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

[User]
Canada is better than America, and most Americans' lives would be improved if they were Canadian citizens. CMV

I have been having a debate with my Canadian friends lately. A few of them are trying as hard as possible to become American Citizens, while I have a dream of renouncing my citizenship and moving to Canada permanently one day. Their reasons are (1) more jobs and (2) greater maximum earning potential. I should mention that all of us are Academics, but please don't direct your replies specifically to Academics (in terms of grants available in both countries, etc). I can't think of a single reason that becoming Canadian would be a bad thing. Healthcare, relatively more liberal and sane politicians, equal or lower levels of corruption, "We hate Canadians, down with Canada" said no one in the world ever. I don't mind cold weather. I could go on. Canada seems like America, just better. Care to CMV?

[Assistant]
The population of Canada is 34 million, and ours is 313 million. Your system works great in part because there are so few people. You have more money, more land, and significantly fewer people.

If suddenly 300 million Americans moved to Canada the place would be a wreck!

Norway is similar. Excellently managed, oil reserves out the butt, but still only 5 million people.

Canada is awesome, but it is a privilege and it would be impossible for American lives to be improved that way, because of the burden of our population! You guys just need to enjoy your Northern paradise!!


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

[User] ELI5: Why do some foods taste much better hot, while others taste much better cold?

[Assistant]
Most of what you taste is about how things smell. When you're eating something that's warm, you get the smells escaping from the food better as it's hotter, and the chemicals that make the smells evaporate off the food, or are drawn up in steam.

For some foods this is great! Think about how good fresh bread just out the oven smells and how it tastes a million times better than it does when it's cooled down (not that room temperature bread is bad... But fresh stuff is amazing!). But for others, this might cause chemicals to be released that don't smell so good. Warm ham, for example, smells quite odd.

Most foods that we eat cold are quite refreshing. So the coolness is part of that.

What is also vital is how the food feels in your mouth. For example, sausages that are fresh out of the oven have a completely different texture to cooked sausages that have been in the fridge, as the fats congeal. This too is part of how we enjoy our foods.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Why dont Jedi or Sith carry a backup lightsaber?

* Just an FYI, I know that some Jedi and Sith use two lightsabers, but what Im talking about is a spare lightsaber that that isnt used unless the main lightsaber is destroyed or lost.

[Assistant]
For Jedi, it's very rare to need your lightsaber, and rarer still to lose one.  Millions of Jedi have gone their entire lives without finding themselves in need of a backup lightsaber.  It's just not a risk worth spending the effort on.

For Sith, the reasoning is a bit different.  They have call to use their lightsabers far more, certainly, but to admit that losing it to an opponent, to say nothing of losing it to accident or misfortune, is a possibility is to admit a huge and glaring weakness.


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

[User]
[Star Trek] Why do my Human crewmates keep calling me Mister?

I am a Vulcan officer aboard the Federation starship *Sullivan*. My name is Sulnak.

Two years ago, I was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Sixteen years before that, I was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. For eight years previously I was an Ensign.

However, for my entire twenty-six year career in Starfleet, the most common name I have been called by the Humans in the Federation is "Mister Sulnak". I have rarely been called "Lieutenant Sulnak", "Lieutenant Commander Sulnak", or "Ensign Sulnak" by crewmates, captains, and even admirals.

Why is this?

I have noticed the same with other Vulcans and occasionally other non-Human species. "Mister Garak", "Mister Solok" et cetera. Even on some occasions a species in place of a name, such as "Mister Vulcan" or "Mister Bolian".

[Assistant]
It's an old Earth Navy tradition, adopted lovingly by Starfleet as heritage to those brave voyagers of old. Typically it is used as address by higher ranking members to lower ranking members, perhaps originally as a gentle reminder of status, but largely only in fond deference to a bygone age of pioneering today.

Many of your crewmates will also be called Mister, regardless of their Human or Non-Human designation and should you find yourself being regarded as a Mister more often than not, it appears you are attracting some important company.


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

[User]
[HALO] Why did the Forerunners reduce the species of the galaxy technologically down to level 0?

Like, they created a manner to replicate Humans, but in Halo Legends they even seem to be a lower form of Humanity, like Neanderthals.

Like, just in case the Flood came back or something, why couldn't they have left some kind of chalk-board with basic mathematics laying around at least? (I'm being coy, obviously).

And then, these structures that re-created the species, how did they hide themselves (On Earth, at least)? On Earth, they seemed not to even be known to exist until the Covenant arrived.

[Assistant]
It goes way back. Before the forerunners were the precursors, who were even more advanced and seeded life in the galaxy. For a while they left the Forerunners in charge, but then thought humans were cooler anyway. The Forerunners didnt like that idea though and surprise attacked the Precursors, wiping them out completely except for some who stored themselves as some kind of dust (yes they turned themselves to dust to not die) that corrupted them and turned them into the flood. Nobody knew about the flood thing though, or this dust, and after a while everyone basically forgot about the precursors altogether.

But then ancient humans, who were technologically pretty close to Forerunners, found this dust and thought hey, lets feed it to our dogs and thus the flood was born. In trying to contain it they attacked a Forerunner world that had been infected. Not believing humans about the flood, the Forerunners declared war. Fighting both the flood and forerunners was too much and, even though the flood had retreated before the war was over, the Forerunners won. They actively wiped out most of humanitys empire, devolved them back to Neanderthals (and some other species), and out them on what they assumed was their home planet (Earth, but no one knows if thats really their birth planet). The Forerunners also had learned the truth about the flood, and thought humanity had discovered a cure for it. So they wanted humans around just in case, and brought a bunch of them to Zeta Halo (the one in Halo Infinite) to do all kinds of experiments trying to find it. It wasnt pretty, then the flood they had there for their experiments took it over and did even more experiments (or just tortured them for kicks).

Eventually when the flood came back in full force the Forerunners had to scramble a bit. They wanted to leave more behind for the humans since humans were supposed to be in charge in the first place anyway, but the flood had found earth by then. The Librarian was there until the very last minute trying to save more humans and making sure the portal to the ark was safe, but the planet was lost. They didnt really have a lot of options in terms of stuff to leave behind while the planet was overrun. Then the rings fired, and the handful of Forerunners that did survive left the galaxy in shame.

And then sort of ironically, the ship Truth uses in Halo 2/3 had a forerunner AI on it that was heading to Earth for that reason. It wanted to help them out because it had been a naughty boy during the war and wanted to redeem itself. Instead it wound up crashing on the Prophets homeworld. It shut down for a long time, and the prophets (like their whole species) basically built the covenant with that ship at its center. Eventually they woke up the AI, and it told Truth, Mercy, and Regret that humans were the real successors to the Forerunners. So rather than let this get out and potentially destroy the covenant (and cost them their power) the Prophets said Hey, lets just commit genocide and then nobody has to know. And thus began the human covenant war.


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

[User] ELI5: Why are we attracted to only certain people ? Why are some people considered ugly while some are considered attractive when basically everyone is just skin and hair?

[Assistant]
there are sane things like health that shows up as attractiveness, like having big boobs, is related to being able to gain body fat to be able to support babies, wide hips, same thing.

take these and give them time to perverse. The original reason remains.


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

[User]
ELI5: fingerprints through evolution?

Whats the use for fingerprints through the years and why do we have them?

[Assistant]
No one knows.  It is known that they're incidental to embryonic development of fingers, in which your fingertips at some point are really big (fetal finger tip pads) and then shrink back down.  This growth and shrinkage causes the skin to wrinkle up like if you stretch a balloon a lot and then let it deflate it's more wrinkly.

But we don't understand why fetal fingers do that except to create finger prints, so now we're begging the question.  There are hypotheses: ridged finger tips can fit more nerve endings, so they can sense better?  Ridged finger tips have more surface area so they can grip better?  These are ideas that people have tested and discussed but not proved.


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

[User]
I wonder if Slavoj Zizek would mind if I pirated his movies?

I'm seriously contemplating about this for the past 30 mins or so, has anyone ever heard a quote from him about this?

[Assistant]
I don't see how any Marxist could be for copyright enforcement specifically regarding ideologically relevant work. The free flow of any pamphletary content is just too aligned with marxism, both at a  philosophical and tactical/political level.

That said it would be interesting to hear a quote about this.


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

[User]
How does a nerve gas mask differ from other gas mask?

WWI mask were tested against chlorine , phosgene and mustard gas. What would be the necessary modifications to be effective against nerve gases, such as tabun and sarin?

[Assistant]
So i actually do this for a living, and the other comments have partially correct info but not the whole story. Firstly, nerve agents are not the only threat, they do however have alot of notoriety. There are other things to also consider such as blister, blood, and choking agents and biological agents (like anthrax) to consider as well.

 A gask mask is meant to stop these from entering your body via inhalation, however there are many different agents that can seep through your skin or light clothing, and thats where other methods of protection come in such as JSLIST suits or level A/B suits that you often see in movies but since your question was about the masks, we will start with those.

What they do in most cases is filter your air through filters (sometimes only one) while providing an air tight seal around your face to prevent chem/bio agents from being inhaled. They cannot however filter our Volitile Organic Compounds (VOCs) such as carbon monoxide as these particles are often similar in size to oxygen and are therefore still deadly. In such conpromised environments, what is usually then used is a level A/B suit with an oxygen supply to prevent you from being exposed to the hazardous agents/VOCs.

As to your question about modifications, gas mask technology evolves to meet new threats, and usually the only "improvements" revolve around filter technology, materials used in the mask itself, or the shape/usage of the mask as it affects combat readiness.

Edit: also, nerve agents hadnt been invented yet so naturally they would not have been used in testing.


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

[User] [Kung Fu Panda] If Tai Lung didnt break out, would Shifu and the 5 have just kept bullying Po until he left?

[Assistant]
No. The Furious Five were already beginning to warm up to Po before the escape, which we see from the scene where they try his noodles. Po was put through hell but stuck with it, and everyone but Tigress respected him for it. Tigress and Shifu would still have been hard sells, but if Tai Lung hadn't broken out, Master Oogway would probably have stayed. His wise counsel might have eventually prevailed over Shifu's stodgy expectations. Po clearly has a knack for kung-fu, and work ethic to spare. In time, he probably would have become a powerful master like the rest of the Five.

A more interesting question is if Po would have ended up like Tai Lung. Shifu's training produced two extraordinarily talented and powerful masters who were totally reliant on external validation to function. Po was already kind of a people-pleaser before he was selected to be Dragon Warrior, and we see how committed he is to sticking with his training no matter how brutal it is. Tai Lung was such an overwhelming threat, his coming forced everyone in the Jade Palace to come to terms with their own limitations, which is what pushed Po to finally accept himself for who he was. Without that push, he might have made for a very interesting villain.


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

[User]
What property of a charged particle causes the charge?

In other words, what is charge? What causes us to say; "Well okay, an electron has a negative charge and a proton a positive charge."

[Assistant]
Charge is itself a fundamental property. A particle, as far as we know, is just a set of fundamental properties like charge, mass, spin, etc. that mostly relate to how that particle interacts with other forces.

If there is a deeper reason as to why particles have the specific properties they do, we don't yet know for sure. It seems like there aught to be. String theory suggests the properties are a consequence of geometry, but a string theorist would need to step in to explain that >_>


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

[User] ELI5: How and why did Pokemon win the popularity contest against Digimon?

[Assistant] The Pokemon franchise was already around for two years before Digimon were even created.  Also, Pokemon began with a wildly popular video game franchise, shortly followed by the cartoon show.  Digimon were originally Tamagotchi-style virtual pets, and didn't achieve near the notoriety.  By the time the Digimon cartoon came out in 1999, Pokemon was already on its 2nd generation of games, was two years into the TV show, released its first movie, and released its card game.


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

[User] Why is the fact that the Antimatter atom is 'measured' for first time so important?

[Assistant]
It confirms our theories that they can exist. It means our theories are very good at predicting things.

It's like if you could predict what the next lottery numbers will be with a high accuracy - there's a lot to gain if you know how the world works.

Or a better analogy: let's say you're living in the 1600's. There's no such things as engines yet. And then you suddenly realise there's a way to build one thanks to water expanding when it's heated. And you know this simply because water has predictable behaviour, and you've done experiments. And when you start the car, *it just works*. Exactly like you expected it to. Because you knew everything about the water and the metals and the fire, you could use it to build a car.

Now they're testing the theories for the fundamental particles to see if they predicted everything just right, and if they did we can base new inventions of that knowledge, the same way people could build engines because the theories worked.


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

[User] ELI5: Why would anyone buy a bond with a negative yield?

[Assistant]
Lots of reasons:

1. you're buying \_your own\_ bond.  Most bonds require a liquidity level in the issuer to match obligation out there, and buy buying back they can decrease the liquidity level required.
2. they may be effectively trading \_currency\_ - e.g. they currency it's issue in is going to change in value so the very small loss in bond yield is made up for in currency change (relative to some other currency).
3. They may believe they are entering a period of probably loss in portfolio value but think the most secure place for their money is in a bond that has a very predictable, but reliable loss.  E.G. if you believe a market is going to tank by 15%, then finding the strategy that loses 0.5% is \_really, really good\_.


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

[User]
Does non-Euclidean geometry render Kant's claim that space and time are a priori intuitions irrelevant?

What the title says.

Per my understanding, Kant claims that space and time are a priori intuitions, but the discovery/ potential of non-euclidean geometries means that to find which one is 'right', we must test them against each other, making our intuitions of space and time empirical.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

[Assistant]
The typical argument is that post-Kantian developments on this point require us to distinguish intuitive, mathematical, and physical spaces in a way that Kant didn't--or rather, to regard them as independent in a way that Kant didn't. For Kant, these three concepts are interconnected in an important way: our intuition of space serves as the ground for our judgments of geometry, and this relation between intuited space and geometric space explains why objects of intuition are describable by geometry, so that it serves as the ground for physical space.

The subsequent developments in mathematics led to the idea that we can speak of a number of diverse geometries. The implication here is not that geometric space is an empirical rather than a priori intuition, but rather that it's conceptual rather than intuited.

This mathematical development raised a new question about what geometry to use in the theories of physics. As you say, on the typical view this choice is responsive to experimental considerations, but that doesn't quite mean physical space is an empirical intuition. If the theories of physics are admitted to be conceptual constructions, then they are freed to use whichever geometry best suits the requirements of their theorization, and it could be that physics settles upon a construction of space distinct from our intuitive experience of space.


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

[User] How can ocean mammals drink the water?

[Assistant]
In general, they don't. While they may take some in on occasion, it's a small amount and is filtered by the kidneys. Most of their dietary water requirement comes from the food they eat. Seals will eat snow sometimes, and manatees (which like in brackish water) will look for fresh water to drink. But purely marine mammals just use their food.

This isn't unique to marine mammals. The kangaroo rat, for example, will not drink water and relies entirely on food. Many desert animals will live on primarily food with little to no fresh water.


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

[User]
ELI5: The Troy Davis Case

I was reading wikipedia and I just didn't get their explanation.

What was the background? What were some evidence for and against him?

[Assistant]
Cop was shot. Davis was charged and convicted. Some of the forensic evidence (from a pair of shorts that had been taken from his house without a warrant) was not allowed in court, and the physical evidence was quite weak (no murder weapon, but the bullet casings found at the scene matched the casings of another shooting he was charged - but not convicted - with) so the prosecution relied entirely on eyewitness testimony. There were 9 non-police witnesses (I don't know where people are getting numbers like 7 or 34; there were 9). He was found guilty.

That was about twenty years ago. More recently, 7 of the 9 have changed or entirely went back on their testimony. Some of them are now saying it was another guy (who, by the way, is one of the 2 who did not change his testimony), and some are saying that the cops coerced them into accusing Davis.

The controversy is that, while the conviction DID happen, it was about as shaky as a conviction with a death penalty can be. Since then, much of the evidence that they relied upon has either turned out to be wrong, or to at the very least to raise substantial questions about it. The fact that he was executed when the legal system cannot have been 100% is a problem.


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

[User]
[Harry Potter] Why are the Weasleys so poor?

They are a pure blood family, which implies that they are a pretty old family.  Every other pure blood family we are introduced to is pretty well off.  What's the deal?  There aren't many pure blood families, and in order to stay purebloods most intermary at least somewhat.  Are they just decendant from a single poor family and inbred, or did they keep marrying poorly?  Hell, just through inheritence their family should be doing better than it is.  Was papa Weasley's dad just a bad gambler or something?

[Assistant]
They seem to be known for having big families. That would whittle down any estate after a few generations. Molly Weasley is also a full-time mom, which limits their income a bit, while Arthur Weasley is both honest and not terribly ambitious.

That said, they're easily the happiest pureblood family we've ever seen. Great home life, and that's no accident.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why do people have butts?

Extremely random but I just need to know some please tell me. I don't understand what their evolutionary purpose is and would really like to know!

[Assistant] Well, one big reason that we have more prominent posteriors than other species, particularly those close to us, is bipedalism. You need way bigger gluts to walk on 2 legs than you do on 4. Additionally it clearly became a trait that was sexually selected for to at least some extent.


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

[User]
(40K) why would anyone choose to follow nurgle?

why would they follow him, or what traits would they have to exhibit as to be taken under his wing?

[Assistant]
For the average human the galaxy is a big and scary place. You will spend your entire life working as a cog in the massive machine that is the Imperium. There will be no appreciation of your hard work or the sacrifices you make as that is what is expected of you. To the Imperium you are nothing, your life will come and go and no one will care.

But Nurgle cares. It does not matter what you look like, to him you are beautiful. It does not matter what you have to offer, to him you are the most special thing in the universe. All Nurgle wants is for you to be happy. He sees the pain you are in and it breaks his pus filled heart. He can take it away. He can take all the pain away and you can have a place at his side with all his friends. You can be happy.


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

[User]
[Kung Fu Panda] How well known was the Panda Massacre?

When Shen slaughtered the pandas to the point he believed them extinct, how well did the rest of China know about it? For example, if word got out to mainstream China, why didn't Oogway, or any kung fu masters or soldiers step in to protect the pandas? Also, when Tai Lung first met Po in the flesh, he of course underestimated him but didn't seem that shocked to see a living, breathing panda, but then again he was in prison for 20 years. So was the Panda Massacre common knowledge, and if so, why did no capable warrior try to put a stop to it while it happened?

[Assistant]
It's implied that it happened very quickly, possibly all in a single night. No one knew that a massacre was coming. Even if oogway did know,  he's not one to meddle with fate, and left it up to destiny the same way he did with Tai lung.

The fact shen's parents were shocked implied he went on his own(telling no one what he was doing), took a group of wolves to destroy the panda village, and sealed his own fate. If it was all done in a single night, that would explain why no one knew what was happening until it was over.

If Shen was then exiled immediately after, it would make sense only he was surprised that there are still pandas.

Tigris seems outright disgusted by Po the first time they met, and she's the only one to make a point of how fat he is. She is roughly the same age as Po, it's possible she'd never seen a panda before, since she didn't realize all pandas are like that. Oogway, Shifu,  and Tai lung were all older than her and unfazed by Po's existence.

Presumably it took place roughly 20-30 years ago, since Po was still a baby.


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

[User]
I believe that despite religious beliefs, Jehovah's Witnesses children should be given blood transfusions if they are dying. CMV

I was talking to a friend about how hard being a doctor would be, and he asked me this: "What if a kid, about 12 years old, was dying, and the only way to keep him alive was to give him a blood transfusion, and he's a member of Jehova's witnesses? What if his parents would not let you do anything?"

My answer was that I would do whatever it takes to keep that kid alive, regardless of religious beliefs. I have a few reasons for this:

1. A child is not capable of making a decision at such a young age. They can't fully distinguish the full reality of death.

2. I don't think that religious belief trumps the right to life. This kid is going to die, but you'll allow that because he can go to heaven? I think that it's unfair to the child, and selfish of the parents.

3. A doctor's job is to save and treat people. Knowing that you could save a boy's life but can't due to one belief defeats the purpose of medicine.

I hope my arguments are good enough. If you have any questions please ask. And if you can, please, CMV.

[Assistant] In case you are wondering about law and/or medical ethics, a doctor can and must give a child lifesaving treatment regardless of the parents' wishes.  There are a few complexities about what counts as a child, but usually it's <18, and essentially every 12 year old would qualify.


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

[User]
Can you grow a plant just by the light from a wood fire?

Also, would there be a difference in growing a plant by a wood fire or a natural gas fire, given both flames were the same general brightness?

Is it possible to grow food by that firelight?

[Assistant]
Photosynthesis requires at least blue and a little deep red (green is actually thrown back unused).

Firelight is 1700K-2000k, very skewed towards red and infrared.  There is very little blue.  You might cook your plants with infrared heat before making enough blue at that color temp.


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

[User] Why does it take several minutes for our eyes to adjust to the dark, when our pupils shrink so quickly?

[Assistant]
It's not just the pupil that helps us adjust to bright & dark situations.

There is a chemical called Rhodopsin that detects when photons (light) hits it.  The light breaks down the Rhodopsin, and it takes a while for it to reform/replenish.

So when it's bright and you go into the dark (or stop looking at a bright light when it's dark around you), the time it takes for you to adjust, is just the time that it takes for the Rhodopsin to replenish.


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

[User] I see plenty of trainers flying and surfing on their pokemon, but nobody ever rides their pokemon on the ground. Why do most trainers use expensive bikes when there are plenty of fast ground pokemon to ride?

[Assistant]
Riding Pokemon? What are you, crazy? So any Joe dandy with a Rydon can just stampede through a city? What if somebody takes their Rapidash just a little too close to the fireworks factory? Heck if you just tried to ride a Pokemon without the proper training, who knows how much danger you would bring to yourself and others.

Catastrophe! Mayhem! That's why nobody is allowed to ride a Pokemon without official Gym permission. And even then, a full HM training course to make sure nobody is dumb enough to fly a Pidgey out over the ocean and then fall off its back.


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

[User]
Is Santa Claus a deflationary risk?

Santa Claus provided well-behaved children with goods without simultainously injecting liquidity into the economy doesn't that create deflation because now the goods/currency ratio is higher?

[Assistant] But, don't we have to consider that these are non-traded goods? For the rest of the goods that people would like consume, that didn't make santa's list, doesn't this actually lead to more money chasing fewer goods?


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

[User]
[General Fiction] I stopped aging in my mid 20's after messing around with some rituals in an old book. My neighbors are starting to give me funny looks and torch/pitchfork sales in town have skyrocketed. What should I do?

I didnt really realize that I was ageless until a few years ago, but im getting close to 50 now and other people are starting to notice.  I dont have any living family and have only a moderate life savings.

Id very much like to not be turned into a science experiment.. or killed.  both of those sound pretty bad.

[Assistant]
Fake your death. Will your assets to someone who died as a child and assume their identity.

Disappear for a few decades, then come back as your own grandson (who looks remarkably like his grandsire) to settle the estate. Repeat as necessary.


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

[User]
ELI5: What happens when a modern website "breaks" and it suddenly looks like 1990s basic HTML?

Amazon was doing this to me earlier. Instead of the modern, graphics-heavy site, it was stuck on an crappy version with long lists of blue links instead of images. It finally corrected itself.

[Assistant] To load a page you generally need to download a HTML file with all the text in, a CSS file which describes how to format the text, then whatever images the page includes. If the CSS doesn't download properly then you get all the text, but with the browser's default styling. Eventually you'll manage to download the CSS and start seeing pages properly again.


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

[User]
[Rick and Morty] When Morty first plays the video game Roy they imply it felt like a full lifetime to him. Could you use this platform to have a ton of extra time to learn new skills in a relatively short amount of time in the non-game universe(s)?

Think about it. If it felt like many decades to Morty while he was playing Roy, and thus why he came out with a minor existential crisis after he died in the game, while it looked like it felt like several minutes to Rick, couldnt you create an educational platform that allowed you to spend those decades learning?

Or even in theory imagine you just play the game but in the game you go to school for nuclear physics, and get a PhD would you be an expert in nuclear physics when you came out?

Obviously I assume things like the matrix where neo learned Kung Fu wouldn't work because you wouldn't have the same muscle memory and coordination as your in game character.

But for strictly mental learning I would think it would follow that you retain that knowledge and skills.

[Assistant] This depends how the game is tricking you into feeling the time dilation. It's possible that all of that information (in your example, the nuclear physics PhD) would be solely in your short term memory. In which case, you wouldn't really be able to remember it unless you sat down and played the game repeatedly, which is just... studying.


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

[User] What exactly keeps our brains 'in place,' and not from smashing into the skull all the time?

[Assistant]
There are a series of 3 membranes, known as the meninges. The outermost is a thick layer lining and attached to the skull, the dura mater. Directly against and attached to the brain is the pia mater. In between these two is the arachnoid mater, a very loose membrane attaching the other two.

Edit: Thanks Greg. We should be friends.

Edit: People keep asking about meningitis. Meningitis is a swelling of the meninges, often caused by infection. The stuff is *super deadly,* especially the bacterial form. It can kill in just a couple days. Imagine you wake up at your dorm, attend a few classes, then get a little headache so you turn in early. And never wake up again. Its usually transferred through saliva. Good thing there's a vaccine for it. Many universities demand vaccination prior to attendance, and even if they don't, it's recommended you do. Look into your school's health coverage if they don't, it might cover most of the cost of vaccination, as well as some other needs.


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

[User]
ELI5: Is atmosphere affected by tidal forces ? why?

I read that it effect all mass and large bodies of water, and liquid mantle. it's just more noticeable on oceans. What about the atmosphere ? It has some mass hasn't it ?

[Assistant]
Yes it is, but the force is much weaker than the thermodynamic cycle caused by the temperature difference of day and night.

The moons gravity has a stronger effect on wind by the movement of the oceans displacing air than directly on the air since it's density is so much lower. The pure gravitational effect is mostly noticable in the very high athmosphere, so far away from us.


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

[User]
[Star Wars] Is there a reason Jedi from Yoda's line have a rebellious streak?

Basically, the line being Yoda > Dooku > Qui-Gon > Obi-Wan > Anakin > Ahsoka and Yoda + Obi-Wan > Luke

All of these jedi, in some way, were rebellious and different from the other jedi.

Anakin and Dooku were both rebellious and arrogant, and eventually left the order to become Sith Lords

Ahsoka was similarly arrogant and rebellious like her mentor, and eventually left the Order (though remained on the light side)

Qui-Gon was a maverick that often disagreed with the Council and nearly took on Anakin as his apprentice despite them refusing to make him a Jedi

Obi-Wan, the least rebellious of them was still differential to Anakin compared to the other Jedi, and nearly defied them and left the Order to train Anakin himself

Luke went against what his masters believed was possible and redeemed Anakin, and remained a Jedi while holding strong attachments to his friends

Was there something about Yoda's teaching method that caused his students and their students to question the logic and ways of the Jedi Order? Even Luke Skywalker's own student fell to the darkside and left his New Jedi Order.

All of the students also had some profound effect in the fate of the Galaxy as well, with Dooku starting the Clone Wars, Qui Gon discovering Anakin, Obi-Wan training him, for Anakin to plunge the Galaxy into darkness. Anakin's apprentice, Ahsoka, leaving likely halted his maturation and hastened his fall to the darkside, Anakin's son, Luke saved the Galaxy from the darkness with Obi-Wan and Yoda's guidance, and Anakin's grandson fell to the darkside due in part to Luke failing as a master, plunging the Galaxy into chaos again. All of it seems from Yoda, why?

[Assistant]
I'd challenge the question itself. Yoda had centuries of pupils - I'd imagine direct padawans like Dooku would be in the dozens at minimum with his 'branches' of indirect students numbering perhaps in the thousands.

Did they all possess these qualities, or is this just one peculiar branch starting with Dooku?


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

[User]
Do racing games improve your driving abilities?

Do games that include a closed racing circuit that rely on reflexes and braking, such as F1 2013, Forza Motorsport, etc.. improve your real life driving abilities?

[Assistant]
Are you asking whether it can in general, or whether it does for you specifically if you play driving games?

It's been shown to make a difference for people already, where those with extensive game time in Forza or GT can drive a track for the first time in RL and put up a significantly better time and display of skill than a person otherwise totally inexperienced.


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

[User]
Are sonic toothbrushes BS ? Do they make any noticeable difference ?

\*Ultrasonic, i meant the one that produces waves that break the scale

I need somebody who's not a salesman to tell me if they are bullshit or not because I won't spare an expense on my teeth but it's hard to justify spending a quarter of my monthly income on something that only maybe works.

Also do you think there is much difference between 200usd sonic toothbrush and 400 USD one ? In terms of cleaning, not quality of materials and durability.

Thank you everyone for responding, special thanks to dentists for answering.

[Assistant] Dentist here. Yes its worth it. There is evidence electric toothbrushes do remove more plaque than manual toothbrushes. Also learned from a few periodontists that the circular spinning action of Oral-B is better than Sonicares vibration. If you use  Sonicare, go in small circles at a 45 degree angle into the gums when brushing the cheek/lip surface as well as the palate/tongue surface. No, the most expensive ones arent worth it unless you have lots of disposable income. They all fundamentally work the same, except the expensive ones have more bells and whistles. Theres a oral b pro 1000 on sale for 30 bucks at Best Buy. Its the replacement heads where they get you. Theres countless pubmed articles backing up this claim. Dont forget to floss and get your cleaning every 3-6 months.


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

[User]
[Teen Titans show]. How is Blackfire able to speak English more fluently and act more natural than Starfire?

Starfire has been on Earth longer than Blackfire and she was still getting used to Earths many customs. But when Blackfire shows up shes not only able to speak perfect English, but she knows Earth slang, video games, poetry and music.

And I know Tamaraneans can learn a language by kissing someone (as far as the show goes), but it doesnt teach them about a culture.

[Assistant] Starfire got all her information from one kiss. Perhaps Blackfire kissed a whole bunch of people in preparation, and that gave her a better understanding of Earth languages. As for her knowledge of Earth customs, some people are just more skilled at picking things up than others.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why is it bad that valve now lets mod developers sell their mods?

I don't really understand all of this. But there is a lot of negativity towards valve for doing this, can someone explain why this is negative? For me it seems like something positive.

[Assistant]
A lot of the comments here are rather close minded and silly. I'll try to give you a list of some of the concerns people are having.

- Valve is criticized to take a huge cut (75%). In reality most of this probably goes to the developer/publisher, but regardless, the modder only takes 25% in the case of Skyrim

- Some people feel that mods should be free, partly because they are used to mods being free. Partly because they feel like the whole idea of PC gaming is the appeal of free mods, which sets it apart from console gaming. This makes mods be closer to microtransactions/DLC. Partly also because they have already been using certain mods and to see them behind a paywall now doesn't make much sense.

- Some people believe that, similarly to how Steam early access/greenlight are now breeding grounds for crappy games made with minimal effort to cynically make money (and of course iOS and Android app stores), there will now be an influx of people not really passionate about modding but just seeing it as an opportunity to make money. This might oversaturate the scene with horrible mods and make the good ones harder to find.

- Some people believe that mods are inherently an unsuitable thing to monetize because certain mods don't work with each other, and mods might stop being usable after game patches. This might cause a situation where a customer buys a mod, and it doesn't work (or it stops working after a while when refunds are no longer possible)

- Some people simply dislike the idea of giving Valve even more control over the PC gaming market than they already do. They also feel like Valve just doesn't deserve even a small cut of this money, given that they don't *really* have much to do with the process at all.

- Some people don't feel like this will work because mods are easy to pirate

- Some people feel like this doesn't support the idea of collaborative mods, because the money always ends up in one person's pocket. However mods can also be made in collaboration with multiple people.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why is it so dangerous for chronic alcoholics to go cold turkey?

I know alcohol abuse can cause psychological as well as physical dependence, but what mechanisms in the body change so drastically where people can die from giving it up too quickly?

[Assistant]
Alcohol messes with GABA. GABA is a neurotransmitter that itself lowers activity in your brain, which is important. It's like having brakes in your car because even though your car is supposed to go, you have to be able to control it. Seizures are the result of uncontrolled brain activity, when one wave of activity causes another wave which causes another wave... with nothing to stop it. GABA is one of the things that probably stops it.

Alcohol also interacts with GABA receptors, which is why alcohol calms you down. However, too much alcohol for a long time causes your body to adapt by producing less of its own GABA, and the receptors become less sensitive. That way, your brain can function properly even when mildly poisoned.

If you suddenly completely stop drinking, your body is still adapted to the constant calming effect of alcohol and isn't producing enough GABA. The result is that your brain doesn't have brakes anymore. That causes seizures and other problems that can lead to death.


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

[User]
[Super Mario] With the exception of Luigi does Mario have any of family or friends and co-workers back in Brooklyn? Does he simply abandon them and live permanently in the mushroom kingdom or does he constantly move back and forth between the words and has to make up excuses as to where he's been?

So I just saw the teaser for the Mario movie (this is not a question about the movie just Mario in general) where Mario is suddenly booted into the Mushroom Kingdom and doesn't know where he is which made me just remember "Oh yeah, Mario is supposed to be a regular human who comes from our world" (I find that easy to forget) so that did get me wondering.

Does Mario still have relatives, friends or associates/co-workers that live in Brooklyn and are unaware of the Mushroom Kingdom? Since Mario is the good-natured Hero I don't see him just abandoning people he built relationships with and possibly family out of the blue to live in a new world he only just discovered so.

Is Mario constantly having to go back and forth between Brooklyn and the Mushroom kingdom and when arriving in Brooklyn does he have friends and family asking "Hey Mario where were you we've been looking all over for you" or his boss at the plumbing company (although he and Luigi run their own in some continuities) asking why he's been late with him having to make up some excuse?

Since he knows about the mushroom kingdom the same question could apply to Luigi.

Of course again in some continuities I'm pretty sure Brooklyn (and by extension) our world is aware of the mushroom kingdom so this question more applies to the other continuities.

[Assistant] Foreman Spike was his boss when he worked in construction, and hes a real jerk. Wouldnt be surprised if Mario didnt have any real friends in Brooklyn, hence why he spends a majority of his time in the Mushroom Kingdom.


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

[User]
Why are COVID cases increasing so quickly while deaths are steadily decreasing?

Is it just that the death rate lags behind the identified cases? Are more cases being identified due to increased testing? Is there some kind of difference in the reporting of infections and/or deaths compared to several weeks ago?

[Assistant] Covid-19 takes a relatively long time to progress. And it appears that the more fatal cases take longer to reach their apex than the milder ones. It's most likely just a lag time as, afaik, there haven't been any real advancements in improving treatment significantly in the last month or two.


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

[User]
CMV: A gun is always loaded, regardless of who you are, what situation you are in, or what others around you have told you.

This was drilled into my mind a thousand times, I am curious if people think there are legitimate cases where this doesn't apply. I was always told that regardless of whether or not you just checked the gun, or just finished firing it, or any other set of circumstances, the only safe way to approach gun handling is to assume the weapon is always loaded and act accordingly. I consider this to be a golden rule of firearms and I am curious if others do too. I feel like many negligent discharges would be avoided if this rule was being strictly followed.

[Assistant] Film is a great example of when this doesn't apply, you need to be able to point the weapon at someone and fire with confidence that the appropriate rounds are loaded. Military exercises that use blanks are another example.


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

[User]
[Star Trek] How do I become a stellar cartographer? What should I major in, in university, and what do I need to become a good stellar cartographer?

What do I need to major in? And what do I need to become stellar cartographer?

[Assistant] Math and computer science would be the underpinning as everything is based on math and you would use the computers to project celestial movements.  Physics, astrophysics and astronomy would be the more specialized courses.  Starship navigation since the most common use is to guide ships through the galaxy.  Then finally Stellar Cartography would be the specialization in how to take your knowledge to make the maps used in the ship's computer and navigation.


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

[User] [Futurama] What's the top speed of the planet express ship?

[Assistant] Im not sure it technically moves at a speed. In one episode it was stated to not actually move but to move the universe around it. However one episode it was stated to move at 99 percent of the light speed. And in another episode the speed of light was stated to be changed. So idk.


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

[User] ELI5:What percentage of my money goes to the Japanese economy when buying a Japanese brand car in America?

[Assistant]
So, there's a couple of parts to this:
**1) Wages:** there's people working for the Japanese car firm in America, and people working for the Japanese car firm in Japan. The Americans' wages go to the American economy. The Japanese's wages go to the Japanese economy.

**2) Operating costs:** The overhead for the factories (wherever they're located) such as electricity, buildings, water, heat, etc. is all outflow to other companies--those companies benefit the economies where they are located. Let's include the cost of externally-sourced raw materials in this one: e.g. buy some steel from China?--benefit to the Chinese economy.

**3): Profit:** Although these Japanese car companies are located in Japan, they're not *owned* by all Japanese people. They're large, public, global Fortune 500 companies. People, other corporations, schools, pension funds, hedge funds, et al. own varying stakes in such a firm. If a public Japanese firm is making profits and is either paying them out in dividends or reinvesting and increasing the market cap of the company, whomever owns shares, is getting money.


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

[User] Why does spicy food make your nose run?

[Assistant]
So there are two basic kinds of "spicy." There are hot peppers like jalapenos which contain a chemical called capsaicin. Then there's horseradish and wasabi which contain allyl isothiocyanate. These chemicals hit receptors in your body and send the signal "YOU ARE ON FIRE!!" to your brain. Your body responds by salivating and making your nose run to try to remove the irritation. Allyl isocyanate hits you more in your nose because its more volatile, while capsaicin hits your tongue because its so oily.

Interesting though is that capsaicin is very similar to urushiol, the chemical that causes poison ivy irritation.


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

[User]
CMV: In the US, conservative media is just as mainstream as liberal media, and it's dishonest to try and claim that liberal media has control of "the narrative".

EDIT: I'm starting to get flooded with replies and have no hope of replying to everyone or addressing every point of view being expressed, but I am still reading everything so don't let that discourage you from replying. I did give a Delta to a poster who convinced me that an overwhelming majority of professional journalists are Democrat, but my opinion is **not entirely changed** (the rules of this sub say to award Deltas even if your opinion is only slightly changed) - I'm still trying to encourage discourse but I don't want people to get the idea that I'm walking back every single point I've made so far.

-----

In the world of cable news, it's no secret that Fox News is alone - however, viewership numbers show that Fox gets more eyeballs on the screen than CNN and MSNBC combined. From this alone, I believe it's dishonest to say that mainstream conservative media doesn't exist.

Conservative talk radio is another thing altogether - go down the list of most-listened-to talk radio, and you see that Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, etc. get several million listeners every week, and meanwhile the first liberal personality is at #16 - below about 8 programs that are explicitly conservative. Podcast numbers tell a less compelling story, but Ben Shapiro is still at #5 in a sea of apolitical or moderate shows.

Social media is another realm where I'd say conservative talking points are in the mainstream (although one of those talking point is how liberal social media sites are) though I don't have numbers to back them up.

Anyway, my point is that the idea that "mainstream media" is exclusively liberal is a myth, and there is plenty, if not more, evidence that conservative media has just as much (if not more) sway on the population.

[Assistant] Conservative media is almost entirely explicitly conservative.  Apolitical/neutral media is generally liberal.  Like if it's just "Yahoo News" or AP or Reuters or any news source whose goal is to be neutral, most of the reporters and editors will consistently lean Democratic.


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

[User]
[40k] Let's say an Imperial or imperium-friendly person comes up with a reliable time-travelling device,

what would be their first temporal interference in order to assure Imperial survival and domination?

(Assuming Back to the Future-type rules for time travel without nonlinear shenanigans and paradoxes)

Edit: to make it more interesting, can only transfer your own body (and mind). No trans-temporal psychic tricks.

[Assistant]
Probably the best strategy would be to pop back to when Standard Template Constructs were still readily available, lay their hands on several that history records as 'lost', and stash them somewhere where they will be safe and stable for several centuries so you can go back to your home time, dig them up, and hand them over to the Imperial authorities. This would be, in layman's terms, a Big Fucking Deal; the best the Imperium typically finds of the old STCs is old hard-copy printouts of the designs they made, which made 'lost' technology no longer lost. In the lore a couple of Imperial Guard mooks who found the STC blueprint for a better knife were literally put in charge of planets as a reward. All of the 'Land' vehicles? Named after the dude who found the blueprints. An intact STC could hypothetically be used to build *any* piece of technology from the peak of Humankind's knowledge and mechanical skill, and could represent a complete game changer in terms of the Imperium's capacity in all fields of endeavor.

Changing the timeline is a suckers game. Even in 40K, where enough facts are lost to the mists of time that you could probably make a big change w/o blowing up the timeline, it's difficult if not impossible to fully calculate the impact of changing the past in a meaningful way. But one can abuse the timeline without changing it.


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

[User]
ELI5 does whitening toothpaste actually work? if it does, how?

do the whitening ingredients work like bleach, white dye, or something else?

[Assistant] The majority of whitening toothpastes/strips all use hydrogen peroxide, or a form of peroxide mixed with an abrasive compound.  The abrasive compound polishes surface stains and the h2,02 in peroxide is a strong oxidizer which attacks the tiny stain particles stealing their electrons causing them to fall apart.


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

[User]
[Suicide Squad] Why Captain Boomerang?

I admit I don't know much about him other than what we see in Suicide Squad, but from what I can see, he's just a dude with a bad temper that throws stuff.

I'm sure there have to be be much more badass dudes in prison than him. His boomerangs are used as thrown weapons and drones, but I'd think the military has far more effective weapons (guns perhaps?) and military grade drones.

Basically, I don't see why he's exceptional or needed. He doesn't have any specialized knowledge or skill. A Navy Seal or pipe-hitting convict would probably be far better. He brings nothing to the table like most of the other squad members. Why is he there?

[Assistant]
He started out as a member of the Flash's rogue's gallery, and aside from being an expert marksman with a lot of effective trick boomerangs, he's also ruthless, unconventional, and unpredictable (except for being a jerk, he's that in pretty much every incarnation). Throw him in a fight, and he's dependable to hold his own, and his real talent in that regard might just be survival - this is a human that routinely goes up against superhumans and doesn't end up dead or maimed.

Unlike a lot of the other Suicide Squad members, you could probably throw him in a prison and he'd stay there. Sure, he might carve a boomerang out of soap and kill a guard in an escape attempt, but reasonable precautions and all that. But for the type of missions the Suicide Squad does, he's almost perfect: skilled beyond the ordinary, eminently expendable, and can be coerced into taking and following orders by reasonable threats. You don't normally send Special Forces into certain death, but you can send Captain Boomerang and everyone will sleep well at night because *fuck that guy*!

And yeah, boomerangs may seem a little gimmicky - but so are batarangs. And Captain Boomerang is probably better with his boomerangs than Batman is with his batarangs.


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

[User] ELI5: How did we come up with the idea of three meals a day for a normal family?

[Assistant]
Breakfast was a recent invention. During and before the middle ages, nothing could be eaten before morning mass. The meal was essentially invented during the industrial revolution for labourers.

Lunch pretty much existed forever, and was the main meal of the day - big hearty lunches. It was only until the industrial revolution when lunches started to become lighter, due to labour.

Dinner was originally a lighter meal, but again, because of the industrial revolution, the big hearty meal of lunch had to be pushed later into evenings as dinner.

This is all European history though; if you are Chinese, you might have a breakfast, a 4 o' clock meal and a very, very late supper.

EDIT: China is a very large place, you'll probably see different traditions on when people eat within different parts of China.


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

[User]
[DC] Would Batman 'kill' Brainiac?

As in; **Would Batman kill an AI?**. I know there are versions of Brainiac who aren't AI, but for intensive purposes let's just say he's an AI.

He'd probably be fine with destroying robots like Brainiac's cannon-fodder army but I'm talking Westworld-level AI. I guess, another way to phrase the question would be; **What is the threshold of consciousness that an AI can have before it is protected by Batman's 'no killing rule'?**

[Assistant]
He'll kill anything not living (Vampires, zombies, Frankensteins), animals, monsters, whatever you classify Doomsday as, occasionally aliens, and anything inbetween up to and including marauding AI.

If it's not a living human being, Batman don't give a fuuuuck.


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

[User]
[Meta] Would it be worth having a pinned post with go-to comics/episodes that answer common questions?

I know we have the FAQ for certain things, but I wondered if a pinned post that outlined where good answers to common questions can be found.

Could be something that gets updated over time and becomes a real repository of information for us, and also gives new folk some great suggestions for things to check out to further explore certain things.

[Assistant]
At least in theory, people should be trying the search function before posting a question. But they don't, hence frequent flyers like "how badly did the Snap fuck up the Earth" (hella bad), "why doesn't Batman use his money to attack the underlying social causes of crime" (he does, you just didn't notice), and "why doesn't Thanos do [sensible thing X] with the Gauntlet" (because Thanos straight up sucks).

A stickied post may not be practical, due to a limit on how many we could have up at once, but it might be worthwhile to update the FAQ again.


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

[User] [MARVEL] Juggernaut is literally empowered by a god/demon with the power to be unstoppable. Would he be able to run through an adamantium material? If so, how? I thought adamantium was unbreakable?

[Assistant]
Juggernaut is very hard to flat-out stop, but you *can* redirect him. There's plenty of times where he's been forced into a "go that way" situation. He might just plonk off, like kicking a football into a brick wall would cause it to bounce in another direction.

It's also entirely possible that he'd just...push said adamantium object along with him, or send it flying? Which should probably happen before it actually breaks.

I should note that the Juggernaut has been brute-force stopped before. Hulk as War, one of Apocalypses horsemen, straight up stopped the Juggernaut and left him mentally rattled. A sufficiently powerful force can flat-out stop him.

Adamantium in turn is conventionally indestructible, barring esoteric means (e.g. anti-metal/antarctic vibranium). But not *literally* impossible to damage, though as far as (normal) Juggernaut is concerned...he probably can't.


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

[User]
Why do humans like to watch things break, get destroyed, or crash?

We all enjoy watching controlled building implosions, Will It Blend? is popular on YouTube, and there are countless videos of crash test vehicles available online. What is it about destruction they we're so attracted to?

[Assistant]
The neurologist Sigmund Freud, the founding father of psychoanalysis, suggested that humans have a "death drive" or destrudo which is the opposite of libido, the drive to create life. The concept is still highly controversial.

I interpret it as humans are attracted to destruction because of the huge of amount of entropy, or disorderliness that it generates. Like how we are impressed by things made by humans (artwork, sculptures, buildings, etc.) that required a great deal of energy to make, we are impressed by things that produce great deals of energy and/or randomness (nuclear bombs, blended bits, buckled cars, etc).

Watching the world burn would be quite beautiful.


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

[User] ELI5 Why is packing tape nearly impossible to tear when intact, but easily shreds if you cut the slightest nick into it?

[Assistant]
It is made of a relatively inelastic polymer.

While some plastics are fairly 'stretchy', these are a huge pain in the ass to cut. Think about duct tape. It's extremely strong but also quite difficult to work with.

Packing tape is strong but not particularly robust - it cannot stretch much before it breaks.

All materials experience extra stress at inside corners. This is because of the geometry of the object. A cut is just a very sharp inside corner, and so the stress at the tip of a cut is *huge* compared to elsewhere. More or less, all the force that's no longer being held by the area that was cut is now borne by the tiny bit of material right where the cut ends.

The stretchier the material, the more this force is spread out. Packing tape isn't very stretchy, so this force isn't spread out much.

The end result is that cuts cause a huge amplification of the force at the edge of the cut, causing the cut to grow.


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

[User] [Star Trek] What is the transporter chief doing when they manually adjust three analog sliders to energise the transporter? Wouldn't something this sophisticated be completely computer controlled?

[Assistant]
>Wouldn't something this sophisticated be completely computer controlled?

Oh, no. There's a *startling* lack of automation in the Federation. There are various fan theories to explain why (my favorite is that they all flipped their shit after the M5 incident and refuse to let computers have too much control).


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

[User] How do linguists discover the phonetics of ancient symbols?

[Assistant]
Typically via comparison with known languages. Bilingual (or trilingual) inscriptions like the Rosetta stone provide a basis for sound when words like names are transliterated. Monolingual inscriptions in a different script can be helpful, like an Egyptian name written in Greek. You can also find words in surviving languages: Coptic is a surviving language related to that of Egyptian hieroglyphs, and even some unique words in Egyptian Arabic are found to be related to the ancient language. Clues can sometimes be found based on context inside a text, like rhyme or onomatopoeia or puns or confused homophones or whatever else a careful reader may find.

The examples above are all about Egyptian, as it's the most well-known "rediscovered" script, but others will have gone through the same process, being more or less difficult depending on how related those languages are to existing ones and how much written material survives.

Reconstruction of the sound of an ancient language, of course, is far from precise. Language is always changing, and especially in the pre-modern world varied from place to place. Saying something was pronounced as such can only be sort of an idealized approximation at best.


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

[User] [Marvel] Is it deliberate that so many Inhuman names conveniently shorten to good superhero names, or just a weird coincidence?

[Assistant]
Not all of them do. "Karnak" is slightly similar to a place in Egypt, which is a rather odd name for a superhero. Most of them seem to have vaguely classical names (Maximus, Petragon, Triton, Crystal actually comes from a Greek word) or else something odder like "Tonaja" or "Ahura"

Probably the most straightforward superhero names are Black Bolt (okay, that one is weird) and Lockjaw (who is a dog, and dogs tend to have funny names)


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

[User]
ELI5: Who, or what, is Citizens United, and why have they all of a sudden been in the news so much lately?

I've been seeing a lot of posts on Reddit pop up, and in the morning news programs on the drive into work about Citizens United, though nobody has ever really stopped and talked about why they exist, what they stand for, and why they're causing such controversy.

[Assistant]
Citizens United refers to a court decision *Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission*.

Citizens United was making a movie that was critical of Hillary Clinton and wanted to advertise it before the 2008 democratic national convention. Before the ruling, it would have been illegal to do so within 80 days of an election and within 30 days of a primary.

The Supreme Court ruled that preventing a group of people (Citizens United) from expressing their opinions during an 80 day window or 30 day window was a violation of free speech.

The decision *does not* have anything to do with whether or not money is speech or corporations are people.

I know this isn't ELI5 friendly.


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

[User] ELI5: What happens to our bodies when someone makes us jump?

[Assistant]
Your brain thinks there is an immediate danger and tells your body to suddenly release loads of adrenaline and activate a part of your nervous system called the sympathetic nervous system which deals with the fight or flight response.

This has the effect of increasing your heart rate, making you more alert, making your hairs stand on end, breaking down energy stores so there's lots of glucose for muscles, dilating your pupils and a bunch of other effects. All of these effects are designed so that you can fight or run away as effectively as possible.

When we realise that there isn't any danger, we downregulate all of the above effects.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why do hamsters like running?

I have seen so many videos of hamsters running around in the cages, on wheels, etc. What drives this need of theirs?

[Assistant]
It's not just hamsters, but many animals, and it's not the wheel they like, it's the running. Hamsters, like many other animals, do a lot of running in the wild, and can cover many miles in as single day. Obviously they can't do that on flat ground in a cage, so the wheel lets them run and get out all of that energy that they would normally do in the wild from the confines of their cage.

It's really not that different to why humans use treadmills. Our bodies were meant to travel long distances to hunt and gather. Now that most of us don't do that anymore, we still need to exercise and move around, so we hop on the treadmill instead.


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

[User] [Marvel/DC] How are characters like Captain America, Batman, Green Arrow, etc atheistic even though they have met several Gods?

[Assistant]
Cap isn't an atheist.  Batman appears to be a lapsed Catholic.  Even if he says he's an atheist (depending on continuity), it's more in an "angry at God" kind of way.

There are people in comic book universes with immense superpowers.  That makes it easy for some people to write off Biblical tales as probably just an encounter with a superhuman.  Was Noah's Flood really divine judgment, or just some person with massive water manipulation powers?


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

[User]
If we created a colony on Mars, could we make it disease free?

Of communicable diseases, at least.

[Assistant]
No.  We, as humans, need bacteria to survive.  We need natural "helpful" bacteria which live within our digestive tracts, in our airways, and over every millmeter of our skin.

Given time, and the outrageous rate at which bacteria mutates, it is inevitable that some strains of said bacteria would become virulent.


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

[User]
[Star Trek Into Darkness] Khan's allies

So as we all now, Doctor McCoy discovered that the blood of the super soldiers can revive dead cells. So when the crew of the Enterprise wished to revive Kirk, why did they go after Khan? Could they not have taken a sample from one of the many soldiers in stasis around them?

[Assistant] They had no way of knowing the medical specifics or properties of any of Khan's allies, Khan himself had been thoroughly scanned into the computer. Rather than gamble, McCoy acted on the information he had.


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

[User]
Do particles, like neutrinos affect anything, if they somehow stopped existing, would it have a noticeable effect on us and what we can observe around us?

I'm assuming, there are other kinds of particles, that don't interact electromagnetically. Please correct me, if that assumption is wrong.

[Assistant]
Neutrinos don't interact electromagnetically, it's true. If the Sun somehow stopped emitting neutrinos (most neutrinos on Earth are streaming out from the Sun), it wouldn't affect us too much.

It would probably affect the Sun, though. Neutrinos carry a lot of energy away from the Sun (just by virtue of how fast they're travelling), so that would need to change. What would happen depends on how you're getting rid of neutrinos.

Neutrinos are important to a lot of nuclear processes. They are needed to balance the equations. Just like energy and electric charge, there's a conserved quantity in nuclear reactions called the *lepton number*. It's the number of leptons minus the number of antileptons.

There are six kinds of leptons: electrons, muons, tau particles, and the three flavours of neutrino. If you create one during some reaction or other, you have to create an an antilepton as well (not necessarily the antiparticle for the same lepton). For example, when the Sun fuses two protons into a deuterium nucleus, one of them turns into a neutron. To conserve charge, this creates a positron. To conserve lepton number, this in turn creates a neutrino.

The same thing happens with a lot of radioactive processes: beta decay in particular. That's when a radioactive nucleus converts one of its protons to a neutron, or a neutron to a proton. In the first case, it emits a positron and a neutrino; in the second case, it emits an electron and an antineutrino. If the nucleus were somehow unable to produce a neutrino, it would not be able to decay in that way (if it can decay by breaking into two nuclei, that would still be possible).


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

[User]
ELI5 the Google v. Oracle case

Specifically the whole debate over copywrite law regarding programming languages.

[Assistant]
Oracle bought a company (Sun Microsystems) that had created the Java programming language.  Now think of a programming language like a car.  The concept of a vehicle with four wheels and some motor can't (currently) be copyrighted by any one company.  A specific car has parts designed by a company (or companies) that are the property of the company (a motor by BMW, tires by Michelin, etc).

Now Oracle creates the 'Java' car, using a motor, wheels, seats, all designed by Oracle (really Sun).  Google came along and said, let's make our own 'Android' car, but we want it to still be usable by people who know how to use a 'Java' car.  So Google (supposedly) went and created an 'Android' car from the ground up, not trying to figure out how the 'Java' car was created, but taking the concepts of a motor, wheels, steering wheel, etc.  The 'Android' car can still be used by a person who knows how to operate a 'Java' car, although the motor is meant to run on a different fuel, the wheels are smaller, and the seats are shaped differently.

Now, even though the 'Android' car is not the same as the 'Java' car under the hood, Oracle is claiming that the concept of a vehicle with four wheels, a steering wheel, and a motor is property of Oracle, and that the 'Android' car is just a "...cheap knockoff..." (actual quote) of the 'Java' car.

The real danger of this case is that Oracle will lock down the concept of a 'car' as property of a company.  A company could make a three-wheeled motor cycle, for example, and another company could come along and say, "no, we invented the tricycle 100 years ago, and we demand you pay us money for licensing our 'three-wheeled vehicle design'".


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

[User]
ELI5: Why can't game pirates just copy the binary code, start to finish, from a disc and then just copy and burn it?

Why is there a need to crack consoles? Aren't all game discs exact copies of each other?

[Assistant]
That is basically how it works for the most part. However there are numerous schemes that software makers have come up with to prevent just that.

The current generation of video game consoles uses a combination of schemes, some of which are built into the specification of the disc system.

The one most relevant to your question would be ROM-marks. Basically there is a difference between what commercial disc players and what the disc writers used to make the game discs can see and write.

It uses a system like the watermarks used in money or important documents.

The creator marks the game discs with these ROM-marks, that software using consumer level players can use to check if they are indeed the right discs but that consumer level writers can't easily recreate.

Earlier systems used similar ideas. They went around and beyond concepts in the standards for these CD or DVD systems and for example made queries about eh physical location of the data on the disk rather than the logical data or wrote extra data outside the bounds where you are normally supposed to write data or simply created their own slightly different standards.

All this can be worked around of course and is generally used in combination with ideas like having software that needs to contact a server to be activated or that needs to have an always on Internet connection to the server to function at all.

In the old days when we were still having game on floppy disks they sometimes included stuff in the games that you would need a manual or other type of hard to copy physical object included in the game's boy to proceed.


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

[User]
Bremsstrahlung and General Relativity: Does a charge resting on the surface of earth emit radiation?

The Standard Model treats gravity as a force like any other while General Relativity models gravity not as a force, but as the curvature of spacetime.

A consequence of the latter is, that free-falling objects are force-free and their acceleration, defined as the covariant derivative of their four-velocity, is zero.

Furthermore, it follows that objects at rest relative to the surface of a planet are constantly being accelerated upwards by the ground, according to GR.

Does this fact constitute an experiment so see which model is correct regarding their model of gravitation?

* If gravity is a force, free falling charged particles are being accelerated, and should therefore emit radiation. Conversely, charges at rest relative to the ground experience a net-force of 0N and should not emit radiation.

* If gravity is the curvature of spacetime, free-falling charges do not experience forces, and should therefore not emit radiation, while charges at rest relative to the ground are being accelerated upwards and should emit radiation.

Am I missing something here? Can we detect Bremsstrahlung in either of the above cases?

[Assistant] It depends on the frame of reference. A charge at rest on the Earth does not appear to radiate as seen by other at-rest observers on the Earth, but a freefalling observer would see a charge-at-rest radiate.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why can't you just cut off cancer cells?

I know there's a reason, but I don't know what it is.

[Assistant]
A lot of tumours ARE surgically removed. But there's several big issues with that.

Surgery may leave small, microscopic pieces behind that could grow back.

Cancers spread, so a tumour may have already sent out metastatic cells to other parts of the body.

Most of your organs are necessary for you to live and there may be no way to remove a tumour without removing all or most of the organ.

Tumours may be in a surgically inaccessible area, ie the deep interior of the brain or on the brain stem, or inside the bone marrow (leukemia)


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

[User] If I leave the faucet on in an area with abundant freshwater resources (e.g., the Great Lakes region), is that water "wasted?" Or does it make its way back into the water supply pretty easily?

[Assistant]
What you're really wasting is the energy spent cleaning and transporting the water to you.

It depends on the sewage treatment plant if the water gets dumped back into the local water reservoir or it might get dumped into the ocean / river that isn't used as a source of water.  If it's the latter, then it's "wasted", because you can only replace that water in your source river/lake with rainfall.


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

[User] [Fallout] What if the NCR/Caesars Legion were introduced to the capital wasteland?

[Assistant]
Probably steam roll everyone in the Wasteland save the Enclave.  Remember, the NCR has fought to at minimum a stale mate both the Brotherhood and the Enclave already, and they've grown since then.

If we assume the Lone Wanderer ended the Enclave before they arrived (reasonable considering it'd be after the whole New Vegas incident), then the strongest force in the wastes would be, what, maybe 100 guys in barely functioning power armor?  Who are fighting Super Mutants, protecting the innocent, and having to deal with their own rebels.  Yeah the NCR would just roll over them.

Caesar's Legion is different.  They've never really gone against a big player and won.  Sure they fought the NCR but the fact that they're on one side of the dam and it's definitely NCR says they lost.  So if you transplanted the entire Legion in the Wasteland, maybe they take it over completely.  Maybe.  Possibly.  Not really, they're pretty shit.  Football gear and knives?  The muties would knock 'em out before the Brotherhood got a chance.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why can't you make a bit-for-bit copy of a disc and use that as the original?

It seems to me that if the original disc is copied bit-for-bit to a new disc, the new one is indistinguishable from the old. Yet, you can't simply copy an XBox/Wii disc and expect it to work without patching your disc drive's firmware. I don't plan on doing this(did a few months ago, realized it was a dick move), but I am still curious as to how the protection works.

[Assistant] The disks used on gaming consoles have special components of the data tracks near the inside of the disk. These components can be neither read nor replicated by standard drives. Only the drives used in the consoles themselves can access and utilize these proprietary features.


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

[User]
[Red Dead Redemption] What happened to all of Johns money at the time of the next game?

When we leave off with John in Red Dead Redemption 2, he has 20,000. This is the equivalent of $600,000 in real world money.

Yet, by the start of Red Dead 1he has none of that.

Canonically, it seems Abigail might not know about the money? Correct me if she has said otherwise, but in the game she will go up to John and preach about how shes barely putting enough food on the table and says I want to survive and all.

Does this mean John kept the knowledge of the money from Abigail? If so, why? And what did John do with the fortune of money between Red Dead 2 and Red Dead?

Also, does this mean John is an asshole for making his family work extra hard to put food on the table when hes sitting on this huge fortune?

[Assistant]
He's been captured by the government in the first game. When you're an outlaw captured by the government, you don't get to keep your stolen money.

>Also, does this mean John is an asshole

Yes, but really more for the murdering brigand stuff then anything else.


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

[User]
[DC] When did Batman truly anger Joker the most?

It seems rarely anything ever gets under the Joker's skin, but when something does, it's not pretty, *especially* when it's Batman. What's the single most infuriating thing that Bruce has done to Joker?

[Assistant]
* In Brian Azzarello's *Joker*, Batman shows up while Joker's in the middle of one of his many mental breakdowns and delivers a single line that makes the Clown Prince go absolutely berserk.

>**Joker**: You wear your shame like a badge because you don't have the balls to actually pin a real one on. Just look at you. Desperate to be feared. You want to be seen as a monster, draped in black. And yet... you leave that little window, a glimpse at the chiseled pretty boy jaw underneath, not the mouth of a monster, just to let everyone see. Tell me why.
>
>**Batman**: >!To mock you. !<


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

[User]
ELI5: Why don't more cars run on diesel instead of gasoline?

In my understanding, diesel usually gets 20-30 mpg more than gas does and that would produce less harmful gases and be worth the extra money spent on it.

[Assistant] A lot of people don't like the sound & vibration of a diesel engine, they are "rougher" than the regular engines.  If you're on the fence, take one for a test-drive you'll be a convert like me, the torque of a modern diesel is something to experience.


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

[User]
How does the blood circulatory system adapt to amputations?

For example if your leg is amputated, all blood vessels going to the leg are now dead ends and the blood can't circulate normally.
How does the blood coming from the heart get back to the heart if the connection via blood vessels is severed?

[Assistant] Rather than being one long continuous loop, your arteries actually give off smaller arterioles along their entire length. These arterioles perfuse the capillary beds that are in all your tissues. This means that even if you clamp off an artery halfway up your arm, there are still pathways for the blood to get to capillaries and then back into the venous circulation. You can think of your circulation as being a bunch of parallel circuits, so even if one gets blocked, there are still other pathways. Blood vessels can also change size over time to adapt for major changes like amputation.


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

[User] When my guitar is out of tune, the strings are always in a too high pitch. Intuitively, it feels like it should be the other way since they would loosen. What's going on?

[Assistant]
The coefficient of thermal expansion of the (steel or bronze) strings is higher than that of the wooden neck of the guitar (along the grain).  After you've been playing the guitar for a few minutes, both strings and wood will have warmed up due to you touching them.

If the thermal expansion of each material were equal (along the string axis), then the guitar would stay in tune quite well.  Instead, as it warms, the strings expand more than the wooden neck, causing some tension to be lost.  This lowers the pitch of the strings.

If you tune your guitar perfectly in this warm state, when it cools, the strings will be tuned too high.

TL;DR:  Don't check your guitar's tuning until you've been playing it for 5 minutes.


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

[User] ELI5: What happens to electricity that is "grounded"?

[Assistant]
The electricity doesn't go into the ground like a big tank of electricity.

It just completes a circuit using the ground as part of the circuit.

We connect things to the ground mainly to make sure they won't shock you. As long as only one part of the circuit is connected, it makes no difference to the circuit since there's no complete circuit that goes through this connection. But it does prevent static electricity build-up.

There's also a safety purpose: if some wire breaks, for example, and it touches a grounded metal part, then it *does* complete a circuit, usually in a way that trips the circuit breaker, so you don't get shocked by touching it later.

Usually, every metal thing you could touch is connected to the ground. That's the purpose of the ground pin on power plugs. Also, one side of the actual circuit is connected to ground - the neutral side. Remember, this makes no difference when everything is normal.


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

[User]
[Injustice 2] Couldnt Flash have easily saved Deadshot from Grodds control by vibrating the explosive device from his head?

Flash has done so before in several similar situations. It seems like a very obvious solution.

[Assistant] Grodd is a smart monkey, he likely has some sort of sensor that triggers if it feels abnormal molecules vibrations too close to it... Since you know he IS one of Flash's villains, he is likely used to account for Flash's skills...


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

[User]
[Superheroes] What sort of social media presence do superheroes have?

In Kick-Ass we see the world of superheroes becomes very focussed around social media with the rise of Kick-Ass and heroes in general starting with a viral video and a myspace page. However in my other (admittedly limited and usually about 20+ years too early for modern social media) excursions into the superhero world I have never encountered a hero with an online presence. Is it something that exists in the bigger stories or are heroes generally a bit more old fashioned?

[Assistant] They don't do the work to get famous, they fight to save their cities. They don't need a social media part of their work. For one, it would make it possible to track them, and two, they are already legends, why bother?


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

[User] ELI5: I keep hearing that 20% of all US dollars were printed in the last year, so why isnt the inflation rate 20%?

[Assistant]
First of all, US paper money has a short lifespan, especially for the smaller and more frequently used notes. $20 bills and below last about 5-8 years on average, while $100 bills tend to last about two decades. Most of those new bills are just replacing old bills being taken out of circulation.

But the real reason why all this money printing doesn't result in equivalent inflation is because the vast majority of US dollars aren't in physical currency. Add up all the bills in circulation and the total value is about $1.5 trillion. But if you add all the physical dollars and all the dollars in bank accounts, then there's about $14 trillion- only 11% of all US currency is physical.


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

[User] [General] If I create a robot that is incapable of projecting the color red can it ever turn evil?

[Assistant]
It certainly can turn evil. Every body knows that red is only the colour of POLITE evil. The upfront kind that knocks on your door and informs you that it's going to kick your puppy now, are you busy? Real evil narrows its eyes and looks sneakily from side to side. The T-X managed just fine with blue (although it had a backup in that it could project red FLAMES, but not regular light).

If you want to stop it from turning evil, it needs to be completely immobile - all parts, including glowing singular eyeballs - to prevent it from shifting side to side and narrowing its eyes.


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

[User]
[ATLA] Regarding the airbender genocide

So the Southern Air Temple was Aang's home and also monk Gyatzo's. The fire nation came in and killed everyone including Gyatzo.

My question is this. Why did they leave the bodies of their fallen? Roughly twenty firebenders were used to take down Gyatzo but in end there were no aorbemders left to resist them. Why would the firebenders leave so quickly as to not collect their dead?

[Assistant]
Either they were superstitious, in a hurry, or it was too expensive to remove them.

The fire nation is surprisingly tradition bound, and it's possible that they thought the spirituality of the air nomads would allow then to return in spirit form.
It could also be they were nervous from all the killing, as even though the fire nation is known for their calculating brutality, they're still human.

They might have also been in a hurry to kill the rest of the airbenders, since breaking the incarnation cycle to end the avatar was the main goal.

Not to mention, the way to the Air Temples are treacherous without airbending, and the fire nation was still a hundred years away from readily available flight capabilities, making removing the bodies far more costly than leaving them to rot.


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

[User]
What kind of reading schedule do you maintain to be on top of everything while completing a major research project and going through day to day life?

I only ask because I'm a final year undergrad who has gotten by through bursts of productivity on some days and days where I am out of commission. I might read 4 articles/book chapters a week in depth and loads of skimmed material ie. stuff I didn't have time/energy to complete. There is no regularity or sense of control involved. I am always fighting against the clock, my mental health and my ability to get it done.

I hope that understanding the day to day workload of someone undertaking a major research project like a pHD can help me plan out my own routine when I take on my thesis next year. I want to take some control back. I know with my mental health issues, it will always be a struggle but being prepared is what has gotten me this far!

I know answers differ individually! I'm just trying to get a rough idea so I can build towards my own goals little by little.

[Assistant] I suggest setting goals in terms of time spent reading, not the amount read. Spend the same time every day reading, and it quickly becomes part of your routine and you won't have to worry whether you've done it or not. And you can easily scale it up or down to find the ideal balance.


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

[User]
My (undergrad) professor assigns 200 pages of readings a week and hasn't answered my last three emails :(

I'm in a senior research seminar for my humanities major. The professor is someone I completely adore. I have, in fact, a bit of a crush on him.

But he assigns so much in terms of readings - up to 250 pages a week but usually closer to 150. Do you guys think this is reasonable? Half of it is usually primary source material, half academic discourse, and then sometimes media pieces. So it's not like it's easy reading either.

And then, and I'm not upset about it but it just makes me feel a bit embarrassed/rejected, he hasn't answered my last three emails!

The first email was about something we were discussing in a meeting I had had with him. I thanked him for the meeting, sent him a picture which I had asked him a question about during the meeting, and commented about my interest in a memoir written by an academic he knows really well.

No answer. That's fine, I guess, the email didn't have any action items.

The second email was about my research proposal. I mentioned an author we had both been talking about, linked to a really interesting interview with him, and then asked the professor if he might be available to meet sometime in the next few days to help me refine some things for my research proposal, which would be due the following week.

No answer. Ouch! I was really embarrassed. After this, when I went to class, I was a bit quiet. He noticed, and he was like, you're quiet today. have you done the readings?

I was like yeah, of course I have. He said, so what's going on?

I didn't say much. But I was actually a bit hurt that he hadn't been answering any of my emails, and I was also really tired...

Anyways, I sent the third email a few days ago. In the email, I explained that I've always done the readings, all of them, take them really seriously, annotate extensively (my annotations document is about 70 pages now!), and then I mentioned that I find upwards of 200 pages of readings to be challenging (something all the classmates and I had agreed on - they were just too afraid to broach it with him), but that I still appreciated the readings and learned so much from them, and would even miss them after this class is over. I also asked if he assigns about this much in his grad classes. A few weeks ago, he'd said that I could take a grad class with him, so that's why I asked about that.

No answer!

I don't know what to do. Why isn't he answering any of my emails??

[Assistant] To be frank, your professors are busy. 2/3 of the emails youve described are basically attempts at having a conversation, which your prof isnt going to want to do. Keep your emails short and to the point. If by the next class he hasnt responded to your request to meet - which honestly he may not have read since it sounds like most of it was conversational - just ask him in class. Also, dont let these things upset you to the point of affecting your in-class performance. Its not personal. Its just that your relationship is a professional one.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does saliva sometimes shoot from a person's mouth when they're yawning?

[Assistant] Otherwise called "gleeping", or "gleeking": what happens when you yawn, your tongue squeezes back and compresses the tissue beneath it. Under your tongue there are little tube-like glands that produce saliva (salivary glands). These are normally filled with saliva, and once compressed by your tongue, they expel the saliva inside them. Since the glands are like little tuves, it squirts the saliva out like a gun.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why do we have scars on the upper arm from shots?

I mean, needle pricks are too small to have such obvious scars.

[Assistant]
Well, when a scar happens, it's where you skin has repaired some damage. It can't quite get it just like new every time, but it does its best. It's like your body remembering some awesome fight it had.

The scar on your arm isn't your body remembering just the needle prick, it's remembering the fight *with the disease that was in the needle prick*, which was so tough that loads of tissue cells near the pin prick also had to die; and be repaired. That's also why it all swelled up so mingingly at the time.