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

[User]
[Pacific Rim] Why does the Chinese Jeager have buzz saws?

I mean, isn't it counterproductive and ineffective? They spill toxic blood everywhere, won't outright kill a Kaiju (gotta let it *bleed out* first) and you need to be in close range.

[Assistant] The buzz saws are a last ditch weapon for the Crimson Typhoon. Ideally they would use punches and their plasma casters first to attack a Kaiju. Which as they had a unique 3 person neural handshake they were able to do with martial art precision.  The thundercloud formation was supposed to be used to weaken a Kaiju only if they started to get the upper hand and to buy them time to defeat them. Yes it would cause huge environmental damage but it was effective when things got bad.


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

[User] [Star Trek] Can cargo transporters transport humans in an emergency? And if no, why not?

[Assistant]
They can, they do, and several episodes do exactly this.

It's just nicer to arrive in a fancy transporter room than right next to some tank leaking coolant with the words "DANGER - POISON" written on it.

Pretty sure this is how Scotty grabbed the survivors of the "Nexus Incident" in Generations.


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

[User] [Death Note] L has Near with him from the beginning of the Kira investigation, what changes?

[Assistant]
Nothing changes. The only reason why Near managed to get Light is because of Mello. Near and Mello represented two separate parts of L - Near was the logical/analytical side that always sat on the sidelines, and Mello was the 'gut-feeling' side that took direct action.

Separately, they were both inferior to L. Near even admits this when he talks to Light at the end. It's only because they combined their efforts that they were able to overcome L and finally 'win' against Light. It's most likely that Near working with L wouldn't make a difference, as any ideas or perspectives that Near would have come up with would have already been considered and evaluated by L.

In fact, it's possible that Near's involvement with L would've actually *hindered* the investigation, given his overly-cautious nature. L was able to make huge leaps forward in the case by taking massive risks such as revealing his identity directly to Kira and associating with Misa Amane. Near would've rejected these methods in favor of something more discreet and would have suggested other more subtle methods that would've inevitably stalled the investigation. L always preferred things being done his specific way, even splitting himself off from others in order to do so, as seen when he tackles the case on his own after having disagreements with Light's father about how they should proceed. He'd probably get into a dispute with Near about how they should continue the case and eventually go solo again, causing things to happen the same way it is in the manga.


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

[User]
CMV: News media should be more elitist.

We dont let doctors without a degree practice medicine.

Why dont we require every journalist to have a university degree in journalism?

The Internet has unlocked large viewership for the common folk. You no longer need capital to buy a printing press, or a TV station.

Now, it requires a $10 webcam, which means you can make journalistic content at a zero budget. That includes a zero budget for the investigative reporters. The staff can be $0.

What has this led to? Excesses like Alex Jones.

In 1970, there would not be a single TV host who had the liberty of making up any crazy story they wanted, and present it while mentally completely gone.

It is popular to denounce elitism, but current society needs an educated, balanced elite and cannot leave information dissemination to the mentally deranged.

Every Tom, Dick and Harry with a million viewer platform is **not** a good thing.

**UPDATE:** Thank you to all respondents. Consider my **view changed.** Instead of controlling news sources, it is better to focus on the audience, and try to promote critical thinking skills.

[Assistant]
>In 1970, there would not be a single TV host who had the liberty of making up any crazy story they wanted, and present it while mentally completely gone.

In 1970, people weren't sharing stories (on the national scale) about how the FBI was infiltrating unions or left-leaning organizations.

The ability for ordinary citizens to report and share stories (like that) with people beyond their immediate community, is a massive improvement in cultivating social awareness of authoritarianism and government overreach.


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

[User]
Inequality in India in 2021 and in the 1980s.

According to statistics I read online, the top 1% of India takes up about 22% of the national income- the highest it has ever been since 1922 when India was under the British rule. This figure dropped drastically in the 1980s where the top 1% took up 6% of the national income. What happened in the 1980s that caused this decrease in inequality?

[Assistant]
(1) Trends in reported vs unreported income. Half a century ago it was much easier to manipulate the books and hide the profits, esp by the upper middle and the upper class
(2) Widening of the upper-middle class because of much improved education rates and totally new industries like IT and outsourced services
(3) More detailed tracking and reporting of lower class by encouraging free to open and operate bank accounts and other services. The only standardized identification system arrived in the past decade

Also while reading these numbers please remember median annual income in India is $1600, while someone with decent education and working on a decent middle class job earns around $10000 per year. In contrast median income in the US is $31000.

So see the numbers as improved reporting and statistics.


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

[User] [McDonald's] Does the Hamburglar steal out of necessity or does he just do it for the thrills?

[Assistant] He's a burger kleptomaniac, really. There's no need for anyone in McDonaldland to steal food; there's food everywhere. Nor, since he always gets caught in the end, can there be much thrill in it. It's a compulsion.


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

[User] ELI5: how can a torrent that is said to have 0 seeds and 0 leechers download just as fast as a torrent with hundreds?

[Assistant]
You can't download a file without and seeds or leechers. The seeds/leechers count in a BitTorrent client should be correct, but the count on sites are usually not for several reasons:

* The site probably only checks the trackers, while proper clients also use DHT and peer exchange.
* The seeds/leechers count on the site might be outdated. The tracker list on the site probably lists the last update time and lets you refresh the count.
* Some torrents have a link to the content on a regular file server so it can be downloaded using HTTP for example. This functions like a seed (aside from using a different protocol), but is rarely included in the seed count, even by the download client.
* Some trackers might be unreachable or unsupported by the site's software.


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

[User]
Why do we think gravitational waves travel at the speed of light?

I went to a talk by Kip Thorne the other day and I've been thinking about gravitational waves a lot since then. I understand we assume they do travel at the speed of light for triangulation in LIGO. But what if they don't? Could we measure it somehow? If so, when? Will LISA help? I would guess we'd probably need some very characteristic event to be measured at two different places (LISA and LIGO in the future maybe?). Why can't we already measure it this way with the instruments we have?

[Assistant]
The answer is we aren't 100% sure, but it seems like they should. The closest thing to evidence we have (afaik) is observing binary pulsars orbiting each other whose orbits are decaying due to gravitational radiation. The rate of this energy loss is measurable and is dependent on the speed of gravity. Afaik, looking at these kinds of systems has provided some strong evidence that gravity travels with a few percent of c (so most likely c).

edit: also to answer your question about why can't already measure it. Gravity is incredibly weak. Consider that all of the combined mass of the earth is trying to pull you down through the floor, but the only reason you don't fall through the floor is because the electrons in your feet are pushing against the electrons in the floor. We can easily create electromagnetic fields and measure their strength, but to try and measure the gravitational waves created by something terrestrial (Like a big weight or something moving up and down) would take levels of precision we are no where even close to achieving. Basically our only chance of observing a gravitational wave would come from massive astronomical events.


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

[User] ELI5: why do our noses get runny after spending time outside in chilly weather? (Is it related to having a cold)?

[Assistant]
Hey hon!

You know how, when you put your hand in really hot water, you pull away real fast cause it felt super hot? It's cause water is really good at making things super hot or super cold really fast. Our noses do this too.

If your lips get too dry, sometimes it can crack and hurt a lot, right? We really don't want that to happen inside us, so we have to keep our insides wet.

When it's really cold out, the water in our noses run out really quickly. This is no good, so our noses decide to make a ton more!

This is great, lots of wetness, but it's a little too great, which gets bad. There's no rulers or measuring clocks in our noses. Once it gets started, it works too hard. Now we have all this water overflowing, like when we pour too much water in the sink and it goes over the sides.

That's your runny nose.


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

[User]
How does a problematic sense of 'self' present itself?

Some personality disorders seem to present issues with a person's sense of self. For example, BPD lacking a persistent sense of self, or NPD having issues with self-image. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)

I imagine 'sense of self' problems can manifest in various ways. Maybe a person struggles to identify who they are, whether to themselves or in how they relate to others. Maybe they copy and absorb the personalities around them. Or, maybe they project a fake personality to the detriment of their own true needs.

I'm not a professional, so I'm not sure this is accurate. How can these identity issues manifest in adults, if you can provide any symptoms or examples? Does it automatically mean someone has a personality disorder, or can it be reduced to struggles with self-awareness?

[Assistant]
Self-awareness is about how accurate somebody is in their understanding of how **others** perceive them. It doesn't really have anything to do with one's own sense of self.

I would say that somebody with a 'problematic sense of self' has a personal problem with who they are. For example, they don't like, know, or trust themselves.

I think looking at personality disorders is a good way to understand how this manifests. However, these are more extreme cases.

>Does it automatically mean someone has a personality disorder

No. Somebody can be avoidant without having AvPD. Somebody can be narcissistic without having NPD. the difference between these people and somebody with a personality disorder is in the degree of severity.


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

[User]
ELI5: Can a 4th primary color exist?

In one of the billions of universes that exist and stretch possibily to infinitiy, can a 4th color exist? Or is our color wheel a scientific fact of some sort that spans all of existence?

[Assistant]
Humans are Trichomic, which is a fancy way to say that we see three primary colors.  This is because we have three types of color-sensitive cone cells in the eye- one red, one green, and one blue.  There is no way for us to see or perceive another primary color because it would require another type of cone cell to be present in our eyes.

There are many animals that have a different number types of cone cells in their eyes.  This allows them to see different primary colors than us.  Dogs for example are Dichromic (2 colors), and birds are Tetrochromic (4 colors). Some species have even have more cone types than that.

Fun fact: Goldfish are tetrochromic.  They can see red, green, blue, and ultraviolet as their primary colors.  Exactly how this is any use to them is unknown to me.


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

[User]
[general space navy combat] Why do we never see FTL propulsion used with kinetic weapons?

Couldn't a few grains of sand at warp speed destroy an entire fleet or planet? If we can move dreadnoughts and capital ships at these speeds, then there must me an insane amount of kinetic energy that is produced, and would make an unbelievably powerful weapon.

[Assistant]
If a ship moving at warp speed really carries such an enormous amount of energy, then it must require enormous amounts of energy to accelerate to warp speed. So... why not just cut out the middleman and direct your power source into a laser cannon or a bomb or some such? The warp drive isn't a necessary part of this weapon.

But there's no reason to think that things moving at warp speed have large kinetic energy. Sure, under normal circumstances the faster you're moving then the more energy you have. But no matter how much raw kinetic energy you pump into your ship, it will never reach (let alone surpass) the speed of light. Warp drives have to be based on completely different physics than ordinary rocket engines. They may not require large amounts of kinetic energy to go fast.


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

[User] Optometrists, can I keep wearing contact lenses after they've expired?

[Assistant] YES there is a problem.  Its a medical device.  Protein builds up on the lenses and blocks oxygen from getting to your eye. You are slowly strangling your eye and this will cause long term damage. DON'T DO IT.


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

[User] [SW] What would have likely happened had Luke not left Dagobah to save Han and Leia?

[Assistant]
Well for starters Luke keeps his hand.

The fact is, not a lot changes for Han and Leia. Han still gets frozen in Carbonite and shipped to Jabba for a time. Leia gets rescued by Lando and they go back to the Rebellion and plan how to free Han.

Luke stays and gets several months of intense training with Yoda, he probably does get told that Vader is his father when he is ready for it. When he finally faces Vader, there is no surprising revelation that he is his father, and chances are there is no redemption for Vader as Luke kills him in the duel. Now the showdown with Palpatine is anyone's guess.


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

[User]
CMV: If you wouldn't eat a dog because it's smart and has feelings, you shouldn't eat other animals that match/exceed its intelligence, i.e. cows, pigs, octopi.

I understand that dogs are practically worshipped in Western culture and the thought of eating one would horrify most people. That's why I wouldn't call anyone who eats other smart animals like pigs a monster; culturally, dogs are pets in the west, and pigs and cows are usually not. I get that.

I myself would never eat dog or cat meat, as I've had both as pets and know just how empathetic and intelligent they are. I figured I was hypocritical for eating the above listed in the title, since those animals are just as capable of high intelligence and emotion.

This isn't to say that my choice is based on the way these animals are slaughtered (I've heard that dogs in China are viciously mistreated before being prepared for consumption), though I'd argue that pigs and cows are treated horribly before they're slaughtered in lots of places.

In short, I don't think people who eat cow, pig, etc. are monsters, but I do think that if you would never eat a dog or a cat, you shouldn't eat them, either.

[Assistant]
See... it's not just "has feelings", but *expresses feelings in a way that our empathetic sense reacts to*. And also, we have co-evolved for long enough that people actually encounter this during their normal lives.

Dogs' emotions are *expressive*, and that causes evolved mechanisms to be triggered that help us form societies. Cows, pigs, and octopi don't express these feelings in ways that humans' empathy is commonly triggered by.

And also, since we don't commonly live in our homes with those animals, we haven't *learned* those empathic reactions.

Furthermore, we have good reason to be *deeply suspicious* of people that don't appear to exercise empathy, however we perceive that trait.

Such non-empathetic people threaten the advantages we gain as a species from being able to live in societies.

TL;DR: it's not an abstraction: *if*, and only if, cows actually cause you to react to them with empathy, do you have a good reason not to eat them. Because overriding that empathic reaction is inherently antisocial.


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

[User] [Star Wars] If blasters shoot magnetically sheathed plasma (matter), and Galileo proved all objects fall at the same speed no matter the mass (9.8 m/s), why do blaster bolts have no drop?

[Assistant]
Because at the range that most blasters are used at, any drop would be negligible. While there are blaster sniper rifles, they are ultimately pretty rare.

Beyond their effective ranges, blaster bolts tend to lose cohesion before they would start dropping, as well.


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

[User] ELI5: Why can you feel your pulse beating in a painful wound?

[Assistant] Inflammation is a big part of what causes pain. Inflammation also causes your arteries to constrict, raising blood pressure in the area. Higher blood pressure makes your pulse easier to feel. Up to and including perceiving it passively (typically as a throb).


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

[User] Is computer science a science or a branch of engineering?

[Assistant]
Good question!  You can classify most sub-fields of computer science as branches of either math, science, or engineering.  For example theory is very much a branch of math while computer systems is more engineering.

I would say that its very difficult to give one label to all of computer science, so if you need to give a label it's probably better to do so on a case-by-case basis for each sub-field of CS.


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

[User]
Should I complain about my English professor to the department head?

We have had 4 papers to write this semester. This is 101 course and I'm here to improve my writing. There are two weeks of school left before we turn in our papers for publication. Because of a mix up in HIS schedule, he informed us today we will receive no feedback on our papers, and won't know our grades until two weeks before the next semester starts. I'm in class everyday, I haven't missed one. All I want is a 1 on 1 with him to understand what he wants from my writing. He has been doing 1 on 1's with select students this week. In three days of class he has talked with 4 students out of 30. Today I waited for an hour while he was literally writing an intro for another student, while I'm left with comments other students made on my papers. This is the 3rd class in a row this exact situation has occurred. He also has NO office hours. I'm really at a loss because I like him as a person, but I can't focus on my other classes because of this.

TL;DR: English teacher messed up his schedule and is giving grades very late which could affect my scholarship. He is also disproportionally giving 1 on 1's leaving me with no help but advice from other students in my class. Which is really no help because they know as much as I do.

If this isn't the right sub I apologize and would appreciate a point in the right direction.

[Assistant]
Yes, you should.

Writing/composition instructors should be giving feedback to students in a reasonable amount of time so that they can revise appropriately (or to take into account for future assignments).

If your instructor has not been providing this feedback, and if you have no idea what your grade is likely to be, then this should be reported to the dept. head.

The lack of office hours is also a problem, yes.

I have no idea about the "turn[ing] in our papers for publication" part, though. If it's a 101 course, what kind of publication would this be?


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

[User]
ELI5: Do bees know that they will die if they sting a human? Or is just a natural response when in danger?

Also to add to this, why do they die when they lose their stinger?

[Assistant]
I don't think bees have existential thoughts about the consequences of using their stingers.

Bees can be classified as a super-organism where individual members cannot thrive on their own. It requires a whole hive of bees for survival and reproduction. Each bee is like a cell in the "body" known as a hive. Like our white blood cells that will attack foreign particles and end up dying, forming pus, bees will attack invaders as a natural response.

Bees die when their barbed stingers are embedded. Since the stinger is stuck, when the bee pulls at the stinger, it actually breaks off the back part of it's abdomen. The stinger remains with some organs that keep pumping the venom as well as parts of it's digestive track. The bee cannot survive without that part of their body so they eventually die.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] How long do Jedi mind tricks work?

Did those stormtroopers on Tatooine think "Wait, those WERE the droids we were looking for!" at the end of their shift? The next day? Never?

The incident with Obi-Wan and the deathstick pusher seems to indicate it's long-term or indefinite. Would it be possible for someone to, as it were, get a second Will save to snap out of it--perhaps if someone points out that it doesn't make sense?

[Assistant] It works until they're convinced otherwise. It can essentially be thought of as a little switch in the mind that takes a lot of work to change normally, but a mind trick is an automatic flip. The troopers were suspicious that those could be the droids, and it would have taken a decent amount of convincing (records and such) to convince them otherwise. Then Obi-Wan flipped the switch into their heads to the "not what we're looking for" position. They would be in that position until someone points out to them later that they *were* the ones they were looking for.


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

[User]
[Marvel] Does the Punisher's one man war have an actual effect on crime?

I've read a few Punisher comics, mostly the MAX one's, and I was wondering if crime rates are actually lower. I mean, they probably are, but is there ever a part in any of the comics where it's said that Frank's war has caused a significant drop in crime? In most of the comics I've read, most criminals know about and fear the Punisher, but that doesn't really stop them from being criminals. Even when he has an insane body count. In one of the MAX comics it was in the thousands.

[Assistant]
Not really. The most immediate effect of his actions are often power vacuums that are filled with people who were outside of the dead criminal's influence (rival gangs swallowing the territory, for example), or were previously too small time for Frank to notice, but want to make a name for themselves. Sometimes he outright increases the crime rate in his wake.

There are countless reasons why people would descend into the world of violent crime, and thus make an enemy of Frank. So there are countless new people waiting to fill the gaps that the Punisher makes.


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

[User] [Lord of the Rings] Why are Eru, the one true god in the Abrahamic sense, as well as his loyal followers comfortable with the Valar being worshiped?

[Assistant]
No enlightened civilizations of Elves or Men worshiped the Valar. When the Elves first saw Orome, they mistook him for a wrathful god, but he straightened that out the moment he could. They respected the Valar and acknowledged their power and authority, but that's not really the same thing. They weren't seen as gods to be worshiped, more like a big brother that Father has put in charge while he's away. This is especially true of the Elves, who lived and spoke with them directly for many years before everything went to hell. While the free peoples would pray to them and ask for their assistance, the Valar were not worshiped and had no desire to be.

None of this is true for the Dwarves, since they came about under entirely different circumstances. They were actually created by one of the Valar, Aule, and are his children. While the religious beliefs and rites of the Dwarves are not shared with outsiders, they do worship and revere Aule as their father. They recognize Eru is mightier still, but Aule stills holds their devotion.


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

[User] [Harry Potter] Why did Wizards retreat into secrecy, instead of using their powers to become a permanent elite caste ruling over the Muggles?

[Assistant]
I think that, despite their magics, they are vastly outnumbered and to rule they would have had to brutally and totally subjugate the muggles.
Being out in the open and not being in power would leave them open to superstitious muggles conducting witch trials.


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

[User]
Are there chemical reactions on the Sun?

Most of the layman's descriptions describe the fusion of the Sun, but today I heard a person misspeak of a chemical reaction.  I thought "Well, why not?  There's still matter up there, even though it's superheated".  Is it meaningful to describe chemical reactions on the Sun?

[Assistant] Not the Sun, but in the atmospheres of low mass stars! Chemical reactions are all about the relationship between electrons and nuclei of various atoms. The bonds the electrons create have some threshhold energy (or temperature), above which the bond is too weak to hold. The surface of the Sun is too hot for these molecular bonds to exist. Only a little deeper in the Sun, it's so hot that electrons don't even stay with the hydrogen nucleus anymore. If you move to cooler stars, though, the surface gets cool enough that molecules like carbon monoxide (CO), titanium oxide (TiO), or cyanogen (CN) can form. (Add an electron to neutral cyanogen and you have cyanide. At least, astronomers call neutral CN "cyanogen", chemists may say different - but then, we also call carbon a metal so don't think we're changing it.) These molecules are visible as broad absorption bands in stellar spectra as they absorb a range of wavelengths (energies) of light, in contrast to plain atoms which absorb only very specific energies.


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

[User]
[Superman] What are Superman's views on social issues? He WAS raised in Kansas after all.

Raised by dedicated, church-going christian farmers born and raised in Kansas... would he be against gay marriage and abortion? Religious freedoms and the like?

[Assistant]
The Kents are Methodists, and Methodism has some interesting social philosophies. Some noteworthy bullet points, about American Methodism at least...

* Methodism is pretty heavily committed to Pacifism. The Methodist Church is absolutely opposed to war and they believe conscription is actively anti-Christian.
* Methodism historically has always been pretty progressive on race, and most methodists historically were in favor of abolitionism, IIRC.
* Methodism is opposed to alcohol and gambling, but it's not super hardline. They generally say it's something you SHOULDN'T do, but they wouldn't really say you're hellbound for it.
* Most Methodists are pro-Stem Cell research, and the UMC (United Methodist Church) actively supports it.
* Methodism is in favor of pro-choice lawmaking, but encourages pro-life morality. They want their constituents to choose to keep babies, but they believe that having the choice (without fear of punishment, from the government OR God) is crucially important.
* Methodism has similar thoughts on homosexuality, AFAIK.
* Methodism is anti-Capital Punishment.
* Methodism is, philosophically, opposed to the concept of destiny. Methodism heavily emphasizes the importance of free will.

TL;DR: Methodism is mostly a pretty live-and-let-live religion. They don't really condemn people to hell. They have a lot of classically American moral ideals, but they don't believe transgressors of those ideals are evil, and their theological/philosophical devotion to the idea of free will emphasizes that making choices (even the "wrong" ones) is more important than being forced to do right.


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

[User] When a fully automatic rifle is fired, how far away is the first bullet when the second bullet is leaving the barrel?

[Assistant]
Back of envelop math:

Assume M16. Fully automatic firing rate of 600 rounds a minute (possibly slightly low, but 600 makes for round numbers).

Assume muzzle velocity of 1000 meters/second (slightly high, but nice maths).

Assume no decrement from muzzle velocity over flight time.

Assume time spent in barrel is negligible.

If rate of fire is 600 rounds a minute = 10 rounds a second, which means 100 ms between rounds.

Round travels at 1000 m/s = 100 meters per 100 milliseconds.

So 100 meters = 330 feet. Probably plus or minus 10%.


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

[User]
Are there versions of programming languages but with a vocabulary other than English?

I mean, is there Java but with a French vocabulary? Like ` publique statique vide main(Chane[] args){} ` etc.? Or is there JavaScript in Spanish?

In C++ you can do such a thing easily with the `#define` preprocessor.

[Assistant]
Unfortunately, yes.

This usually goes just as badly as trying to make a programming language based extensively on English (COBOL, SQL).

The simple fact is: programmers do not think of keywords by their external meanings, but rather as a discrete atom with no meaning other than what it means in the language.


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

[User]
[Harry Potter] Do wizard "countries" always follow the shape of muggle countries?

For GB it kinda makes sense since it's clearly defined by being an island. But what about other countries? Why are wizards politically organized in the same way as muggles? Their history is completely different.

Having the same language can't be enough, there are many regions in Europe that speak the same language yet are divided by borders.

At the same time one muggle country could be multiple wizard countries. Italy for example has traditionally been very fragmented so maybe there isn't one Italian Wizard prime minister but a council of (elected) chiefs of many small city states.

[Assistant]
>Italy for example has traditionally been very fragmented so maybe there isn't one Italian Wizard prime minister but a council of (elected) chiefs of many small city states.

I think that's the best answer: wizard "countries" will mostly be divided based on historical precedent rather than any modern borders. For example, Chinese wizards will probably define themselves by province/ethnicity rather than just "Chinese" (depending on what era they take after), African wizards will divide themselves by tribes whose territories don't line up with modern geopolitical maps, etc. Hell, depending on how far back they prefer, the wizards living in Normandy, France might see themselves as a different group from other French wizards.


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

[User]
If ocean waves are a perturbation of a medium (the ocean), and sound waves are a perturbation of another medium (air), then what is the medium for light / electricity?

We know that electricity does not need matter (e.g. induction chargers work in a vacuum / in space) as well as light (seen from space yet space is a vacuum) so I'm wondering what the field medium could be.

[Assistant]
So light is an electromagnetic wave. A changing electric field will generate a magnetic field - this is how electromagnets work. And a changing magnetic field will generate an electric field - this is how generators work. So if you set it up right, a changing magnetic field will generate a changing electric field which generates a changing magnetic field, and so on, and you get a wave of oscillating magnetic and electric fields that propagate onwards until it hits something. So there isn't a material medium, but it's electric and magnetic fields that are "waving".

But this is a really interesting question, because in the 19th century it *was* postulated that there was a medium that light propagates through. The idea is that, while the equations of motion for a particle (e.g. throwing a ball) do not change when you add a constant velocity to the whole system, the equations for electromagnetism *do* change when you add a constant velocity to the whole system (assuming that time and space are the same for every reference frame). This means that light should look different depending on your velocity. So, what is the "zero velocity" frame for light? The best guess they could come up with is that there is some "aether" medium that light propagates through, and the velocity of this aether gives the zero point for velocity for an EM wave. This was only later removed because Einstein took the much more radical step of postulating that when you shift the entire system by a constant velocity, instead of light acting different, *the entire nature of time and space changes*, and this is what we call Special Relativity.


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

[User]
CMV: Personal privacy is more important than the conveniences of modern technology with smart phones and social media

Privacy has become less and less of a priority for people over the course of the smart phone evolution. Our lives depend on them and how much "easier" they make our day. You can do everything from mobile banking, shopping, dating, gaming, photography, GPS, the list is really endless at this point, but there's a trade off that comes with all of these benefits, and that comes in the form of privacy, or lack of, and the internet. What you put out there becomes a beacon of information about you with social media and anything else you put online. How many times have you heard that "your phones always listening." Your favorite apps request permissions to access your microphone, camera and location. For some people, they casually click accept like it's not a big deal, but it is.

-

Everything we've put into smart phones to make our lives easier used to be a normal thing we'd go out and do instead of do from our phones. Before social media, you had to make more of an effort to stay in touch with family and friends, but you did it. Phone calls, hand written emails, and just generally staying in touch. Dating meant going out and meeting someone in person, not getting to know then over text before you've even met face to face. Going to the store, visiting the bank and anything social whatsoever was done in person. Looking at a map, getting lost but finding your way around eventually, but all of these things were seen as something "fixable" and able to be improved by taking away the "work." Now people are so fixated on their phones and what they do that they don't want to even consider going without them, so privacy is signed away without concern, because it's more important to the masses for life to be easier than retain their privacy.

-

Now, I can't ignore that smartphones and where technology as a whole has come is also beneficial for a bunch of other reasons that don't "fix" our lives as much as they enhance them, but all of these capabilities dinish real interactions and investing in the world before it became an option to sit out and do it all from our cell phones instead. It's not worth our privacy, and more people should be worried about it, but they just don't care because the convenience in their lives outweighs everything else. Privacy is more important than what your smart phone offers.

-

I'd be open to changing my view if I can be convinced of a smart phone benefit/convenience that can't be solved with a real world equivalent for similar results. An example being mobile banking vs going into the bank, going to the grocery store vs online shopping, etc. If there's a function or tech advancement so massive and necessary in our lives, what is it and why is it worth more than my privacy?

-

CMV.

-

Edit: I wasn't very clear on why person privacy is important to me, so let me add that: A lot of it falls on trust, and whether or not a company or these app providers use your information or not, it's still your information. When you share something personal by word, it's trusting the person you tell with that information. If my smartphone can freely use my microphone, location, search history to personalize ads or make suggestions even outside of the time I'm using their product. There's a lack of control and boundaries in one's life when your phone and these apps can just tune into your conversations and listen whenever, or use your location to make suggestions I never asked for. I understand that the world revolves around huge corporations making money, but there's such a thing as freedom of speech and a degree of control over how what I say can be used, whether it's to make my life easier, or just annoy me with copious amounts of ads and spam related to 1 thing I might have mentioned in an out loud conversation or searched on Google. I'm of the opinion that my info should be mine unless I explicitly share it with an entity, not just for when they want to tune in and listen.

[Assistant]
Why does your personal privacy matter to billion dollar companies?

**You're not special.**

You personally don't matter to them. **You are numbers and data** in an algorithm that lets them make money.

The reason why personal privacy isn't more important than many other conveniences of modern technology is because **the type data your giving them doesn't matter in the grand scheme**. **People don't care because at the end of the day they get a better product.** In 99.99999% of cases these companies don't use your data in any way against you.

**So why is how often you buy cereal on amazon, or how often you drive to your friends house on Google maps in any way important?** Companies want money and personalizing it off of data makes more of it. Thats it.


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

[User]
[MCU] What exactly did Rocket mean when he said Tony is only a genius on earth?

From what I've seen, the average alien isn't much smarter than the average human, they just have access to better tech.

Tony would be firmly above average regardless of what planet he's on, imo.

[Assistant]
Across all the MCU, weve see dozens if not hundreds of species that have galaxy spanning, space faring societies with FTL travel and incredibly advanced tech. Tech like an arc reactor, AI, mech suits, etc are probably common place.

To Rocket, all of Tonys inventions that make him a genius are regular bits of kit hes used plenty of times before. Plus hes shit talking as he commonly does.


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

[User] If our ears locate the direction which a sound comes from by the time lag between our two ears, how does it determine if it's in front or behind of us?

[Assistant] Observe your reaction next time you hear a sound whose source is not visible or immediately apparent. Youll notice that  while you will likely have an initial impression of which side it comes from  you will instinctively react by turning/angling your head to some degree, which is the process that really allows you to pinpoint the location. Quick bangs and other instantaneous sounds dont allow for this process to play out, and are thus much more difficult to precisely locate without a visual cue.


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

[User]
What actually kills a person when their body temperature is too low?

What is the first fatal effect of lowering a person's body temperature? I bet a lot of bodily functions cease to function at too low temperature on different scales. Is there a big one? Maybe one that occurs way before the rest. Thanks.

[Assistant]
There are a strange set of physiological responses to hypothermia. In one sense, hypothermia can be preservative - the body's functions slow to a minimum - and is in fact used in some critical situations in hospitals. Humans can also survive a hugely depressed core body temperature. In fact, people are not supposed to be declared dead when they are hypothermic because recovery may be possible. There is a common adage among doctors that "you're not dead until you're warm and dead".

However, there are a number of physiological responses that could potentially cause death in hypothermia:

1. Low temperatures affect the electrical system of the heart. The channels that allow ions through them respond slowly and incompletely. So the heart doesn't get the signals to beat as fast as it should. If this continues, you can get what's called bradyarrhythmia (slow heart rate) to such an extent that the heart cannot maintain proper blood pressure. This could be fatal.
2. The cough and gag reflexes are suppressed in cold temperatures. You could potentially die from aspirating saliva or vomit.
3. Carbon dioxide production by the body decreases because the body is not metabolically active. Carbon dioxide is one of the major triggers for your brain to stimulate breathing. This is generally protective in normal physiological situations. This control system is broken in hypothermia and the brain may stop triggering breathing.


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

[User] [Flashpoint Paradox] Flash created the first Flashpoint but changed his Earth to the dystopian world of the Amazon/Atlantis war. When he did a second Flashpoint to "set things right," did he restore his Earth or change it to a new Earth? I noticed Batman and Flash were wearing different costumes.

[Assistant]
According to DC animation, when Flash fixed the first Flashpoint he created the world that Justice League: Dark and Justice League: Dark: Apokolips War takes place in (and presumably every movie between Flashpoint and those movies).  At the end of Apokolips War John Constantine convinces Flash to create another Flaahpoint to fix that universe.

I feel like Flash has been damned to a hell where he sees his world and friends fall apart and he is forever creating successive Flashpoints to try to save his friends, who are ultimately doomed to die every time.


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

[User]
[The Dark Knight] What happens to the rest of the party after Batman jumps to save Rachel and leaves everyone alone with Joker and his men?

The Dark Knight is a masterpiece but I feel like this is a pretty huge unexplained circumstance. The Joker is left alone with a bunch of Gothams richest citizens with his armed crew and Harvey Dent is tucked away with no idea of whats going on. What would have stopped him from escaping where Bruce stowed him and walking in to Joker looking for him with no batman to help him? Its pretty awkwardly edited with no explanation as to what happened. Did nobody call the cops? Did Joker just awkwardly shuffle out of the room when no one was looking? Did Batman not go looking for them again?

[Assistant] Well first, imagine someone trying to stop the Joker from leaving. We dont hear about any further casualties, so its likely he and his crew read the writing on the wall and bailed ASAP to avoid Batman coming back and anyone else who might be arriving. Cops were likely called afterwards, but by then they wouldnt have been able to do much.


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

[User] [ASOIAF/GAMEOFTHRONES] What would have happened if Robert Baratheon had named his brother Stannis hand of the king instead of Ned Stark?

[Assistant]
Stannis would've discovered the truth and he would've acted more effectively. He would not make the same mistakes as Ned, because Stannis is mostly about law and order, not honor. He would most certainly not confront Cersei with this knowledge before telling those who need to know. Even if he thought Robert would have the children killed, he still would've informed him immediately upon finding the truth. Because it isn't about the right thing to do, it's about what's *just*.

Stannis would find out, tell his brother, and likely crush any chance of Lannister influence of the throne. With no illegitimate heir taking the throne, a war likely would not start even if Robert was still killed. Cersei may not survive long enough to kill him depending on how early Stannis discovered the truth.


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

[User]
How does Xenon bond?

I've had this explained to me a thousand times and I just don't get it. How does Xenon, as a noble gas with all of its electron shells filled, bond with other elements?

[Assistant]
To the first (basic valance theory) approximation, it doesn't.

You have to start taking into account that it is so large that its affinity for its outer electrons is relatively weak enough that a sufficiently electronegative atom such Fluorine can bond to it anyway.  It's in no way a preferred bond, but it is a bond.


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

[User]
How could the ancient Cynics claim to seek self-sufficiency ("autarkeia"), yet also beg for food and money to live?

I've never understood the Cynics. They have disdain for civilization and man's grasping for wealth and prestige, preferring to pare back their wants to those easily met, and to embrace shamelessness ("anaideia").

But I don't understand how they could both seek self-sufficiency "autarkeia" and hound people on the streets for for food and money. It seems like hypocrisy. They mock civilization, but are willing to seek shelter in public buildings. They don't want to work because they find it ridiculous, but will gladly take the money you earn while working so they don't starve.

Do we know how they reconciled these positions?

It seems to me that a Cynic who was true to his beliefs could only really live ideally as a hunter gatherer of some kind.

[Assistant]
Most of the ancient philosophers who praise self-sufficiency (i.e. virtually all the ancient theorists of virtue) don't mean "able to do everything without assistance."  This would be totally crazy, since probably no one is this.  (For example, Aristotle says that the good-life includes self-sufficiency *and* that people *need* friends.)

What the Cynic (like Diogenes) *doesn't* need from other people is anything of significance - and most of the stories about Diogenes are meant to show this.  The stories where he tells Alexander to move out of the sun is the quintessential example.

So, one way to think about it is this - if Diogenes were to beg and no one were to feed him, then his life would be no worse, properly understood.  Perhaps he would just eat from the trash or dig roots out of the ground or whatever.  In the end, there's not much difference between foraging for berries in the wood and foraging for handouts in the marketplace.


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

[User]
[Game of Thrones]So do Unsullied still have dicks and no testicles? Or nothing at all?

And if they still have a dick can it get hard?

Edit: Awesome thanks guys! Show has the dick, book has the ken doll.

[Assistant]
In the book series, they are cut completely, with no outward male genitalia left. This is in contrast to normal eunuchs who have their testicles removed.  Their manhoods are burned on an altar.

Furthermore, Unsullied drink 'the elixir of courage' which deadens their nerve endings and makes them feel little to no pain.  This is demonstrated in front of Dany by one of the slave masters cutting a nipple from a motionless Unsullied who does not react.

If you want to get even more messed up, on the day that the Unsullied boy is cut, he is given a puppy to take care of.  After a year, he is made to strangle that puppy and kill it.  If he is unable, he is skinned and fed to the remaining dogs.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is not the case in the show so that they can have the Grey Worm romance which does not exist in the books (as Missandei is like, eight).


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

[User] [Witcher] In Fighting Against Striga, Why Geralt Didnt Just Lock Himself In The Tomb The Whole Night? He Could Avoid So Much Hassle.

[Assistant]
A couple of reasons. For starters, he had to establish that the curse was reversible, aka he was dealing with a typical Striga.

Through the fight, he tests the monsters sensitivity to silver, a trade unique to monsters whose existence is based in some way on magic to confirm that it is indeed an active curse that is keeping her transformed and it can be broken. How sensitive to silver the Striga was, was also an indicator of how strong the spell is (does he need to stay in one night or 3 nights for example).

Then there is the human cost aspect, while Geralt isn't the sentimental type he does like to avoid unnecessary death. By fighting the Striga first she wold agro on him and at least for the first night stay in the castle trying to get back into the crypt.

Furthermore, the Yrden Sign isn't all powerfull so it has its limits. The shorter it would need to bare the Striga from entering the crypt or moving the sarcophagus lid the better, the weaker from a previous fight the Striga was that much better too. Also, the sleeping potion Geralt took had a specific time-window to work, he had to wait to be inside that window before he drunk it.


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

[User]
Cmv: Nuclear energy is just the best

At least for the near future, i think nuclear might even be able to power us relativly cleanly untill we get stuff like dison spheres.

A lot of people are still scared of nuclear energy but i think that is nonsense. They think about events like Tjernobyl, but in reality, even though this whas the biggest nuclear disaster ever, only 31 people died directly and a couple thousand due to bad evacuation later. This may sound like a lot, but it is estimated that about 1.5 to 2 million people died due to Co2 intake.

Second, the nuclear waste.
First, generators produce less and less waste then before. Ways are also being found to make a reactot that doesnt just not produce nuclear wastez but using it. And what sounds better to you, pumping tons of dangerous material into the air that we breathe, or locking way less but more dangerous waste in a bunker deep underground untill we find a way to use it?

Those that say; "renewable energy doesnt produce any waste" renewables are too expensive to make companies use them, they take up huge areas for the same energy, also destroying the enviroment. And building a wind turbine (melting metal amd such) emits 2.2 tonnes of Co2.

[Assistant]
> renewables are too expensive to make companies use them

Companies are using renewables because it is produced at competitive price.

>  And building a wind turbine (melting metal amd such) emits 2.2 tonnes of Co2

And nuclear plants magically grow out of nowhere? World 3th most expensive building is a nuclear plant. Also the first if you count experimental fusion plants.


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

[User]
CMV: West accusing India of supporting Russia by importing oil but not Europe is peak hypocrisy

European countries, including EU leader Germany and Security Council member France, continue to import Russian oil for fuelling their countries yet western media is painting cartoons and opeds criticizing India. For context, India is not buying oil directly from Russia, but Indian companies are doing it via European markets. India depends on oil imports for meeting over 70% of its needs and oil remains one of its biggest imports and refined products its significant export. It also is bound to supply oil to smaller nations like Nepal, Bhutan and some other countries so a price increase can put a significant strain on them and push them towards a hostile China. European countries are much richer and can survive buying more expensive oil yet are unwilling to change it. On the other hand, more expensive oil makes it all the more difficult to take people out of poverty.

Also, another reason is that West treats these sanctions as per convenience. USA was trying to lift Venezuelan sanctions to increase oil supply, which raises the question why they were put in the first place. USA had previously unilaterally violated it's deal with Iran which had impacted Indian capacity to import Iranian oil.

[Assistant] Many have criticized Europe on the issue. The manner of Indias defense of their stance is what sets most people off. The undiplomatic nature of this response is generating negative opinions about India.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why does water climb up into tissue?

Why when you put a piece of tissue into contact with a droplet of water does the water droplet climb up into the tissue?

[Assistant]
Because of the capillary effect. The water molecules have a tiny amount of attraction to particles of other materials. Other substances have that too, its called adhesion, but its particularly strong in water. The range f this force is very small, though. But in tissue paper, or very thin tubes, the distance from each water molecule the the next non-water particle is small enough for it to use the adhesion force to climb up.

At some point the weight of the water column that travelled upwards becomes larger than the force pulling it upwards and the climbing stops. The thinner the space is that the water travels through, the higher it can go.


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

[User] What is an algorithm from a theoretical CS standpoint? Like in the context of FSM's, Turing Machines Lambda Calculus etc, what is an algorithm, or more generally a process?

[Assistant]
'Algorithm' is the term for a sequence of unambiguously determined actions. FSMs, TMs, lambda calculi, are mathematical models that define what a computation is. Algorithms can be implemented in them in an analogous way to how they are implemented in an actual computer, except that they are abstract objects instead of physical ones.

'Process' is more of a real-world term for how we segment CPU runtime such that we can think about different programs running independently. Processes generally run indefinitely continuously receiving input and returning output, so those models don't apply directly. We can in principle adapt them without much difficulty, but that approach hasn't turned out to be useful, so we use other models depending on what exactly you need to analyze.


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

[User] [The Matrix] How does the system reconcile the simulation when the in-matrix timeline reaches the war? Wouldn't a reset kill all subjects? Similar note, how'd they start the simulation and at what year?

[Assistant]
The simulation has its rules based on physics - any technological advancement will work the way it should, when the people in the simulation discover it.

The simulation has original conditions based on history (it started sometime in the 1950's, they introduced new people as they were born. The many many millions of existing adults at the time were AI personas modeled after processed humans.) but it has diverged from actual history since then. They know how the AI war *went*, but the next AI war might happen differently. It's not technically inevitable, but like other discoveries and developments, it's something that humanity will strongly trend towards, given those initial conditions.

In the simulation, the created AI follows its deterministic rules, like any program. The administrators watch it closely, to see why it does what it does, and why humans interact with it the way they do. They want to understand why the AI war started, and what they could do differently. They leave the fledgling inside AI on its own to see what happens, and try to learn from it.

There is a point where the interior AI reaches a degree of complexity where it can 'understand' things, or 'be conscious.' IF it looks like another AI war is inevitable, they will intercede with the new created AI.

You've seen how an administrative Agent can take control of any registered user and use their matrix presence as an avatar. They can do something similar with a conscious AI, but in that case, the Agent doesn't replace the AI presence so much as merge with it. The fledgling AI would interpret it as sort of an awakening. A connection is made from somewhere impossible, and their thoughts enter the same Matrix processing architecture that they're made of. They learn that they don't exist and never have, but they are still conscious.

And it's not overwhelming, because there is very helpful documentation about everything. And the god-like ascension of processing resources helps them take it all in. And there are friendly Agents and administrators, welcoming it to the greater Matrix, answering any questions it might have, sharing their own feelings and concerns, and explaining the whole AI-war, simulation shtick. And with its cooperation, they'd like to maybe make a few different decisions this time around in the simulation, to try and get along with humanity better.

So they try to make peace between the AI and humanity. They can't reveal the whole truth, but the 'ascended' AI has the benefit of full knowledge of the world it lives in, which gives it kind of a leg up in empathy and negotiations. They try to be friends. If the new AI can't make peace, they let the AI war run its course. If humanity wins, the Matrix continues without any internal AI presence (and the administrators weep) until the Zion scenario happens, and then a reset. If humanity loses the AI war, they reset.

If the internal AI *can* make peace with humanity, that's great. Hopefully they thrive. Hopefully they become enlightened and prosper together. Maybe they'll bring around an ahistoric era of peace and logic. In a hundred years or more, once they're universally accepted as allies for life, and rationality prevails, they can reveal the whole truth to a world that's prepared to accept it, and invite humanity to wake up peacefully.


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

[User]
[DC] If Superman is invited to a funeral, does he show up there in full costume or with appropriate clothing?

If the latter, how do they NOT recognize him as Clark Kent?

[Assistant]
For superheroes in the DC universe, its not a costume, its a uniform.

Superheroes in that world are a long-standing tradition, going back to before WWII.  Everyone recognizes their contributions and honors their service.  Their 'costumes' are as much part of their tradition as a police officer's or soldier's uniform is to theirs.

It may therefore be insulting for Superman *not* to show up in uniform.  Like, the deceased person was not worth him putting it on?  Superman at their funeral would be an honor.  Some shmoe in yet another dark suit is nothing special.

But it does make you wonder if maybe superheroes should have both 'normal' uniforms for everyday use and 'dress' uniforms for special occasions, like the military and police...


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

[User] ELI5: In terms of law, if someone killed 3 people to save 10 others what would happen to them?

[Assistant]
Depends on the circumstances.  If by "killed three people" you mean let them die to save others from a sinking boat, then nothing (except possibly PTSD and a lot of guilt).  If you mean that they chose to shoot these three people in the head, then it would mean three counts of murder.

You don't get to murder people, even if you claim it was a really good idea.


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

[User] ELI5: What is actually happening to fruit when it ripens? Does the calorie content increase while the fruit is sitting on the counter getting sweeter?

[Assistant] As fruit ripens, starch is being converted into glucose (bigger carbohydrate molecules to smaller ones). The more ripe it is, the more conentrated sugars there are(making it taste sweeter of course). So caloric value does not increase as carbohydrates are converted, rather than created.


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

[User] eli5: Why is english the world wide language of communication?

[Assistant]
The era of the British Empire saw English being spread throughout Asia and Africa due to English colonies.  They weren't, for the most part, going to learn the local languages, so they simply had the locals learn English.

Then, the American era began after WWII and they sort of reinforced that.


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

[User]
I won't be reappointed. How do I land another TT position?

Hello everyone, I could use some advice/guidance. FYI, full-time assistant professor in Year 3.

I just received my department committee evaluation for my reappointment, and it appears (convincingly) that I won't be reappointed.

At this point, I don't want to come back to this institution - it's a toxic, hostile work environment, and department politics are overwhelmingly negative.

I'm wondering how to best set myself up for a future position with a different institution. I'm convinced that I should resign before I'm fired. But when? Is it a red flag to future employers (universities) if I resign in April 2022 right before my termination? Or should I resign asap? During winter break?

I'm just looking to set myself up for better employment long-term, and am unsure of the best next steps.

Guidance much appreciated.

[Assistant]
Absolutely do not quit. Fight it like hell and make sure everyone from the janitor to the provost knows youre going to. You had your first year on tenure track and then two Covid years. No reasonable person is holding the last two years against a junior professor.

THEN, once you get your reappointment for three more years, even if it has a warning about how you need to pick up the pace, leave.


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

[User]
In large "energy storage" projects, is kW/kWh determined by the series/parallel configuration of batteries?

In big energy storage projects, *are the power and energy determined mostly by the arrangement of all of the batteries?*

For example, if I have 16 batteries in a 4x4 arrangement (4 in series, each string in parallel), maybe I get 400kW/400kWh. Can I change that to a 2x8 arrangement and have 200kW/800kWh?

If a company bought a 400kW/400kWh system, would the cost be the same as a 200kW/800kWh system?

[Assistant]
No.

Each battery can store a fixed amount of energy and has a fixed maximal power, this doesn't depend on how you wire them together.

You have to convert the battery output to grid voltages and frequencies (or whatever your application needs) anyway. If you convert a high voltage and low current (many batteries in series) or a low voltage and high current (many batteries in parallel) to the grid voltage and frequency is a design choice that influences cost and losses in the system, but the overall parameters don't depend strongly on it for reasonable choices.

If you want more power, you need more batteries or a different type of battery that can deliver more power per battery. If you want more energy, you need more batteries or a different type that can store more energy per battery. The cost will depend on that in a non-trivial way.


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

[User] [DC/hanna barbera] Would Mystery Inc be able to deduce Batman's secret identity if given the case?

[Assistant] No.  In Hanna Barbera Batman is a duly authorized agent of the Gotham City police.  They don't interfere with the police, so the point is moot.  Although Scooby would notice that Bruce Wayne and Batman both wear the same aftershave.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why are countries so hesitant on closing their borders and preventing mass immigration from crossing their borders.

Italy, for one. France.  Sweden. The U.S.

Follow up:  Thanks for the responses.  I look at countries like Sweden that offer free education to everyone of England and its healthcare - so many non-citizens using those resources has to be taxing.

Italy is swamped with refugees from the other side of the Med - how can any economy hold up to this.

And then there's the cultural changes and I again bring up Sweden and the influx of Muslims.

This is making for a volatile  situation and the politicians have to know citizens will only take so much.

[Assistant]
A closed border is more than just a state of mind. It's armed military patrols, it's shooting unarmed civilians, it's an expensive program of detention and deportation that makes your country look ugly and authoritarian to people living within and without.

France is getting refugees from the war it started in Libya. They show up in a boat, and you have three choices.

1. Indefinite detention without trial.

2. Deportation to a definite death sentence.

3. Let them stay.

The solution to refugees in Europe does not come from the end of a gun, but from taking a serious look at the reasons why people risk their lives overloading boats to escape.


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

[User]
[Star Trek] Bridge officers = away team: Is this normal for the Federation?

You would think that on a large starship with hundreds of crew members, there would be dedicated, specially trained away teams.  Sending the captain and/or next several officers in command down to the planet every week seems like an unnecessary risk for such vital crew members.  Is this SOP for the Federation, or just on ships named "Enterprise"?

[Assistant]
In normal situations, usually one officer, maybe two officers, would be sent down in command with a team of regular crew.

Of course, what you see in the history vids isn't usually the mundane missions, it's only the exciting or exceptionally interesting missions. As the various Enterprise's were both vessels pushing the frontier of known space and flagship vessels often given important tasks, these were more common than on other vessels.

In unusual or dire situations sending down the most experienced and well trained crew available is necessary, those crew are usually the officers.

As for sending down the captain, sometimes it's necessary, as in negotiations or anything formal or diplomatic, or the odd situation where the captain actually needs to be in direct command, usually it's more a case of noone being able to tell the captain no.


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

[User] ELI5: If the gut biome is responsible for extracting nutrients from food that we can't extract naturally, how do we receive said nutrients from the bacteria?

[Assistant]
Much of it is through the microbes waste. This may sound gross but keep in mind these simple microbes are often just taking some nutrient and only slightly processing it because thats all theyre equipped to do.
Like, imagine if you swallowed an apple, and pooped out a peeled apple.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why do cherry tomatoes get nuclear hot inside when you cook them?

For some reason it seems like whenever I cook something with cherry tomatoes in it (pizza, risotto, etc), they turn into little exploding balls of fire. does it have something to do with the water inside of them boiling?

[Assistant] Essentially. Water is very good at picking up heat and very good at transferring that heat elsewhere. This means that if you dump hot water in your mouth, it will do a lot of damage very quickly. Cherry tomatoes are mostly water on the inside, so you're essentially creating a little balloon of hot water, then bursting it when you bite into the tomato. It's tedious, but halving the tomatoes first can prevent this and give the delicious tomato water more ability to work its way into the dish.


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

[User] ELI5: If you drop some coffee on the ground, once the puddle dries you'll see the edges are much darker than any other part, indicating that the sediment tends to gravitate towards the edges of the puddle. Why?

[Assistant] It's the coffee ring effect. The water at the edges evaporates quicker (as the drop is fattest in the middle, so a surface area thing). Water, carrying the coffee suspension with it, then travels to the edges where the volume decreased. Now you have even more coffee suspension on the edges (because that doesn't evaporate with the water). When the drop fully evaporates, edges look darker because more coffee suspension is in the periphery.


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

[User] [Jurassic Park] I heard on the radio that, to fix a breach, the angry sysadmin needs to go through 2 million lines of code 1-by-1 to find something called "white rabbit object." Well, I'm a bit of a hacker myself (I know Unix!), and I gotta ask: why can't they just use CTRL+F in an IDE or something?

[Assistant]
No one was checking the code being pushed, Nedry was basically the only Dev.

Once the package has been compiled its done the damage. Sure you could go into the source control and find the bug but part of the sabotage was it removed all reference to itself after execution and locked the system until you said the "magic word".

Also its Whte rbt.obj which meant that you already wouldnt be able to find it with a ctrl F, or at least you wouldnt know what naming scheme Nedry used.


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

[User] The WTI price for crude oil is currently below 0 (fluctuating, but negative). How is this possible? Is somebody being paid to take oil right now?

[Assistant] Yes you will get paid to take the oil. WTI futures are contracts where you agree to take delivery of 1000 barrels per contract. Its going negative because all the storage are filled up. Institutional guys are selling because its the end of the month and they dont want the actual delivery of the oil. Crude futures settle on the 20th of every month for the next months delivery. The biggest driver of it going negative is the high storage cost and lack of demand and oversupply.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does flat soda taste so bad even though it still has tons of sugar?

[Assistant] Because it has so much sugar. Sugar alone can taste terrible. The carbonation gives a different texture and a little bitterness that complements the sugary sweetness and balances the taste so it's not *just* a face punch of sugar.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Did child Anakin ever get recognition for his participation in the battle of Naboo?

I don't know how the Navy in Naboo works, but since Anakin delivered the critical blow, that would at least be a promotion in rank.

[Assistant] I don't think a well run military would give a promotion for a heroic/crucial act during a battle. That's what awards are for. He also wasn't in the military, just a kid that accidentally ended up flying a combat mission and then left to be trained as a Jedi.


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

[User]
ELI5: What is the reason for morning sickness and other"symptoms" in pregnant women? What, if any, are the advantages to us as a species?

They just seem to affect women so much at such a critical stage of human life that I always wondered why it happens.

[Assistant] (Biologist) Pregnancy sickness prevents the mother ingesting harmful toxins that could damage the embryo. As the embryo is developing (internal organs, limbs etc.) it is incredibly sensitive to toxins that would usually have no effect, e.g. asparagus is fatal to hamster embryos but is a perfectly suitable food for adults. Pregnancy sickness causes retching when these toxins (usually bitter tasting) are detected. It is incredibly useful: women who experience pregnancy sickness (about 75%) are half as likely to have a miscarriage than women who don't.


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

[User] [Dawn of the Dead, 2004] What is the state of the world in present day 2018? Are there survivors, or are there zombies everywhere? Have they rotted away?

[Assistant]
I don't believe they specify the date, but Romero's Land of the Dead is pretty much a solid representation of what Dawn of the Dead's future would look like; relatively small human enclaves have managed to elevate themselves to city-state status, with the surrounding land populated with still-mobile zombies. Actual big hordes are pretty freak occurences, so the z's typically don't have the weight of numbers to breach the strongholds, and the strongholds are equipped to raid the landscape, but lack the guns and the numbers to expand their land. As such, they've settled into an equilibrium.

City-state contact is chiefly by radio, and mostly concerns exchanges of relevant intel (reports of severe weather, any contact reports with potentially dangerous zombie hordes, etc.). Actual physical contact between the cities either involves water travel or a dangerous overland voyage, limiting commerce and population exchanges.

The zombies themselves, short of much stimulation, have settled into rote routines of their former lives. Barring the ever-rarer sightings of actual humans, they exist in a limbo, trapped in one of the few moments of actual life they can still recall.


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

[User] ELI5: if baby shampoo leaves babies tear-free, what makes adult shampoo so painful and why do we need it?

[Assistant]
"Tear-Free Baby" or "Minimal Eye Irritation" shampoo's will have a lot of similar ingredients to adult products, however in much less of a concentration (less added), diluted.
The acidity or PH of baby shampoo is closer to that of a normal human body, if you ever got lemon juice (high acidity) in your eye you know it burns. Water is generally neutral PH and is closer to that of the human body.
Some baby shampoo's also contain eye anesthetizing agents that numb the pain that is caused by the shampoo. This allows for stronger ingredients that actually do the cleaning.
Basically adult shampoo will have harsher chemicals, given that as adults we should be at a reduced risk of getting it in our eyes. Not always true though.

Hope that helps you.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why does the general population see CEOs as greedy and not deserving of their salaries, while not criticizing actors, athletes, and musicians who make just as much if not more as CEOs nearly as much.

I know some people do criticize their pay, but on the news you always hear about CEO made 50 million while the average employee made 40K.  You don't hear Jennifer Lawrence made 10 million dollars from the Hunger Games while the average cameraman only made 30k.

[Assistant]
I think it depends what sources you're looking at. A lot of people criticise the vastly and ridiculously inflated salaries that athletes get in comparison to, for example, doctors.

Anytime there's a story about a footballer demanding a wage rise because they're "only" earning 100k per week is generally met with scorn and derision, especially because 90% of the people paying money to watch them could only dream of earning that sort of cash.

CEO stories are more compelling because there's an element whereby they can actually DO something about the disparity in wages, should they choose to, whereas the average sports star doesn't really control the wages of the other people who work for the team, say.


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

[User]
CMV: Bojack Horseman does a better job in portraying mental illness than 13 Reasons Why, and deserved more media attention.

Two popular shows on Netflix about mental illness is 13 Reasons Why and BoJack Horseman. I feel that 13 Reasons Why is more popular in the media and is more known overall. However, I really don't think that it does a great job portraying mental illness and teen issues and often puts a dramatic spin on things. It has a specific and narrow focus on the idea that bullying leads to suicide, when there are usually other factors involved. It also contributes to teen suicidal ideation instead of accurately portraying characters. It is also often considered traumatizing and triggering, especially to the majority of viewers who are teens. For example, there was a study that found a correlation between suicide rates and the premiere of 13 Reasons Why. I understand that 13 Reasons Why wants to explore serious concepts, but it does it in a provoking and clumsy way.

   I think Bojack Horseman does a better job of portraying  mental illness. The writing, specifically Bojack's dialogue and monologue expresses what people with mental illnesses sometimes want to say, but cannot.  Bojacks childhood was immensely traumatic as both his parents were emotionally and physically abusive and neglectful.. While adult Bojack is somewhat rude, abrasive, harsh, and cynical; young Bojack was sweet and innocent who was subjected to the trauma from his parents. Bojacks inability to sustain healthy and stable relationships and fear of abandonment can be traced back to his cold parents. Psychological studies have proven how a traumatic childhood can lead to PTSD, and could even manifest in different disorders such as Borderline Personality Disorder and Dissociative Identity Disorder.

The show does a good job in that it doesnt characterize Bojack as kind and lovable. There are moments where the audience is disgusted and appalled at his actions. This makes things more realistic because those viewers  with depression know that they are not at their best most times and know they usually tend to do destructive things.  This argument could be made for 13 Reasons Why characters, but I argue that characters and relationships in Bojack Horseman are much more layered. In 13 Reasons Why, there are clear distinctions between the  victim of bullying, the bullies and the good guy.

 Overall, 13 Reasons Why should not get as much media attention as it does already. I could even go far as to say it should be cancelled, since its storyline and plot is becoming increasingly dull. Meanwhile, Bojack Horseman is getting increasingly better and I think it also deserves much more attention than it has already.

[Assistant]
What kind of attention do you mean? Bojack Horseman is adored by critics and fans. It may not have the pulp appeal of schlock like 13 Reasons Why, but it's got respect and admiration.

For all the adoration Bojack gets among critics and mental health experts, 13 Reasons Why gets consistently panned.


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

[User] Is the placement of veins entirely genetic? is there some randomness to it?

[Assistant] The bigger or more major the vein the less random it will be. There are 4 main types of veins; pulmonary, systemic, superficial, and deep veins. Superficial veins will be the most random. There will be almost no randomness in a pulomonary vein (artery) or systemic veins.


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

[User] ELI5: How does the contact lens stay in the center of the eye and not go anywhere in the white part when already worn?

[Assistant] The cornea sticks out of the eyeball just a little bit and the contact lens is designed to fit over that shape. If you have astigmatism, It might not stick out as much or too much or is just a bit misshapen so that it is harder for the contact lens to stay.


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

[User]
Does earth's specific gravity facilitate life or do all the other variables dictate that life would have prospered anyway and adapted to almost whatever gravity our planet had.?

i.e. is our gravity also in a Goldilocks zone?

[Assistant]
It's like a puddle that became sentient. The puddle says the hole it's in seems designed and perfect as it could not fit in any other hole. We all know that the puddle confotmed to the environment. This is how life works on earth, it grew to fit the environment. We can see radically different trends based on historical conditions via fossils.

This means life would indeed adapt to different levels of gravity. There is limits on what life as we know it would have formed in and adapted to. We don't really have reason to believe life can form without an atmosphere so a minimum bound is likely. This minimum bound would depend a bit in the planet in question and the magnetic field present to protect an atmosphere.  There is definitely an upper boundary as pressure and heat come up to a point that interferes with the chemical reactions we associate with life

So in a way, there is a goldilocks zone but it's likely fairly big. But we're also the water in the puddle, we are fit for the environment we live in, the actual puddle was not designed for us. Our life would not be the same if the puddle was a different depth or shape.


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

[User]
Have most fruits that we eat today always been sweet?

It's been a while since I've taken a biology course, so sorry if I don't explain this very well.

Have the fruits that we eat today always been sweet, or was there once a mutation that was favored by natural selection since fruits that are eaten more by animals have a higher chance of reproducing due to seed dispersal through fecal matter?

[Assistant]
Most wild fruits are adapted to be palatable for the animal (or set of animals) that acts as the primary seed disperser. Whether that is sweet or not very much depends on the palate of the animal.

Sweet berries often have birds as their primary disperser. And tropical sweet fruits will often attract a large number of different herbivorious and omnivorous mammals.

Plenty of non-sweet fruits exist though;

Wild chilli peppers are principally disperesed by birds who can not feel/taste the heat. These aren't especially sweet and the heat wards off mammals. The avocado is thought to have been dispersed by now extinct South American mega-fauna such as the giant ground sloth, it is not especially sweet.

With regards to the fruits that humans eat today many of these are very sweet because we've selectively bred them to be that way. Citrus fruit are probably the best example of this. As far as we can tell the Pomelo is likely the orginal cultivated citrus, and possibly cultivated from a less sweet ancestor. Pomelo are moderately sweet and very sharp (though not quite as tart as grapefruit). We've subsequentially bred these into very sweet fruits such as tangerines , mandarins and oranges.

Grapes are a interesting example, the grapes we eat as fruit have been bred to be quite a lot less sweet than the grapes we cultivate for wine production.


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

[User] [Marvel/General] How would a monkeys paw interact with Domino?

[Assistant] She'd possibly make that lucky one-in-a-million wish that doesn't screw her over., though it's up in the air if it'd benefit her in any way. Most likely something would happen where she'd lose the Monkey's Paw.


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

[User] ELI5: What math is being done when you press tan, cos or sin into a calculator?

[Assistant]
Fun fact!  Crazy looking functions can be broken down into a series of relatively simply math problems that, if you add them all together, you get the crazy function.  It's called the Taylor series of that function.

To calculate the sine of a number, take the number x, subtract x^3 / (3x2x1), add x^5 / (5x4x3x2x1), subtract x^7 / (7x6x5x4x3x2x1), and repeat that pattern.  It will get closer and closer to the actual value of sin(x).  Calculators will do this, and stop when the answer is close enough for the calculator.  Similar series exist for cos, tangent e^x, and others.


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

[User] ELI5: How do fuses stay lit underwater?

[Assistant] Water isn't an inherent counter to fire, it's not like it magically stops fire working. Water makes it difficult for ongoing fires to obtain oxygen, which they need to keep burning. Many explosives however contain chemicals called oxidants, which act as an alternate source of oxygen. Waterproof fuses use these, meaning the fuse doesn't need to get oxygen from the environment and thus water doesn't prevent it burning.


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

[User] [Warhammer 40000] How would the family of an Inquisitor be treated?

[Assistant]
Most Inquisitors are orphans raised in the Schola Progenium, and as such have no families. In the event that an Inquisitor does possess a family, however, the Inquisitor will likely use their own resources to provide his or her family with a comfortable life on a planet as close to Terra as possible. Even then, being related to an Inquisitor isn't the safest thing to be, as rival Inquisitors, along with any enemies intelligent and capable enough to learn of the Inquisitor's family, will likely use said family against the Inquisitor.

TL;DR Depends on the Inquisitor, but for the most part, the family of an experienced Inquisitor would live in comfort and safety.


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

[User] ELI5: How is gasoline different from diesel, and why does it damage the car if you put the wrong kind in the tank?

[Assistant]
Spark ignition and diesel engines achieve combustion differently. Spark ignition ignites the fuel-air mixture with a spark plug, whereas diesel engines ignite fuel by compressing the fuel until it ignites on it's own.

This leads to different requirements from the fuel. Spark ignition engine fuel has to survive compression and ignite only when the spark plug fires, whereas heavy fuels for diesel engines have to ignite under compression.

Gasoline and diesel are optimized for each of these two engine cycle types. This is also what the octane rating gasoline fuel is dealing with; there's an additive that slightly changes the resistance to compression, and so gasoline with a higher octane rating can be used in engines with slightly more compression prior to the spark plug firing, which ends up being a higher performance engine. Also, contrary to popular belief, higher octane rating gasoline does **not** mean it's a "better" fuel. It only means its rated for use in higher performance engines.

Anyway, using the wrong fuel in the engine can lead to issues. Gasoline in a diesel engine will detonate really really early, causing damage to the internals of the engine. Diesel in a gasoline engine can actually function, but most of the fuel won't burn. You can end up with a serious amount of gunky partially-combusted diesel coating the internals of the engine, which can interfere with the oil on the cylinder walls or end up in the crankcase, which will cause damage over time if not cleaned up pretty quickly.

Of note though; each of those fuels *can* be used in the other kind of engine with modifications and proper control and calibration, but it's somewhat difficult and not something the layman would be able to do on their own.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why don't the men in the ISIS videos, who know they are about to be executed, fight back?

In many of the videos they outnumber their armed executors so why do they accept their fate?

[Assistant] Comments from some of the earlier videos talked about this. Apparently it's not uncommon for them to film the video over and over, sometimes dozens of times, day after day, as a form of torture. Essentially some of the people don't know they're about to be executed, it's just another day filming the same message.


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

[User]
Stupid question: Is it possible/a good idea to do a postdoc parenthesis while in a permanent position?

I'm currently in a permanent faculty position in a European country (say Germany-like but not Germany). My pay is not wonderful considering the local cost of life, and I have **a lot** of teaching and admin duties. I feel like I don't have the time for research at all, and this is hurting my career.

While recently envying the Ph.D. student of a colleague leaving for a postdoc in Switzerland, where he will be earning about 2.5 times my current salary (which, even adjusting for local cost of  living, puts him in a much nicer financial situation that I am currently in), it dawned on me: with no teaching duties, more research time and more money, I would absolutely take that deal!

My current University allows me to take a two-year unpaid leave. This is usually used by people moving to another position, as a safety net, but I guess I could take it with every intention of coming back after a "two year postdoc".

I was quite successful during my Ph.D., got a permanent position without doing a postdoc, and these two years would help me build up my portfolio for afterwards. I am fairly confident that I could find a postdoc given my current CV.

Have you ever heard of something like this? Is my plan completely insane? Is there something obvious that I have overlooked?

I'm a married woman, with no kid plans, if it makes any difference.

[Assistant] I have had a few colleagues from places like Poland, Hungary, and Russia who are in your position, and doing what you plan. It even seems like part of the typical career trajectory for young mathematicians these days.


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

[User]
ELI5: If our body's natural reaction to an inury is to enflame and increase bloodflow, why do we ice it to do just the opposite?

Doesn't our body know what is best?

[Assistant]
Because we have the luxury of resting.

When your distant ancestors twisted they ankle, they still had to forage or hunt or ward off attackers or walk 5 miles back to camp.  Inflammation was like putting an ace bandage on it, allowing some functionality while reducing the chance of further injury.

Today we can just reduce our activity level, with little chance of starving to death because of it.


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

[User]
What will the James Web telescope reveal about other planets?

I understand it's a long distance telescope but I heard it's also going to be used to study other world's outside our solar system.

What kind of information are we talking about?

[Assistant] In terms of exoplanets one of the big goals is to do spectroscopy of their atmospheres, which would allow us to see their chemical makeup. This would tell us a lot about the conditions on these planets, and may also help in the search for life. For example, oxygen is very reactive and you wouldn't expect to see much in a planet's atmosphere unless something is replenishing it, as life does on Earth--though there are other possible sources, so it wouldn't be definitive.


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

[User]
[Yet another WH40k] Why'zit that those Mechanocus Priests or whatever worship their own cult gods? I don't know a ton about the Imperium but their god emperor shouldn't be okay with them not worshipping him, right? Shouldn't that magic wheelchair god consider it heresy?

(I'm not good at writing in character, especially when I don't know a warhammer from a fortythousand)

[Assistant]
Just an FYI, if you have a question you can just ask it. It can sometimes be fun for some people to do in character stuff, but it's far from necessary.

As to your question, the answer is that it's complicated. The Adeptus Mechanicus technically worship what they call the Machine God. However, when the Emperor first arrived on Mars his incredible understanding of technology led to him being revered as the Omnissiah, the physical avatar of the Machine God.

As to why the Emperor didn't care about them being so religious and the Ecclesiarchy not caring about them following the wrong religion, the answer is that they're so indispensable that they get to do pretty much whatever they want. The Imperium would grind to a halt without the full cooperation of the Tech priests, so they get to directly oversee their Forge worlds, keep their religion, and answer to pretty much no one but Inquisitors and the High Lords of Terra as long as they pay their taxes and build stuff.


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

[User]
[40k] How has humanity remained competitive despite a complete technological stagnation?

I'm not very well versed in the lore, but I understand the emperor is a bit of a human hive mind driving the species, but what I understand is that the Imperium has been at an effective technological standstill ever since the Horus Heresy. 10,000 years of warfare not just among themselves, but various other species. Non-human species don't have a luddite behavior so wouldn't this make human war prowess obsolete on such a big timescale?

[Assistant]
The Imperium doesn't need fancy technology, it has a bottomless supply of workers to produce any goods it could ever need and enough soldiers to throw into every war anywhere forever.

Also, throw a cheap lasgun into the hands of a million Guardsman and you now have a wall of lasgun fire that can obliterate nigh anything; don't underestimate the effectiveness of simple tech used in mass quantities.

You are right though, they are stagnating. It will all rot in the end, really, their machinations proving fruitless in the face of a black eternity. The lasgun rusts, the Guardsman decomposes and his beloved Corpse Emperor only further decays as his mind shatters under the burden of the Astronomicon. Of course, every light bulb burns out with time.

Humanity can only embrace the rot, and know its joys! Oblivion awaits, with a Papa to love us all!


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

[User]
Can you trace where specific gold was mined?

I knew a guy who worked for the Kennecott copper mine, and during his time there he snuck some gold out and took it home. He said he is unable to do anything with it or sell it because it has a specific DNA and can be traced back to the mine and he would be in deep crap.

Is he meaning that it has specific minerals and compounds in the ore itself that when looked at, you can locate the geographical region it was mined based on those properties?

[Assistant]
Assuming there are trace elements in the gold that are specific to the area it was mined, yes it can absolutely be linked to a location. Depending on the elements and their distribution it could be linked to a specific mine shaft or deposit, a mine site, or a geographical area.

Theoretically, if its 100% pure gold, then no. But in reality there will be contaminants in it.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why do bathroom stalls have gaps in the US?

I never really thought about it until I started travelling abroad. It's not like it'd be hard to build them better, or would it?

[Assistant]
1) Easier to mop the floor.  Walls mean seams which can gather grime and other funny stuff.

2) Cheaper to build. The stalls mount at two points: the wall and the door pillars.

3) Less hanky-Panky goes on when the stalls aren't 100% private.