid leaving that information for predators.


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

[User]
ELI5: Is there something about soap in particular that makes it hurt more when it gets in your eyes?

I understand that eyes are sensitive organs and the body wants to protect them from pretty much everything, which is why we have eyelids and tear ducts and eyelashes. But it doesn't hurt all that much to open your eyes in water. Is there something in particular about soap, maybe its hydrophobic/hydrophilic nature or its basic PH that makes it hurt more?

Thank you,

Signed: someone who got soap in their eye in the shower today.

[Assistant]
Soaps are generally strongly basic, as bases are good for rendering the protein and fat molecules which we wash off plates and ourselves when cleaning. Breaking these molecules up allows them to be more easily wiped away. In addition, soap is a surfactant, which means it is capable of causing oil and water to mix by binding to both polar and nonpolar molecules. This means running water over a soap-soaked oil stain will remove it rapidly.

This is also why we use dish soap to clean wildlife in oil spills.

However, this is very unfortunate for your eyes, as the cell membranes in your corneal cells are also made of fats. Putting a dab of soap on them begins to literally render your eyes, which is incredibly painful specifically because that encourages you to dunk your head in water to wipe the soap off.


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

[User]
[LotR] Hypothetically speaking, is it possible to use the One Ring as a bashing weapon and beat Sauron to death with sheer brute force?

If yes, how often would such a person have to do this to keep Sauron dead most of the time?

[Assistant]
You can't kill Sauron. He doesn't die when he's defeated; he is merely diminished. `

Also, short of the Valar or Eru himself (or Tom Bombadil, but... that's a different case), there isn't anyone who could wield the Ring without succumbing to it. It's a part of Sauron's being; it is literally impossible to use it against him.


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

[User] ELI5: How did the pointed arches of Gothic architecture more efficiently support the weight of buildings, therefore allowing for taller buildings?

[Assistant]
The real genius behind Gothic architecture wasn't so much taller buildings, which you got with earlier styles of architecture at the expense of creating dark, windowless spaces. Rather, their genius was being in able to remove so much of the walls and just leave the arches.

The innovation with the Gothic style was the so-called flying buttress, in which architects figured out how to build just enough structure to hold the place up without having to fill the whole thing in with stone. So, suddenly, these tall buildings had support structures that allowed for incredible stained glass windows to fill in most of the space. Romanesque buildings let hardly any light in. Gothic cathedrals were mostly windows -- which was a new technology at that time.

The trick was in using arches to support arches rather than using arches to support walls. Roman and Romanesque arches were round because that was the most efficient structure for holding up the weight of solid stone above them. Gothic arches are pointed because they're supported by other arches, and instead of supporting stuff above them they're really just dangling stuff below.

The most stable structure you can build with three points is a triangle, and the Gothic arch is just a modified triangle. The overall shape may not be the same, but a base at the bottom and a point at the top is, mathematically, a triangle. Put a bunch of Gothic arches together, you've really just got a bunch of overlapping triangles. Overlap enough triangles, you don't need that much crap filling in the space within them in order to hold them up.

Build with rectangles, though? If you don't make those walls solid, they're going to fall down.


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

[User]
ELi5 : How do modern smartwatches calculate steps, blood pressure and oxygen level in blood ?

What are the technology behind this ?

[Assistant]
Oxygen level is done via the color of your blood. That is called  *Reflectance pulse oximetry.*

The watch shines a light on your skin and the color reflection lets it measure blood flow and oxygenation.

Steps are calculated by the accelerometer, which basically measures how fast and where the watch is going. There is a little math and analysis going on, but basically one swing forward and back is one step, because we swing our arms synchronous with our legs.


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

[User] ELI5: How did a piece of leather sharpen an olde timey razor when leather is softer than steel?

[Assistant]
The purpose of the leather isn't to "sharpen" it's to "hone".

In the first stage of getting dull the tip of the razor will bend. The leather strop is used to 'push' the tip back into the right alignment without removing any material. This process is called "honing", you should do it a lot, which is why you don't acutally want to use something hard that will remove material (you'd actually wear out the knife from loss of material).

If the knife becomes very dull then you start to do actual damage to the edge, and then you need to remove material to make a new edge. That process is called "sharpening".


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

[User] [Men In Black] If MIB uses a Neuralizer on you, will it affect you if your eyes are closed or if you are looking the other way? Does it only affect humans or can it do aliens too? Can you develop a resistance to it after multiple exposures or by willpower alone?

[Assistant]
No, it does not affect you if your eyes are closed.  It doesn't work through certain sunglasses either.

It doesn't affect you if you are looking the other way, which is why they ask you to look at it before they flash you.

It is alien technology, so it obviously affects certain alien races as well.

No, you can't develop resistance to it from multiple exposures, because they use it on coroner girl from the first movie repeatedly.  Same with willpower -- there's never any indication that it might fail to work on someone.


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

[User]
[MCU] Where was the Wakandan Air Force during the Battle of Wakanda in Infinity War?

I cant understand why the only air defense they used were Sam and Rhodey, when Wakanda obviously has planes.

[Assistant]
The real issue here is that Wakanda's military has been pretty much entirely ceremonial for centuries. Oh, they train and keep equipment up to date, but in terms of actual tactics and experience, Wakanda is awful at it, as they've never really had to fight a modern war, and are so caught up on keeping their past traditions alive, that the majority of their knowledge of how to fight a war is entirely based on ground troops.

They're great at small team black-ops missions, which is pretty much the only action that Wakandan forces ever see, but the Wakandan military is mostly ceremonial, and while the Wakandan troops were ready to fight, the generals were pretty clueless, and not really sure how to incorporate air support into a ground battle without hurting their troops in the process.

Wakanda is good, but they are flawed.


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

[User] ELI5: Why can I not plug a double ended USB into 2 laptops and just transfer files across?

[Assistant]
Because USB protocol follows master-slave convention. One device is "ruling" USB bus and other devices must follow. If you connect two computers that way, both would want to be "masters". There is also electrical problem, because both PC are providing power to 5V lines. If that circuitry is badly designed it could just fail when there is voltage from the other side present.

There are however special USB cables designed exactly for data transfer. They act like external network card.


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

[User]
Do the Gamblers Fallacy and regression toward the mean contradict each other?

If I have flipped a coin 1000 times and gotten heads every time, this will have no impact on the outcome of the next flip. However, long term there should be a higher percentage of tails as the outcomes regress toward 50/50. So, couldn't I assume that the next flip is more likely to be a tails?

[Assistant]
Past results do not influence future results when flipping coins. There will not be a higher percentage of tails to have the outcome regress to 50/50 - there will simply be so many flips that the thousand heads become an irrelevant factor on the total.
Also, getting a thousand tails in a thousand flips isn't going to happen. The chance is so small it might as well be zero.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why is it that on most fans, the switch is ordered as off, high, medium, and low?

I know this is a silly question but it always puzzled me. Why don't they just do off, low, med, then high?

[Assistant]
When you turn the fan on, the motor that powers the fan is running at max speed. When you turn the fan to medium or low, the motor is slowed down. Running the fan at the maximum speed of the motor is more efficient and the fan will last longer since the motor does not have to adjust to the increased power flow as you go from low to high.

There is not a lot of strain on the motor when you turn the fan on, as the current flows without any limitation, and when you turn the power off, the fan stops on it's own with no adjustment of the speed of the motor. When you turn the speed of the fan down, the loss of current slows the fan down. Again, no strain on the motor.


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

[User]
[Aliens] Were the Colonial Marines familiar at all with fighting alien life? Was this their first encounter with the xenomorphs or what?

In the film, Hicks even asks if it's another bug hunt. Is this related to xenomorphs or had they just been fighting other alien life?

[Assistant]
It was the first encounter with the xenomorphs, because they had too many questions about them which Ripley had to answer. And the fact that she was there as a consultant at all shows she was the only person available with knowledge of the species.

There's definitely other life out there that the marines may have fought. When Ripley first encountered them, they weren't shocked to see other life forms, they just wanted to get it off the guys face. And the ICC has a bunch of quarantine protocols for alien life, we know that because Burke wanted to get Ripley and Newt impregnated to get around them.


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

[User]
ELI5: Does it rain over all the Oceans and Seas? Are any areas over an Ocean or a Sea classified as deserts?

Well I was watching some documentary and they mentioned ancient dried up seas. This got me wondering why they dried up, the obvious answer was the geology changed. But then I thought to myself, so why didn't a giant lake form here instead and I realised that since the geology had changed, there had been so little rainfall that the water all evaporated.

Which means that a area over this Sea would not have gotten rain, making it a Desert, right?

Does that question even make sense? I am a bit high..

[Assistant]
There are definitely bodies of water which get rained on more or less depending on where they are. The amount of precipitation which falls in the arctic is very small compared to that which falls in a tropical region. Areas of ocean which are downwind from deserts also get very little direct precipitation.

Oceans and seas which can accept ocean water can maintain their water levels because the water will slosh around to roughly even things out. If a body of water gets cut off from oceans, then the area which it can draw water from becomes a lot smaller and this sea is now going to be much more affected by local weather than the larger oceans. All surface water bodies evaporate and most seep into groundwater as well and many lose water to creatures (particularly humans in recent timse), but if the water isn't being replenished fast enough, then the water level will drop and eventually disappear, but many water bodies surrounded by land are able to find a balance point for a long time where their levels stay within a particular range across the seasons.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does the liver have so much more regenerative properties than other organs?

[Assistant]
Firstly, the liver is not a mechanical organ like the heart or kidneys. Its functions are based entirely on chemistry, not on structure. Any liver cell anywhere can do what a liver cell does. So, if you remove a piece of the liver, the liver still works. This would not work for a mechanical organ like the heart, because the structure of the heart is absolutely key to how the heart functions. If you remove a piece of the heart, you fundamentally alter its mechanical properties.

Secondly, the liver is primarily tasked with de-toxifying toxic chemicals, and so it is constantly exposed to toxic chemicals. This constant exposure to toxins causes constant damage to liver cells. So liver cells have to constantly replace themselves as they become injured or killed in the line of duty.

Put these two facts together (the shape and placement of liver tissue is irrelevant and liver tissue has a high rate of cellular regeneration), and it adds up to the fact that the liver can regenerate itself far beyond what most other organs are capable of.


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

[User] Eli5, how do selective herbicides such as broadleaf weed killer work? Why do they only kill certain things?

[Assistant]
By targeting something that only that species or group of species have.

Because they are broadleaf, that means they are all related. Much like humans, chimps, gorilla's all share many characteristics because we all primates.

So we find something that all broadleaf has in common, that other plants don't and target that.

It could be a chemical that inhibits their growth, prevents cell division, something like that.

Anti biotics work in the same way. You take a drug that only hurts bacteria and not you, because it targets things only bacteria have.


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

[User] [blade runner] Deckard's gun has 2 triggers and other design elements that are characteristic for a rifle rather than a handgun, what could be the in-universe explanation for that?

[Assistant] The androids hes typically running down are significantly tougher to stop than a normal human being.  His sidearm is designed to give him a *small* advantage over routine police weapons in these situations, by providing variable ammo payloads and firing a higher caliber, higher velocity round.  Its why the thing kicks like a mule every time he fires it.


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

[User]
[superman] Were the kryptonians aware of their power before superman went to earth?

kryptonians were far more advanced than humans currently are. So, were they aware of their physiological reactions to the yellow sun? I was wondering if they could have simulated a room that would give them a massive dose of yellow sun radiation. Then, they could put on a space suit, and walk around their planet as a god and recharge as necessary. Maybe not as powerful as superman, but there could have been millions of super powered people. Im, not sure what destroyed their planet but maybe this could have prevented it.

*edit: I added italics here: I remember watching an episode of Justice League where some woman makes a room of red sun radiation and it drains superman of his powers. Could the opposite have been created on krypton?*

[Assistant]
In the movie universes, Jor-El at least definitely knew. In MoS its implied that is why he chose Earth as the destination in the first place.

In the comic universe its slightly less clear. Sending Kal-El away is often shown as a last ditch, spur of the moment decision to save their son rather than being premeditated and planned, as his landing on Earth is often written as being a chance happening.


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

[User]
I think I should go around telling a lot of the people in CMV that they have great views that don't need to be changed, CMV.

I was just reading the rules and I noticed that responding to OP is limited to challenges to the view and clarifications on what is being said.

I am bothered that I can't support their views directly and encourage them to feel good about their naturally formed opinions.

[Assistant]
Consider the possibilities for each OP you encounter.

Possibility #1: The OP is posting in this forum specifically because they want their view challenged.  They are either secure enough in their view that they aren't actually worried about said challenges, or they genuinely want to have their view changed.  Thus, they won't particularly enjoy having you reassure them about their existing view.

Possibility #2: The OP is here fishing for compliments, or with intent to troll, or is otherwise violating the spirit of the subforum.  They might like getting your support, but do you really want to encourage people to do precisely what this sub *isn't* about?

If you really want to let someone know you like what they have to say, just send them a personal message.


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

[User]
Could someone step me through the math/deduction/reasoning that Einstein did to come to the conclusion that bodies of mass and energy distort space-time, hence macroscopically observed as gravity?

Large or small, Responses all!

[Assistant]
You need three assumptions:

The laws of physics are the same for all inertial observers.

The speed of light is the same observers.

An observer in freefall is in an inertial frame.

A corollary of the third is that acceleration is indistinguishable from a gravitational field. Imagine being in an elevator in outer space, and suddenly you feel attracted to the floor. You can't tell if the elevator is accelerating one way, or if gravity is pulling you the other way. Now, imagine that there's a hole in the side of the elevator, and someone fires a laser through it. If the elevator is accelerating, the laser will follow a curved path (it's dusty inside, so you can see it). But because acceleration is indistinguishable from gravity, it could also be a gravitational field that is causing the laser beam to curve. But if the speed of light is the same for all observers, it means the path that light takes must be the shortest path, or else you could follow a Euclidean line and get there faster than light. This means that in order to be consistent with these assumptions, the presence of a gravitational field made it so that the shortest path through spacetime, the one that light takes, is curved.


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

[User]
What happens at a biochemical level to cause problems when a fever runs too high?

As a layperson, it seems sort of unbelievable that the reactions critical to human life could be optimal at 98.6 F, but be so far off base by 104F-106F that death is a possibility.  Can someone give some specific examples of why cells begin to die when a fever runs that high?

[Assistant] Eggs are mostly protein. When you cook an egg, do you notice how the white part of an egg is originally colorless and see through? Then after the egg reaches a certain temperature, the color turns white and it solidifies? Those physical changes occur because the protein has denatured. That is similar to what happens to your body and brain tissue when you run a very high fever. Although instead of getting a healthy meal, you die.


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

[User]
[Marvel] could Venom use a corpse to have a body without dealing with another mind?

if so, it would be an easy fix to do what he wants without worrying about what a host wants or needs.

[Assistant]
No, as his species name implies he's in a **symbiotic** relationship with the host and among other things absorbs nutrients from the host to survive.

So while he could suckle someone dry all at once it's more economical to just deal with them.


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

[User] ELI5: Why most animals can walk after birth but human babies and some others take a long time to learn?

[Assistant]
Humans are fairly unique among animals, in that the brain keeps growing after the baby is born. This is because human brains are so large, compared with our bodies, that human physiology is stretched to its limits at childbirth to try to accommodate it.

Human babies' heads are huge compared with their bodies! Women's pelvises are thus huge compared those of most animals, so as to be able to give birth to such a large head. Even so, the baby's brain will need to grow bigger. As a result, human babies' skulls are designed to expand for the first year or so after birth, before it fuses solid. It is during this time in the brain's development that the necessary brain function to walk appears.

Whereas animals are born with brains that developed fully inside the womb. This is why they can walk straight away.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Are there other grand moffs?

So IIRC, Grand Moff Tarkin was specifically in charge of the Outer Rim. In A New Hope, he mentioned that after dissolution of the senate, the regional governors will enact direct control over their territories. So, are there other grand moffs in charge of say the Mid Rim or Core Worlds etc?

[Assistant]
Yes. A Grand Moff is the chief military and civil leader of an Oversector, which is really just a large or politically important sector. At the time of the Battle of Yavin, there were two: Wilhuff Tarkin, Governor of the Outer Rim, and Lozen Tolruck, Governor of the Kashyyyk Sector. Grand Moff Randd would be the last "official" Imperial Grand Moff (i.e. not self-proclaimed after the death of the emperor).

Point of clarification: A Grand Moff and a Moff were military governors, and were often referred to as just "Governor." This was not considered a term of disrespect, but rather archaic as the term Moff had only been reintroduced relatively recently (soon after the proclamation of the New Order).

A Grand Moff, on paper, had no authority over any other Moff as technically they were in different hierarchies (a sector would not have a Moff and a Grand Moff, for example), but they were usually very highly respected individuals throughout the Empire.


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

[User]
Eli5: why is it so hard for Tesla to get their fit and finish up to the standards of other car companies?

Yes I have searched and I couldn't find an answer.

I can understand why perfect paint jobs are hard, they just are. However, with things like panel gaps being bigger in some spots, or interior panels not lining up correctly, how does that happen? I would think that all these body panels and interior panels are stamped or molded on the same machines, so shouldn't they all be exactly the same and therefore fit together the same?

[Assistant] Cars are incredibly complicated assemblies. The major traditional manufacturers have spent decades working out how to do this. You are correct that stamped parts coming off a tool will be very similar, although tools do wear over time. The variation can also occur when parts are assembled. If you have 0.5 mm variation in how two parts meet, an assembly that has ten parts could result in a 5 mm variance, which would be enough for a hole not to match up with a mating part.


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

[User]
CMV:I believe hunter and gatherers are more content with life than civilians in the civilized world

In a practical sense, our basic needs are pretty much nutrients and water. Everything is society, such as wealth, income, education, and etc are just there to make our lives appear meaningful. They don't exist in the physical world. Hunter and gatherers don't need these social hierarchies to find meaning in their existence. Okay, they may have shorter life expectancy. So what? There's no philosophical explanation on why life has to be long. The fact is that we, civilians, have to create allusion to make our lives content.

[Assistant]
Every time this question comes up it's framed as it technological advancement were some supernatural change that had been thrust upon us.

***Hunter gatherers built the civilized world in order to escape theirs.***

History has already asked the hunter gathers which world they preferred.  Those chose ours, and dedicated their lives to making it so.


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

[User] [Star Trek] Was Noonien Soong's given name ever described as taboo? After the Eugenics Wars, it kind of feels like naming your kid "Adolf".

[Assistant]
Modern Trek really overhypes Khan as the definitive Big Bad of Earth's past, but that's not really the case. When Kirk's crew first picks up Khan and popsicles, they don't even recognize him. They have to look his name up in a database just to see who he is, so that answers your first question. The name "Khan Noonien Singh" to the modern Federation would be like introducing yourself as Temujin at your local gas station. Sure, a history buff might perk up a little bit at the name, but the everyday person would still need to wiki search you to find out who you were.

Even when the crew learns Khan's true identity, they actually kind of love him. It's not an instantaneous negative reaction like if you were to meet Hitler, they actually hold an honest debate between them if Khan represents the classical idea of the benevolent tyrant. Only Spock remains somewhat skeptical, and even then, the crew of the Enterprise only turns on Khan when he holds them all hostage.

So maybe in the immediate aftermath of the Eugenics Wars, the name Khan Noonien Singh would have held some stigma, but that entire period of history seems to hold more of a stigma towards the practice of genetic manipulation and enhancement than towards any one individual person.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Do the 90s Thrawn books still fit the timeline of the 2017 reboot?

Hello!

I just started reading Thrawn (2017) and realized there are 3 previous books that are now Legends from the 90s by the same author.

I understand that these are no longer *canon*, but if I were to choose to read them after Thrawn, Thrawn: Alliances, and Thrawn: Treason would their story make sense and still fit the later timeline or is anything directly contradictory?

I am still very early in the books, so a non-spoiler answer would be greatly appreciated. (I'm also not sure if 'reboot' is the correct term so apologies there).

[Assistant] There's a ton of stuff that doesn't line up or fit anymore. While the broad strokes aren't going to contradict each other all the minor details that build the story will. The clone wars in 90's legends were vastly different. Thrawn himself is a little goofier but still a great character. Several very important figures are dead in canon or never existed in legends. And the era that heir of the empire and the other two takes place in is radically different than the one in canon.


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

[User]
(Iron Giant) Where did the Iron Giant come from?

Why was built in a human shape but could transform? What was he sent there to do? Was he a possible emissary for an alien species (given his ability of speech, and learning), and if things went awry was he to destroy humanity?

[Assistant]
I always thought he was an advance weapon ala the Infiltrator Scarabs of the Reach.  Same concept.  Iron Giant hits his head, malfunctions, forgets his mission.  That's why he had all those weapons--he was supposed to take over the world.

Same concept as Goku, as well.


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

[User]
ELI5: What are the cultural differences between China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan?

I understand most of the political history, but aren't the cultures of these three remarkably similar? Is it just the governments keeping these peoples separate?

[Assistant] This is a huge question. The "major" difference is that Hong Kong and Taiwan are more traditionally Chinese (pre-Cultural Revolution), but with a tiny bit of Japanese influence from WWII occupation. (Hong Kongers and Taiwanese are, at least, less likely to viscerally hate Japanese.) In fact, Hong Kong and Taiwan have more in common with some overseas (i.e. American) Chinese communities than with the Mainland Chinese. Naturally, Hong Kong has a lot of British influence (people queue up), while Taiwan has some Native Taiwanese (essentially Polynesian) influence. Also, check out Macau -- the former colony of Portugal.


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

[User] ELI5: How do trees determine where to branch, and is it more dependent on DNA or environment?

[Assistant]
Photosensitive growth hormones.

Just like your body uses chemicals such as testosterone to tell it's cells when and how to grow, trees and plants have their own equivalents, only some of the plant-hormones react to light.

The hormones that decide where a new branch start are (in some trees) more active when exposed to light, while the ones that decide which side of a branch should grow faster (to make a curve) are deactivated by direct light.

So it's almost entirely dependent on the environment, to the point that if you're growing chillies in your window you can change their growth pattern by rotating the pot they're in.


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

[User] Why do some electronics (wifi routers) tell us to wait five minutes when restarting?

[Assistant]
Many rectified low voltage electronics have capacitors that smooth the voltage.  When in use, these devices use a small amount of current.  When unplugged, the capacitors will have a residual charge that keeps the system "powered" for a brief period of time.  You may notice an LED light slowly dim when unplugged before turning off.

Leaving it unplugged for a brief period of time makes sure it completely powers down internally while the capacitors fully discharge for a proper reset.

5 minutes is probably overkill.

Note that certain power circuits and motors have or require temporary surge currents.  Typically these systems have a delay or soft start when turned on to avoid problems associated with quick and multiple power cycles.  But not always.  Waiting a few minutes helps avoid problems.


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

[User] ELI5: How do we know that languages like Sanskrit and most the European languages are descended from the same language but languages like Basque we know are completely unrelated to any known language?

[Assistant] We can compare the words for different things in different languages. If the words are almost the same then it is likely that the languages are very closely related. For example Spanish and Portuguese share a lot of words and grammar. The less similar they are the longer back they separated. For example Spanish and French both share some words and most words have the same base but are pronounced and spelled differently. When you get really far back it can be hard to see how they are related but you can track some words back to their origins. For example French and German sounds very differently but if you compare each word you can find similarities. Where possible you can also go back in ancient texts and find the original common language between them. For example French and Hindu have very little in common but there are texts from the bronze age which show similarities with both of the languages. And then you have languages like Basque, Mandarin and Finish which do not have anything in common with most other languages even how hard we try to find a link.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do stores like Walmart or Meijer have 25 registers yet only keep 2 open?

[Assistant]
It doesn't cost much to install registers. It does cost a lot to pay people to stand next to them. Most stores have software that predicts how many customers they'll have that day & thus the absolute minimum number of employees they need. Sometimes they'll underestimate (and often managers are encouraged to staff a little bit under the software estimate to save money). But, usually they'll have the minimum necessary to get people through.

On Black Friday they might need to have every register staffed, and they actually will be. Every other day, it costs the store nothing to have extra registers sitting there, and they will have just enough open to get everyone through (in a time they've estimated will not make you quit shopping there) & still make a profit.


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

[User]
ELI5: How can the SCOTUS rule that healthcare laws put too much pressure on states to comply when it was ok to use federal highway funding to pressure states into adopting the national speed limit and drinking age?

There was a 2012 ruling in healthcare where the SCOTUS said fed put too much pressure on states. Now, today, they're discussing this idea with the Affordable Care Act and the fed withholding tax credits for compliance. This idea sounds ridiculous to me in light of all the federal laws passed by holding money hostage from states, such as speed limit and drinking age. Can anyone explain this contradiction?

[Assistant]
In *South Dakota v. Dole*, South Dakota challenged the federal government's conditioning of highway funds on states raising the drinking age to 21. South Dakota wanted to continue to let 19-year-olds drink and receive federal money. The Court held that the government can condition policy changes on funds provided that condition is related to the funds being withheld. In that case, the funds were related because the reason the federal government wanted to raise the drinking age was to help cut down on drunk driving.

In *National Federation of Independent Business, et al. v. Kathleen Sebelius*, which is prior ACA case and the one where the Court laid out the rule about pressure that Justice Kennedy is referring to, the funds that would be withheld were clearly related to the policy change (everything had to do with medical care), so that argument wasnt made. Instead, the Court said that the government could pressure states, but not coerce them. In drawing the distinction between pressure and coercion, the Court pointed out that the funds that were being withheld from South Dakota amounted to about  .5% of South Dakotas budget, but here some of the funds would account for 10% of a states budget. The court didnt draw a clear line between what is pressure and what is coercion, but it said that .5% is pressure and 10% is coercion. The line is somewhere in between there.

Here are the relevant case excerpts. From *South Dakota v. Dole*:

>Incident to this power, Congress may attach conditions on the receipt of federal funds, and has repeatedly employed the power "to further broad policy objectives by conditioning receipt of federal moneys upon compliance by the recipient with federal statutory and administrative directives."The breadth of this power was made clear in United States v. Butler, 297 U. S. 1, 297 U. S. 66 (1936), where the Court, resolving a longstanding debate over the scope of the Spending Clause, determined that "the power of Congress to authorize expenditure of public moneys for public purposes is not limited by the direct grants of legislative power found in the Constitution. [Internal citations omitted]

And from *National Federation of Independent Business, et al. v. Kathleen Sebelius*:

> Congress may use its spending power to create incentives for States to act in accordance with federal policies. But when pressure turns into compulsion, ibid., the legislation runs contrary to our system of federalism. [T]he Constitution simply does not give Congress the authority to require the States to regulate. New York, 505 U. S., at 178. That is true whether Congress directly commands a State to regulate or indirectly coerces a State to adopt a federal regulatory system as its own.

From the same opinion:

>It is easy to see how the Dole Court could conclude that the threatened loss of less than half of one percent of South Dakotas budget left that State with a prerogative to reject Congresss desired policy, not merely in theory but in fact. 483 U. S., at 211212. The threatened loss of over 10 percent of a States overall budget, in contrast, is economic dragooning that leaves the States with no real option but to acquiesce in the Medicaid expansion.


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

[User] If the Moon was orbiting the Sun instead of the Earth, would it be classified as a planet or a dwarf planet ?

[Assistant] If it was orbiting amongst a collection of similarly sized bodied and didn't have enough mass to gravitationally affect them and toss them out of that orbit, then it would be classified as a dwarf planet. Like Pluto and Charon cannot clear out their orbit of other Kuiper Belt objects. Yes, it's a dodgy definition, but it works for the time being until there's a better one!


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

[User]
What are the differences between Nietzsches Will to Power and Schopenhauers Will to Life?

I know Nietzsche took many of Schopenhauers pessimistic ideas and transformed them to be more life affirming, but how does the Will to Power differentiate from Schopenhauer? Schopenhauer writes a lot about how humans can never be satisfied and that life is a pendulum between pain and boredom, so does Nietzsche comment on this?

[Assistant] Schopenhauer's Will is to be suppressed and eliminated, since it is the origin of all suffering. On the other hand, Nietzsche's Will is to grow and have its influence on the subject's life, since it is the only way he can live an authentic life.


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

[User] [D&D] Why does the skill, "use magic item" require the charisma stat modifier?

[Assistant] Charisma represents force of personality and innate aptitude for magic in D&D (and a few other seemingly unrelated things.  Its a bit of a grab bag stat).  It's the same reason why sorcerers and bards use their charisma bonus for spellcasting.


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

[User]
(General) Why would someone invade a planet already settled?

Why would we invade a planet? If it's settled then all you would need to do is establish a blockade and make any ship coming off planet pay a tax and if it doesn't it's boarded and taken or just blown up.

The argument against is that it's really hard to have that many ships surrounding one planet, let alone multiple systems. However when you think about it you probably need 100 million to 1 billion troops to attack, take and secure a planet.

The only reason I can think of invading a planet is for religious reasons (cleanse the infidel) or genocide (which can fall under religious).

[Assistant]
Well for the reasons you listed (and genocide doesn't always fall under religion).

If you don't need the tax money then a blockade is pointless. Maybe the native population doesn't even have taxable space flight (earth).  Could be territorial and we're too close to their home or political and were made out to be a threat (earth peoples are terrorist!). The invaders might not be intelligent and just attack anything they can find. Maybe your space craft suck but your ground game is unmatched or you receive great honor in face to face combat?

Edit: Forgot one, maybe they need to build a highway!
Seems to me when were making justifications for war... any reason will do.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does room temperature water feel cold (in your mouth) after chewing minty gum?

[Assistant]
You're triggering cold-sensing nerves.

 When you drink water, you're washing other chemicals off of those cold-sensing nerves, and the menthol remaining in your mouth snags right onto them and sets them off.  (You get similar effects when you drink water after eating other foods, like artichokes.)

It doesn't actually lower the temperature of anything, but the nerves think that they do, and that's all that matters.


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

[User]
Is long-run economic growth going to be higher after the corona crisis?

I recently got into economics and while studying the Solow model, the main conclusion I got is to maintain economic growth technological progress is required. As far as I know, this crisis has led to increasing technological advances.

In so a question has been bothering me, after we reach steady-state, would the economic growth be higher because of accelerated technological progress? Or is my reasoning flawed?

[Assistant]
Could you elaborate?

The assumption that technology creates most long-term economic growth relies on the assumption that all tech is some kind of efficiency or quality improvenent. The COVID vaccine and policies might not have a long-term effect if they are only used to solve one crisis (although getting out of the crisis faster is good for the economy). However if this leads to a change in culture, international cooperation and medical research then it will improve the long term economy. On issue complicating this is that the long term economy is mostly made up of short-term economies, so while innovation might have positive longterm effects, some short term issues (slowed down education and investment now) might slow down economic growth in the long run.


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

[User]
[META] With all due respect, what has happened to this subreddit?

I mean no disrespect at all, I used to really value and enjoy the discussions that went on in this sub but as of recently it seems that Rule 1 and Rule 3 are being broken constantly and nothing is being done about it anymore.

In the past, I would take the time to report inappropriate comments and posts (whilst trying to redirect users towards more appropriate subs) because I wanted to do my part and help maintain the quality and legitimacy of this sub but now it seems to be overrun and neglected.

Can anyone (mods?) shed any light on this? I would be more than willing to do my part if we had some reassurance that it was still being maintained.

[Assistant] Just needs more active modding.  A sub like this is prone to become overrun with people asking for diagnostic impressions, and as long as that's happening, laypeople are going to weigh in with what they read on wikipedia or heard in their undergrad classes.  It just needs to be modded out.