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

[User]
ELI5: Why are hover boards so impossible to make?

Like i dont mean the hover boards that you ride on the street and water, but why not make a park specificly for that use? A skate park made of positive magnetic pads and boards with positive pads too. That should make the boards float right? What are the limitations and why is it so impossible to make something like that?

[Assistant]
First, you'd need millions of extremely powerful magnets to lift another magnet and a PERSON.  We're talking rip lights out of the ceiling and screw up every computer in the zip code strong.

Second, if you got all those magnets, the boards would all just flip over as soon as they became tilted at all and get pulled to the floor hard enough to turn human tissue and bone into pink slurry.

Assuming you got the magnets on a perfectly level plane with no slant (and no skatboard park-esque fun bits) and had a person with superhuman balance abilities stand on the board, yes, it would work after ripping their braces off of their teeth and out through the soles of their shoes.


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

[User]
[Judge Dredd] I've just been released from a two year stint in the iso-cubes, what are my life prospects like? What sort of jobs can I get now that I'm an "ex-con"?

If it is any help to your answers, I was given the sentence because I jaywalked to give a Judge an eyewitness report of a mugging.

[Assistant] Mega City One already has over 90% unemployment. The Justice Department will assign you an apartment and you will start receiving welfare so you have credits to buy the basics. Basically the same prospects you had before, but odds are no one will want to hire you anymore since millions apply to be mannequins in stores every day who have no criminal record. But no one was hiring you before anyways.


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

[User]
[pokemon] Can you carry more than 6 pokemon and is it illegal?

so all trainers carry 6 pokemon if the get a seventh ine it's transfered to the lab. it's decided by the league and prof. oak explains it's for balance in taking care of your pokemon. but if you're a villain and you have an organization can you have more than 6? the only thing stopping a trainer from having a seventh pokemon is the technology. they are assigned to a proffesor to which the seventh pokemon is automatically transfered to through a computer system. as a villain you don't have a proffesor except the one working for you and you could technically build your computers to have more than 6 pokemon, right? has that ever occured? is it illegal to carry more than 6 and i a villain gonna let the league tell him arround? how powerful is the league anyway. also not everyone who has pokemon is a trainer what if you just have them as companions in your household or you're not associated with the league? does the technology limit you? do you need a server to organize your pokemon and that's why theres proffessors since they take care of your pokemon? what happens if you buy 7 pokeballs and catch seven but your not in the league and don't have a proffesor?

[Assistant]
Idk if the games have talked about it, but the Adventures manga has.

At one point Professor Elm and Oak talk about it because the character Crystal, at the time, had seven pokemon with her for certain reasons.

The answer (atleast here): Yes you can, it's just not recommended, having too many around at once could be problematic for the trainers and the pokemon, six being a "standard limit".

With excess being taken care of researchers and such, with assistants and other things, to handle a ton at once better than most, namely traveling trainers.

As for competition stuff: Same reasons teams in professional sports only go so high number wise.


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

[User]
ELI5: If a small explosive like a firecracker were to go off in your hand, would your hand fare better if you gripped it tightly or loosely, and why?

I thought I was a smart person, but I genuinely have no idea.

[Assistant]
From the movie Armageddon, explaining the silly plot of sending oil drillers to an asteroid to drop a nuke down a hole to blow it up...

> Ronald Quincy: [holds out his hand] Imagine a firecracker in the palm of your hand. You set it off, what happens? You burn your hand, right? You close your fist around the same firecracker,

> [clenches his hand into a fist]

>Ronald Quincy: and set it off. Your wife's gonna be opening your ketchup bottles the rest of your life.


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

[User]
ELI5: why is it important to specify the "time of death"?

When someone dies on a tv show, for example, and they mark the exact time of dying. Why does it matter? Does it actually happen?

[Assistant]
Time of death or its approximation is important for figuring out how long... welll... they've been dead.

If the coronor says the body has been dead for 6 hrs and its 2 AM, that puts the time of death at 8 PM... which if you're a suspect who now needs to have an alibi for where were you at approx. 7:30-8:30 pm, it matters a great deal.


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

[User]
[Legend of Zelda series] Just how many people are caught up in this resurrection cycle, anyway?

So the basic idea of the series is that an evil malice is resurrected over and over, eventually becoming Ganon and threatening all of Hyrule, while Link and Zelda are perpetually reincarnated to stop him. But then there seem to be other recurring characters, like Impa, always meant to be a sage to guide Link, and Beedle, who... sells him shit? Sometimes important shit, sometimes not? Who else is caught up in this cycle, and why are people like Beedle in it? Because I doubt it's just some amazing coincidence that people with the same names, appearances, and personalities are popping up to fill the same roles at the same times as Link, Zelda, and Ganon.

[Assistant]
It isn't as many as we would think. Link, Zelda, and whatever form of Demise's curse is present, usually in the form of Ganon(dorf) might really be the only ones.

Likely answer for the rest of the recurring characters is a strong family resemblance to an ancestor of theirs. Impa has had many different incarnations. Yet the clue here is that in *Age of Calamity*, Impa appears nearly identical to her future granddaughter Paya. Telling us that Impa is just a name that is likely passed down, as even in *Twilight Princess*, Impaz is named after her.

Other notable people are not in every Zelda game. Just a character with a very strong resemblance and shared name. Beedle isn't in every game. Malon & Talon haven't been seen in quite a while. The Great Deku Tree is really another version or say child of a previous one. And we can't even be sure the shared name is the exact name as their ancestor as the series has seem to proven that the language has evolved over time, sometimes needing something or someone to translate. So even Link might not have the same name, he just has something that would be the equivalent of it. Like how Mark and Marco are practically the same thing and that might be true for all the characters with a shared name too.


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

[User]
[Spirited Away] Who built the bath house?

The bath house appears to be old, but uses no earlier than 19th century technology.  Where did the spirits bathe before then?

[Assistant]
Yubaba built it with her magic. It is not implied to be the only bathhouse for spirits. The spirit world (in any culture) tends to be much larger than the physical world. There are undoubtably other bathhouses in the afterlife.

You should also bear in mind, however, that just because it looks 19th century (technologically) does not mean it isn't older than that. Yubaba can upgrade as she sees fit. Her magic is very potent, and she has been a spirit for a very long time. You can get an idea of a spirit's age by how much of a caricature of its former self it has become.


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

[User]
[Harry Potter] How was the original Order of the Phoenix actually planning on defeating Voldemort during the first Wizarding War?

If it weren't for baby Harry ricocheting Voldy's killing curse back at him and robbing the death eaters of their leader, how were the good guys actually planning on beating their enemies?

Did Dumbledore have any specific plans?

[Assistant] They didn't know about Horcruxes back then, did they? They probably thought Voldemort, although very powerful, could have just been beaten in the duel by the good enough wizard (e.g. Dumbledore) or killed/captured in the skillfully planned ambush organized by the Order.


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

[User]
ELI5; Why does eating Spoiled or undercooked meat effect humans different than it does other animals

Why does eating Spoiled or undercooked meat effect humans different than it does other animals. We frequently see lions and other carnivores eating rotten food but they don't get sick.

[Assistant]
It doesn't. Just because you see a lion doesn't mean it doesn't have a tapeworm. We just don't want *any* humans to have tapeworms, so we cook the meat. Obligate carnivores and scavengers do have some adaptations that make it better, like extra-acidic stomachs like in a vulture, but in general, they'll still get parasites.

The flip side of this is that it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to eat raw meat for us, if it was super fresh. But most meats you buy are not an hour out from butchering, so it's not that fresh.


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

[User]
How recently did we discover/understand evaporation?

Were people 10,000 years ago like, "Yo, Where did my water go?"
What theories did we have about evaporation before we knew what was actually happening?

[Assistant]
There's evidence of large organised Salt production facilities dating back 5000 years or more. The easiest method for salt generation in Ancient cultures would have been to flood salt flats with water, dam them and wait for the water to evaporate.

Evaporation needs to be well understood (i.e. what environmental conditions it works in) to exploit this.

Presumably Evaporation was understood on a 'cottage industry' level WELL before this, as methods tend to develop and mature over time.


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

[User]
Difference between Computer Science and Software Engineering?

Good afternoon, I am a 17 year old high school student heading into my senior year. As I start applying to colleges, I'm trying to pin down what I would like to major in.

I've been a hobbyist programmer for nearly 8 years now, and my favorite projects are video games, as well as mobile and desktop applications. In terms of career choice, I'm not necessarily interested in a career building computers. I'm more aiming to write software for consumers that can help improve their workflow or their lives.

I guess my main question is whether or not a CS degree would suit me best, or a Software Engineering degree? Or are they nearly identical?

[Assistant]
This is very dependent on the university. For the longest time, there was no concept of a "Software Engineering" degree; we all just got CS degrees. But the reality is that a lot of us here, if not most of us, are not at all "Computer Scientists" in the literal sense of the term.

The simplest way to view Computer Science vs Software Engineering:

* Computer Scientists are the ones advancing the field. There are any number of paths they could be using to do it; it could be anything from AI, Machine Learning, Encryption, Quantum Computing, etc etc. They are actual scientists, and they are the reason we get cool new things

* Software Engineers build the software you are using. Games, websites, desktop applications, the Operating System you are on, etc etc. The scientists are the eggheads, and we're the code monkeys. We may implement things that come to a close overlap with Computer Scientists, like implementing AI or Machine Learning, but we generally aren't sitting there working out the math and theories necessary to come up with that stuff originally.

Of course, that's a very broad and generalized way to look at it, but it gives a good starting point when considering where you want to go.

Good luck!


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

[User]
[Batman] Does the U.S. Government pick up Bat Tech for study?

This plane seems pretty advanced. Does the government ever come in and take a destroyed bat mobile or bat boat away for study?

[Assistant]
Cadmus and certain high-profile criminals have tried a couple of times, but the majority of Batman's tech seems rigged to render itself unusable by some self-destruct mechanism (self-deleting all local software, occasional *physical* destruction) or can be made to do as such remotely. That almost always happens *way* before any third party can get to the incident site to recover half-destroyed Bat-toys. At the very least, all of it nowadays is electronic in some way and rigged to shut down if anyone besides Bats tries to mess with it.

Some of Batman's most impressive tools and gadgets are reverse-engineered from alien technology or the occasional goodie from LexCorp or some other criminal organization, and as such weren't his in the first place, anyway. Most of the *really* impressive stolen engineering the government has been proven to deal with comes from other sources, to be honest.


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

[User]
ELI5: How do carrier pigeons become trained to fly from place to place

Seriously did someone tie a bit of string to their foot and walk from place to place till they learned? How did the senders know that the pigeons were going to the right place?

[Assistant]
Historically, pigeons carried messages only one way, to their home. They had to be transported manually before another flight. However, by placing their food at one location and their home at another location, pigeons have been trained to fly back and forth up to twice a day reliably, covering round-trip flights up to 160 km (100 mi).[2] Their reliability has lent itself to occasional use on mail routes, such as the Great Barrier Pigeongram Service established between Auckland, New Zealand and Great Barrier Island in November 1897.[3]

Carrier Dove, clipper ship
With training, pigeons can carry up to 75 g (2.5 oz) on their backs. The German apothecary Julius Neubronner used carrier pigeons to deliver urgent medication.[4] In 1977 a similar carrier pigeon service was set up for the transport of laboratory specimens between two English hospitals. Every morning a basket with pigeons was taken from Plymouth General Hospital to Devonport Hospital. The birds then delivered unbreakable vials back to Plymouth as needed.[5] The 30 carrier pigeons became unnecessary in 1983 because of the closure of one of the hospitals.[6] In the 1980s a similar system existed between two French hospitals located in Granville and Avranche.[7]


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

[User]
Can we (humans or animals in general) obtain hydration from the water vapor in the air? Do I need to drink less on humid days than I do on dry ones?

Follow-up: Assuming same volume of input liquid water and work performed under lab conditions, etc. "All things being equal" will a man working in arid conditions be more dehydrated than a man working in humid conditions?

What's happening either way? Does the water vapor condense in our systems back into a liquid? I presume this doesn't happen in the lungs, I see that having ill effects. Maybe in the mouth/throat where it can condense on the walls and trickle to the stomach? Is it absorbed in vapor form by alveoli?

[Assistant]
Air within the lungs that participates in gas exchange is 100% humidity and body temperature.  This means that since the air you're breathing actually has more water content than outside air unless that air is 37C and 100% humidity.  Because of this we cannot obtain water from the air.

I think it's fair to say a person in arid conditions will become more dehydrated than one working in humid conditions, but there is a net loss of water through breathing either way, not a gain.


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

[User]
How exactly does a bank account work?

I'm only 14 and I don't have a bank account.

[Assistant]
You give your bank your money.  They put it in the vault and keep track of how much they have from you.

They will from time to time lend your money to other people for mortgages or student loans.  Because they can use your money for other things, they will pay you a small percentage on a monthly basis.  This is called interest.

At any time you can go to the bank and ask for some of your money (making a Withdrawal) or give them more money (making a Deposit.)

People keep money in banks because it's secure, it's more convenient than carrying a lot of cash, and once you get a job, you can get your employer to put your salary directly in the bank account so that you don't have to cash a cheque every two weeks.


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

[User]
How did the Parker Sun probe get to 500,000 kph?

This is vastly faster than any space vehicle I've heard of so how did this acceleration happen?

[Assistant] The probe orbits between the Sun and Venus. By using gravity to help accelerate it, the probe slingshots around Venus and the gravity from the sun adds momentum. The probe then goes around the sun back towards Venus.


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

[User]
[Batman] As kind of hobby I've been sending birthday cards to Arkham inmates, due to recovering from a car crash I missed a bunch of the big names over the last month, do I need to be worried about this?

As a bit of a goof a few years back I started sending the inmates at Arkham Asylum personalized birthday cards, I got hit by a car back in November and while I was focusing on myself for a bit I realized I missed a few of the bigger names, worse yet my brother came by and cleaned my apartment and threw out my calendar so I'm not sure who I missed. What's my best move here? I'm worried if I just send them all apology cards they'll realize I didn't have their birthdays memorized and I don't even know who I missed. I haven't been back to my apartment since I've been staying with family, should I worry about checking *my* mail?

[Assistant]
It really does depend on who you were sending them to, and the content of them...

Penguin, Black Mask, and the other gimmicky crime boss villains probably don't give a shit. They're sane enough to not go out of their way to hurt you unless they somehow feel insulted by the cards, and don't need the emotional validation enough to notice you stopping.

There's also a certain category of villains for whom sending these cards is a *terrible* idea, because it makes them aware you exist. Victor Zsasz, the Joker, Two-Face on a bad day, Scarecrow... These villains just enjoy fucking with people, and attempting to show kindness to them just makes you a target.

A decent number might be kinda baffled. Ivy probably has no idea why you're sending them cards, but might be prompted to look further into your situation to figure out who you are (If you're a decent person, you *should* be fine. If you're in a shitty relationship or have some kind of abusive ex, you... Probably won't by the time Ivy is done). Riddler would likely think it's some kind of puzzle and overcomplicate it, unless you explicitly wrote the card as "appreciation for his genius", in which case he'll consider you a fan.

Then there's a few who would genuinely really appreciate what you've written for them. Killer Croc, if he's free, has probably already come by your place looking to see if you're okay. Harley Quinn will likely appreciate them, in her own strange way, but how that goes depends on if she's free of Joker at this point. Catwoman probably won't say anything, but you might get a non-descript card back next time she's loose.

Oh, but everyone else is right, you're *fucked* if you sent one to Calendar Man.


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

[User]
Have our lungs any way of cleaning themselves?

So, we are constantly inhaling things that are not air into our lungs, specially small solid particles. I assume most of them go out by just breathing out, but its not hard for some particles to get stucked in the web of ducts we have there. Is there something curious about that or im just asking a dumb question?

[Assistant]
Yes! You have lots of small "hairy" cells that line the tubes that go from your windpipe (aka trachea) into the furthest most reaches of your lungs. Nearby these hairy cells are cells that look like goblets. These secrete mucus. When junk gets inhaled, it can get stuck in the mucus. That mucus drips onto those hairy cells. The hair (aka cilia) beat upwards, moving the mucus upwards, out of the tubes and out of the trachea and over into your esophagus.

But sometimes, the junk you inhale is too small, or makes it past the mucus. That stuff reaches the end of the lung tubes, into a structure that looks like a bunch of grapes but is hollow and fills with air (aka alveoli). Those alveoli are surrounded by the clean up crew of the body, cells called macrophages. Macrophages say, mmm yummm, and then (try to) swallow the junk (aka phagocytosis) and digest it.

When things get stuck in the alveoli, and macrophages cant digest it, they get angry, and they call for help. They may be helped by groups of cells that just stand around fighting off anything (aka innate immunity). Or, they may be helped by those who remember / know the specific shape of junk and fight back (trained immunity and adaptive immunity).

Sometimes they really cant digest it even with help, resulting in a cycle of worsening recruitment of macrophages, other immune cells, and immune messenger molecules (aka inflammation). This is what happened in the vaping lung injury scandal back in 2020. People were thickening / diluting their THC oils with vitamin E acetate, making it very oily. This made it hard, and sometimes impossible, for those macrophages to swallow and digest. Because it was so difficult, the subsequent unresolving inflammation caused rip roaring injury to peoples lungs.


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

[User] [DC Comics] What do Swamp Thing and Poison Ivy think of each other?

[Assistant]
More or less the same way a liberal "let's all get along" christian and a fundementalist "non-believers must burn" christian do.

Both acknowledge they are, ultimately, serving the same force and pursuing the same goals, but Swamp Thing sees Ivy as a dangerous, irrational fanatic and Ivy sees Swamp Thing as a weak-willed traitor to the Green.

They're opposed in the way only two people doing the same thing in two wildly incompatiable ways can be.


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

[User]
How do we know that humans interbred with neanderthals rather than just got the genes from a common ancestor?

How do we know that humans interbred with neanderthals rather than just got the genes from a common ancestor?

[Assistant] The evidence comes from looking at different populations of modern humans. The neanderthal alleles are found only in those populations that left Africa and were in contact in Europe with neanderthals. The African populations that did not come into contact with neanderthals lack the alleles. So it's the geographic pattern of genetic diversity that is the smoking gun.


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

[User] Is there any evidence of mammals (besides humans) being serial killers or murdering their own species for fun?

[Assistant] Many large male bears will murder the cubs of other females to make her sexually active sooner and have less competition for their kin. It's hard to classify "fun" because humans will slap a reason on it. Perhaps some animals do but we usually label it territorial, self preservation, mating reasons, or preserving it's gene pool. Chimps are known to bully which sometimes ends in death or murder but it's also a hierarchy thing so to say it's for fun is nearly impossible when it's a part of the social construct.


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

[User]
[Drag Me To Hell] So the gypsy woman went to Hell, right?

An evil, demon-worshipping (or at least demon-friendly) witch isn't likely to be ushered to the front of the line to Heaven, I don't think.

[Assistant] Of course! She called one of Satan's more powerful minions to God's earthly plane to torment and forever damn another's soul to Hell for the purpose of petty hate and revenge. A situation that was her damn fault in the first place. She had three extensions on her loan already! Her knowledge of such dark arts leads us to believe this isn't the first time she used such abominable powers. That jacked-up eye is a telltale sign of demonic spell transference, where you trade something of yours to gain some form of unholy benefit to yourself. So yes, this woman has a ticket for deep within hell, where her hateful notions might be used to help build some sort of nightmare construct, her physical form combined with others to make one of many tortuous machines used in punishing the other denizens of Hell.


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

[User]
Isn't chaos theory/butterfly effect just a fact of life?

Sorry if this is a stupid question. I searched a few other places but couldn't find an answer or couldn't find one that wasn't over my head. I'm not a science person so I'm hoping someone can explain this to me.

I usually only see people talking about chaos theory/the butterfly effect as it "applies" to specific examples or scenarios. But, unless I'm misunderstanding the definition, isn't the butterfly effect just a fact of life? Doesn't it just apply to everything?

EDIT - Should clarify what I mean here. I don't mean that every given scenario in the universe is a chaotic system. Rather, I'm more asking whether the Universe *in itself* is a chaotic system.

My understanding is that in a chaotic system, the initial state is very sensitive to very small changes, which may lead to big changes in the outcome later. But doesn't that apply to life in general, and arguably everything since the beginning of the universe?

I mean...what is the alternative to the butterfly effect? That there are instances where small phenomena have no change on a larger outcome? But even then, that small phenomenon occurred and took up the space for another phenomenon that otherwise could've happened that would have had a larger effect on the given outcome. I don't know if that makes sense or not.

I guess part of what I'm asking is whether chaos theory is a "theory" in the scientific sense of the term or the casual sense.

EDIT2 - I thought of another way to phrase what I'm trying to say. There are many movies out there dedicated to the whole butterfly effect thing - where you see the protagonist go through many different possibilities or alternate lives based on minute changes to their younger self, etc. (Mr. Nobody is the first one that comes to mind.)

Now, obviously these movies are greatly simplifying things for the purposes of the movie, but are they fundamentally incorrect? Like, is it patently UNTRUE that, say, whether you fall and break your knee one summer when you're 9 years old can set off a string of events that change who you end up married to?

If that isn't correct, why? Or if it is correct - why can't the cause/effect string of variables keep going back to the beginning of time/the universe?

[Assistant]
Some systems are far *more* sensitive to initial conditions, the classic example being air turbulence. I.e. small change leads to entirely unpredictable outcome. It's a mathematical property of the system in question.

Some systems are relatively stable, for instance we can predict the movements of planets in the solar system with high precision, centuries in advance, but it's difficult to predict the weather a month from now.


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

[User]
Is radioactive decay actually random, or do we just not understand it yet?

At school I was taught that there is no way to absolutely predict when radioactive decay will occur. This is why we use half lives, which are based on probabilities, to quantify how quickly something will decay.

Is it conceivable that we will ever discover enough about radioactive decay so that we get to a state where we no longer need to use half lives?

Additionally would this also mean that the trigger for the poison in Schroedinger's box, which is traditionally a radioactive source, would have to be rethought?

[Assistant]
This is a generic question you can ask regarding any "probabilistic law", is there true randomness or is randomness only a product of our ignorance?

Truth is, no matter what anyone answers here, this is a question that has no scientific answer. So far, it seems like it's completely random and there is no reason to believe that there's something more fundamental going on, but you cannot tell it with absolute certainty.


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

[User]
How to improve at applying programming knowledge to projects?

I'm interested in being a CS major, and I'm currently in an introductory CS course. Thing is, I do fairly well on the exams that we have (they primarily involve tracing code), but I do poorly on programming projects, often not completing them on time (which is a problem, since projects more closely emulate real life).

When I can solve problems, it usually takes me awhile, a lot longer than many of my peers.

This shows to me that there's a significant rift between my knowledge and my ability to apply it.

I've also noticed the same issue in my math courses, where I can usually understand and remember a concept but have difficulty applying it to different situations to solve problems. As I grow older and my coursework becomes more conceptual, I find myself struggling a lot more than I used to.

Besides just programming more, is there any way to bridge this gap, or should I just practice more?

Thanks in advance for any and all replies.

[Assistant]
You've got it: practice, practice, practice. It will come with time.

Try to start as early as possible on class assignments so you have more time.

In your time off school, do personal projects if you have the time and energy for them.


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

[User]
Why does ram need a voltage source to store information while flash drives don't?

more specifically, how does ram memory work and how does flash drive memory work?

[Assistant]
RAM stores data either in meta-stable circuits such as flip-flops (SRAM) or with capacitors (DRAM). In either case turning off the power to the ram will cause the recorded state in the RAM to either die immediately (SRAM) or degrade over a short period of time (DRAM). DRAM requires routine upkeep to maintain the capacitors' charge levels, of course if you cool DRAM to very low temperatures then the charge will degrade slower, making it possible to pull the ram and read the state with other equipment (you may have heard of this technique).

Flash RAM uses a "floating gate transistor" to create a kind of capacitor that degrades extremely slowly, making it suitable for long term storage.


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

[User]
Eli5: What actually causes death from an overdose?

The airway obstruction and respiratory distress are obvious killers but, people still die even when that is mitigated. Is there something happening at different levels that causes death?

[Assistant]
Overdose on what? Different substances have very different effects on the body.

Opioid toxicity is when the drugs effect the parts of the brain that control your breathing, it can literally slow your breathing to the point youre not gettin enough oxygen in your system. You suffocate from it but not because of any blockage or restrictions, you simply stop breathing to put it simply.

Cocaine on the other hand is a stimulant so it can increase your heart rate or blood pressure to the point of causing a heart attack or stroke.

Each drug has its own pathology when it comes to overdosing.


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

[User] ELI5: Property tax. What is it and why is it a thing? I bought something and I paid for it, so why am I essentially *still* paying for it?

[Assistant] You're \*still\* paying for it because you're \*still\* using all the things that support it. Presumably you'd like to drive to your property, that needs roads (and traffic lights and signs and cops and...). If you're in a dispute with your neighbor you want a court system to resolve it. You'd probably like the drainage to go somewhere. You'd like the fire department to show up when your property is on fire. Your property is served by a school district (in most cases). Etc. That stuff all requires ongoing expenditure.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why does one look ugly on camera, but handsome in the mirror?

Less ugly/more handsome, whatever floats your goat.

[Assistant]
Oddly enough, the reason you don't like how you look in photo's is because you are much more accustomed to (i.e. spend more time) looking at yourself in the mirror. This is from a little thing called the mere exposure effect, in which people develop a preference for how a thing looks simply because they are more familiar with it.

When you look at yourself in the mirror your features are reflected back at you meaning that your right arm is on the right side of the reflection. In a photo where you are facing the camera, your right arm would be on the left side of the photo. Since we are not perfectly symmetrical a mirror image of you and a photo image of you is slightly different.  As this is not the version of yourself that you are most familiar with, you do not like how it looks as much.

how much you dislike yourself in photo's is directly related to how much time you spend looking at yourself in the mirror.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does iPhone (and I presume Androids as well) display cellular connection in the status bar as "3G" or "5G", but "LTE" instead of "4G"?

[Assistant] I seem to recall AT&T lieing and advertising as the first to 4G, which was actually 3G with extended backhaul (HSPA+). 4G LTE was advertised to differentiate from the "fake" 4G advertised by AT&T.


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

[User]
[Toy Story] How is a toy's level of sentience determined?

Context: Rex and Trixie are dinosaurs. But they can both talk normally. Slinky is a dog and can do the same, plus the fact in his stationary form his mouth is in a fixed state and cannot move, just like Woody/Buzz/Lotso/Other examples, but they can also talk just fine. Then there are other creatures that can't talk, such as Bullseye or the Pterodactyl from Sid's house. And Lenny (the Binoculars) doesn't even have a mouth but he can still talk! Whats that all about? Also the Phone on wheels has a mouth but can only talk when someone picks up the phone reciever, but Lotso's gang rub his mouth out for some reason.

Also, what qualifies as a toy? There are lots of different kids toys, ranging from Action figures to teddy bears to RC cars that make sense as being "toys" that could maybe be alive. But what about other toys that aren't humanoid or animal like? Etch is alive, but thats just an Etchasketch. WHat about Lego? Are each individual Lego alive? Or are they some kind of hivemind that lay dormant until they are built into a moveable structure? Can they build themselves? And then there is Hamm, a piggy bank is not a toy. Is it? I have a Jake the Dog mug, would that be alive as well even though its not a toy?

Another question. You have human toys such as Woody and Buzz who, when there is no one alive, can move normally, and thats fine, but then in cases like Barbie and Ken their movements are less smooth and more jerky (if you understand my meaning). Even though they have similar joints to Buzz and he move smoothly.

And how do non solid toys (Teddy bears and soft dollies and the like) hold themselves up, Woody has nothing supporting him yet he can stand upright, run around and even lift things heavier than himself, how does that work?

Not to mention you can splice toys together and make some kind of Frankenstein monster, how does the Barbie legs and fishing pole control itself? Is it two toys working in tandem? Or has one personality taken over and the other just ceased to exist?

Any and all answers are welcome. These movies are very confusing when you start thinking about them.

[Assistant]
I think that it has something to do with emotional investment in the toy and how a child plays with it. In play, children often give anthropomorphic characteristics to toys based on (even fictional) living creatures: Woody is a toy designed like a person, so Andy played with him like he was a person. The animals Slinky Dog, Hamm, Rex, etc., were probably imagined to have voices during playtime because it's not uncommon to see talking animals on TV, like in cartoons and things. And on the other hand, there's Etch. Etch comes to life because it was a beloved toy, but it's never been imagined as a living thing when it was being played with so it doesn't take on any anthropomorphic qualities.

As for the Legos, I'd think that the Lego people are definitely individuals but the blocks are not. The blocks are accessories secondary to the "living" Lego people, like Barbie and Ken's clothes.


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

[User]
Does fractional reserve banking create new money?

The explanation I have heard is that Alice deposits $1 into the bank, the bank lends $1 to bob, there are now $2 in the economy so the bank created $1 out of thin air.

This explanation however doesnt make sense to me. Alice cannot actually use the $1, if she tried to withdraw it the bank would not be able to provide it to her because bob has it. So in reality there is still the same $1 in the economy.

Is my understanding correct or do banks really create money out of thin air?

[Assistant]
To understand whats going on, you should familiarize yourself with the different measurements of the money supply. In particular, have a look at the M0 (coins and notes) and M1 (demand deposits).

When the bank lends $1 to Bob they credit Bobs account with $1 increasing the M1 money supply by $1. Now Bob can buy something from someone else by transferring the $1 of M1 from his account to some elses account. Bob doesnt need to withdraw cash to pay this second person. The whole transaction does not involve M0.

As you can see, the M1 money supply can be used for purchases without going through M0. In a sense, M1 works exactly like cash. In fact, M0 is a minority in the total money supply. Currently M0 is almost 10 times smaller than M1. In reality the picture is more complicated as banks will need to keep certain amount of reserves, follow prudential regulations etc.


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

[User] ELI5: When someone loses their memory, why do they not forget the language they speak in?

[Assistant] There are different parts of the brain that handle different jobs. The part of the brain that handles long-term memory is different from the part of the brain that handles language. So, if someone's long-term memory part of the brain gets damaged, that doesn't necessarily mean that their language skills are impacted.


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

[User]
[Deadpool Movie][Spoilers] Why does Ajax appear to have super strength/durability?

EDIT: Sorry, the title should say [Deadpool Movie][Spoilers] Why does *Francis* appear to have super strength/durability?

I remember ~~Ajax~~ Francis saying that he had the same treatment as Wade, and as a result, got his nerve endings fried and his reflexes enhanced. However, that doesn't explain how he appears to have super strength/durability. In the beginning, he picks a guy up by the throat with one hand. He'd at least have to be fairly strong for that. Then, he survives the explosion at the end and tackles Deadpool when he's celebrating. Does ~~Ajax~~ Francis have super strength/durability and didn't mention it, or because of his fried nerve endings, he doesn't feel pain so he can push himself further without worrying?

[Assistant] The human body is actually capable of many things, like a mother lifting a two-ton car to save her kids. Pain limits the body so that it doesn't overextends itself beyond recovery. Francis seems to be more of the latter than the former.


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

[User]
"Apply for a PhD, but when you get the Masters, drop out and voila! You just got a free Masters degree!"

This was told to me by one of my professors. The professor claims a few students have done this and is recommending it to anyone thinking about a Masters.

Ethics aside, is this even possible?

[Assistant]
Definitely possible, but the mentality is all wrong. Dropping out of a PhD and taking a Master's degree is an option designed for PhD students who find that the PhD is not for them, but completed enough courses and research to still be worthy of a Master's degree. It's a bit of a consolation prize for trying out the PhD but deciding against it, or not passing quals in some cases.

It will be generally harder than a regular Master's to do things this way, since you will have to get into a selective PhD program, perform PhD research with your advisor, probably TA some courses, and still write up a Master's thesis. A lot of schools are also beginning to implement yearly minimums on when you can drop out of a PhD and still get a Master's to discourage that exact problem, typically 3-4 years in. As a lot of people mentioned, you may also end up burning bridges, losing out on good recommendations from faculty, and it may reflect poorly, or be a red flag, on your CV.


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

[User]
CMV The person who invited another out should pay (unless agreed upon previously)

[edit]**Thank you guys for your comments, I appreciate your answers!**

    My view was slightly changed. I will still be ready to cover when inviting, but will communicate more when being invited.

I am talking about movies, dates, shows etc.

I invite someone out to a movie? I don't ask them if they have money? I will pay. I think it's unfair to get a person and launch them into the situation of 'spend money or don't spend time with me'. I think that if you ask someone to join you, you start with the assumption that they have no equipment that deals with the particular situation (that is in your control, of course).

If I ask someone out I will pay, and vice versa (I would expect).

What are your views, and should my view be changed?

[Assistant]
Why should you start with the assumption that the invited party has no means of dealing with the particular situation? Unless you're inviting over a friend who is clearly living off of food stamps, most people will have some spare cash for a movie ticket.

Why would you choose to abide by an assumption so detached from what most people go through?

What person isn't aware of the fact that going out to dinner or a movie involves cash? Of course the person on the receiving end of the invitation will be aware of this. You're not launching them into any situation.

It's not like they get invited to the movies and then lo and behold they're confounded by the fact that money is involved and one of the two parties now has to settle payment. Everyone's well aware.

If anything, going around assuming everyone should pay for you just because you were invited to something is the strange reasoning here unless explicitly stated that you will have your costs covered.


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

[User] So from my research it's Sith tradition for the apprentice to attempt to betray and usurp his master. Is it also Sith tradition for the master to pretend not to notice?

[Assistant]
No. The master tries their hardest to be prepared, and to win the inevitable confrontation, lest they undermine the entire concept of the strongest surviving. It isn't just about tradition, it's about the survival of the strongest.

In fact, the master might even choose to be the aggressor, if they think that the apprentice might not have the guts, or is waiting too long. Bane himself, creator of the Rule of Two, was afraid that his apprentice was waiting for the ravages of time to do the job for her, so he actively began seeking out a potential new apprentice to replace her.


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

[User]
[MCU / The Wolverine Movie] - question about adamantium claws and the katana fights

So I was watching the most recent The Wolverine movie where Logan goes to Japan to help out ~~Harada~~ Yashida ... one thing I can't understand in the sword fights in various scenes, how is it that Logan's adamantium laced claws are NOT slicing through the swords like a hot knife through warm butter?

If I was not mistaken, this was the quality of the adamantium laced claws - that they slice through ANYTHING like ... well .. a hot knife through butter ...

Was it that the movies got it wrong? Surely the katanas at Yashida's residence used by Shingen and Kenuichio aren't laced with adamantium. I definitely remember Logan's claws doing that in the first and second X-Men movies.

Any explanations? Was it a goofup in the portrayal of adamantium's capabilities in this movie?

[Assistant]
He wouldn't want to slice the blades in half as the lower half would carry on moving and open his guts.

It's a lot safer for him to block the blade completely by not using the razor edge of his claws.


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

[User]
[Fantasy] Why is society always in a medieval stasis?

I don't mean why are most fantasies medieval, I mean, frequently in fantasies mankind was created and immediately moved to the medieval period. Why? Humans didn't evolve with the complex societal structures and knowledge of the medieval era, even if humans were explicitly created they'd still need to learn such things. Why are there never hunter gatherers? Why immediately knights and kings?

[Assistant]
In many cases, the only evidence for the history of human societies that we have in these quasi-Medieval settings are those written by people within that setting, and *interpreted* and *imagined* by people within that setting.

Technological and social progress was not something that happened at an obvious rate during much of *our* Medieval period, and there was no expectation of it: people broadly expected things to continue much as they were or even that things were in decline since, in Europe at least, they had the evidence of great Roman structures that their own economic and technological abilities could not recreate, and the overall theme of Christianity was the tale of the Fall from grace and of a former Golden Age.

As a result, people tended to imagine the past as being much the same as things currently were too - and many Medieval illustrations of historical scenes reflect this - with ancient Greek or Roman scenes being shown in typical Medieval costume, and with Medieval equipment etc.

We can expect a similar worldview in other quasi-Medieval societies, and that their histories would be written in expectation that things were much the same thousands of years ago, when in reality, they may not have been at all.


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

[User]
[The Wheel of Time] why don't the aes sedai have sisters posted in the borderlands to help guard against shadow spawn?

The books talk a great deal about the borderlanders job of guarding the rest of the world against the invading shadow along the blight.  The people there have a deep reverence for Aes Sedai, unlike many of the other countries so they'd certainly be welcome.
The Green Ajah is "the battle Ajah".  One of the three oaths is to only use the power as a weapon against the shadow.  This all implies part of their focus is to fight the dark one.

Despite all this I don't understand why there wouldn't be a regular group of sisters posted up there to help out with the fighting.  I know their over all numbers in the Tower had been falling but still.  Greens at least, and you'd think yellows as well to help heal the men.    At best there's mention of a sister as an advisor to the kings or queens but never a garrison.  Iirc correctly when the Shienarans rode to Tarwins Gap way back in book 1 they had no Aes Sedai support.  The books definitely imply that the men up there see action regularly, if I was them I'd be pretty frustrated that the most powerful women in the world aren't lending a hand on the regular.

[Assistant]
Alas, the various Ajahs of the Aes Sedai pretty much no longer live up to the standards they originally set for themselves. Even the Forsaken mock them for it not just for their lost knowledge and decreasing power, but for their lack of vision and action.

The yellow ajah are supposed to be healers, but they dont go out into the world using their healing weave, they tend to stay locked up in their wing trying to practice and refine the one healing weave they know. Always trying to improve themselves on it, rarely ever actually USING it.

The green ajah are supposed to be warriors, but instead they collect men like girls collect Barbie dolls, and act more like a high school clique than anything else.

And so on. Of course, there are ajahs that do ostensibly follow their stated goals but not that well. Whites study all the time, but they rarely learn anything new. Blues meddle in politics all the time, but rarely accomplish their goals in doing so. And reds... well, yes, reds gentle men who touch the power, but theyve been so infiltrated by darkfriends that they may as well be entirely black.

So thats why. Yes, greens and yellows SHOULD be on the borders. But theyre not, because they dont live up to their ideals.


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

[User]
Can a solar eclipse really blind you?

I was always told growing up that solar eclipses can blind you and never look at one. With the eclipse coming to the US in a month, I was curious if it is actually possible to be blinded, or if it was safe to look at one with the naked eyes. Thanks everyone!

[Assistant] If you look unprotected at any part of a solar eclipse OTHER than complete totality (all of the Moon's disc completely covers the Sun), then yes you can damage your eyes the same way you would if you were to look directly at the Sun without eye protection.  If a solar eclipse is at complete totality, it is safe to look at with the naked eye.  But ONLY at the very short point of complete totality.


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

[User]
CMV: It is not okay for certain ethnic groups to say certain words and then get offended when others say it.

I was watching a video where rapper and actor Ice Cube was talking with comedian and political comentator Bill Maher over Maher's use of n****r. Ice Cube made an arugument that i have heard many people make. When white people use that word, years of black opression and institutional rascism are felt in the word where as when black people say it, it is nothing more as a way to reffer to your friend. I think that this ideoligy is rascist. Believing that certain groups can use words based soley on their race is rascist and divides groups more than they already are. I am a believer that either EVERYONE can say a word or NOONE can say it. Obviously if a white person says "n****r" with the intention of hurting or offending a black person that is not okay but if they use it with no negative intent, much like a black person would, there is nothing wrong with that.
Change my view!

[Assistant]
The "n" word is meant to disparage black people. Someone like Ice Cube, who is black, has every right to rob the word of its power. All he is doing is taking a weapon aimed at him and disarming it.

The same goes for any ethnic disparity and its targets.

And to your one point: Everyone of all races *is* free to say the word. The US is a free country. And if a white person says the n word, we're all free to ostracize him or her as an asshole.


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

[User] [Independence Day] which cities were wiped out in first assault, and which in the follow up?

[Assistant]
Capitals, major population centres and important military facilities were the first targets chosen. Landmarks were typically chosen to be ground zero for the impact their destruction had.

After that, it was mop up really - at least until we kicked the shit out of them up and stole all their tech.

Now when humanity goes about exterminating a filthy alien species to strip mine their world, we make sure to get all the little fuckers in the first strike.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why does the pitch of a sound become harder to distinguish when it is at a Lower volume?

I noticed driving home the other day, when listening to music at lower volumes the pitch of the notes the artists were singing became more ambiguous, but what they were saying was still clear. Like I could hear the words so started to sing along, but got my reference wrong and ended up in completely the wrong key. Not sure if Ive explained that very well but Im keen to see if anyone has any sort of explanation!

[Assistant] The pitch you hear has to do with how fast the note makes your eardrum vibrate. Volume has to do with how much force is behind the vibration. At high volumes there is a lot of vibration so it's easier for your brain to pick up on the pattern your eardrum is registering. At much quieter volumes there is much less vibration so it's harder for your brain to pick out this pattern; also note, at VERY high volumes the vibrations are so forceful that they can start to distort and your brain again has difficulty picking up the pattern.


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

[User] Why are designs of the Hubble Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope so different from each other?

[Assistant]
The HST was designed according to the limitations of spacecraft and telescope engineering and technology at the time. It uses a monolithic mirror which shares a fundamental design heritage going all the way back to Newton's first reflecting telescope from 1668. It's essentially just a big chunk of glass ground and polished to a very precise optical shape (ahem) and coated with a highly reflective surface. The observatory itself is basically a long tube (containing the light path for the optics) mated to a box containing the instruments and the spacecraft components (attitude control, power management, etc.) It's a fairly simple and straightforward design that was originally fleshed out in the 1970s.

JWST takes advantage of several innovations that have happened since the HST were built. Firstly, in the late 20th century the ubiquity of computing transformed the construction of large telescopes. At the time the Hubble was launched in 1990 the largest workable ground based telescope was the Hale telescope, with an aperture of 5.1 m (200 inches) that had been built in 1948. The problem with monolithic mirror telescopes is that you need the glass to be strong enough to hold the shape of the optical surface to within a fraction of a wavelength of light, across the entire surface, no matter what direction you hold the mirror in. This means you need extraordinarily strong materials to counteract the natural "sag" of solid materials in Earth's gravity, and that means you need very thick and very heavy mirrors. The Hale mirror used an innovative design (for the time) which kept the mirror weight at just 20 tonnes (not including the metal support structures also required to hold it up).

Creating a larger mirror than the 5m Hale in the same fashion would have required such tremendously weighty and massive mirrors that it would be infeasible to build or operate them. And that's where computers and digital imagers come in. If you segment a mirror up into multiple pieces you can still obtain perfectly usable images from those segments together but only so long as they are positioned with sub-wavelength precision relative to each other. For most of the 20th century doing that sort of thing was not possible, but starting in the late 1970s technology to do just that was developed. Each segment was mounted on a structure that allowed extremely precise control its position along with digital sensors. The segmented telescope is pointed at a bright star and a live digital imagery from the telescope is collected. At this point the image will likely look like multiple overlapping images (i.e. "seeing double" except perhaps seeing 6 separate images, or more). One mirror segment is chosen as the "master" and each other mirror segment is adjusted in turn to align its "double" image with the master until only one aligned image remains with all of the segments aligned to one another, to form one effectively much larger mirror. During observations this alignment is continuously maintained.

The advantage of this is that the combined weight of all the support structures for the mirror segments is much, much smaller than would be the weight of a monolithic mirror and its support structure, making large mirrors much more practical to build. In 1979 the "Multiple Mirror Telescope" came only, built with 6x 1.8m mirrors that together operated as a single effectively 4.5m diameter mirror (the 3rd largest in the world at the time). In late 1990 the first Keck telescope was finished and saw first light, this was a more advanced segmented/multiple mirror telescope design which contained 36 hexagonal segments to create a 10m diameter telescope, vastly surpassing the previous record holder. Since then, 13 additional telescopes with mirrors larger than 8m have been built, vastly expanding our astronomical observing capabilities in a fairly short period of time. Another key element here is active control of the mirror's optical surface using actuators that are placed behind a thinner, flexible glass substrate. Mirrors of that design are even lighter but require a bit more trickery to maintain the right shape.

On top of that you have many years of experience building satellites and spacecraft. You have years of experience building and operating ever more advanced astronomical instruments (both on the ground and in space, especially on HST and other space based observatories). You have years of experience building and operating IR telescopes, especially Spitzer.

So you have a situation where launching a monolithic mirror based next generation space telescope would be impractical and infeasible. A 6.5m diameter single piece mirror would weigh 10s of tonnes, and that alone would eat up all of the available launch capacity. Besides which, you couldn't fit such a huge observatory inside any rocket that is currently operating. But fortunately by the 2000s segmented mirrors and active wavefront sensing and control technologies which enabled potentially extremely lightweight large mirrors had become much more mature. And spacecraft construction techniques gave much more confidence in being able to "deploy" components of a spacecraft in space after having been folded up for launch. Essentially all modern commsats do just that, deploying not just solar arrays but also antenna and other structures.

Additionally, once the design of JWST focused on infrared observations, that drove the design increasingly toward one that made use of sunshields and cryocoolers. Partly precisely because advances in mirror technology unlocked the potential for very large mirrors to be deployed with very little weight that set JWST down the road of being a spacecraft which folded up for launch and unfolded once in space, as mass became less of a constraint but volume (within the launch fairing) became more of one.


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

[User]
ELI5: Why is it that I can buy a perfectly edible block of cheese that has "aged for 3 years," but then cheese in my fridge goes moldy in a month?

I'm fucking sick of this shit.

AND I WANT SOME FUCKING ANSWERS!!!

[Assistant] Usually, it has been aged in a highly controlled environment, with precise temperature, humidity, and direct inoculation of a specific strain of tasty cheese-making micro-organism(s).  Your fridge has varying humidity, temperature, and is full of thousands(++) of different micro-organisms all trying to get a taste of something to keep them going.


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

[User]
ELI5: What is the Nullification Crisis?

I searched for other posts like this but the one that I found had commenters making fun of the OP for not doing his own APUSH homework. In case anyone wanted to say the same thing to me, Im only asking because I didnt pay attention when I was learning about it in high school and I dont understand all the legal and political jargon on the Wikipedia page.

[Assistant] Basically one state (South Carolina) tried to declare a federal law (the Tariff of 1828, and later the Tariff of 1832) nullified with respect to that one state.  In other words, SC asserted that it could declare the tariff law invalid and unenforceable in SC only, and would not have to bother establishing it was unconstitutional generally (as to other states).   There were supporters of this approach at the highest levels of the federal government, and SC was preparing to take military action to support its view (recall that military power resided in the state militias at the time), and the federal government passed a law allowing the use of force against SC, all of which which would have led to an armed conflict between SC and the federal government 20 years before the Civil War.  The crisis was resolved before shots were fired when a new tariff bill was passed that was acceptable to SC, and the state withdrew its declaration of nullification.  The issue is important because it involves the balance of power between the states and the federal government, which looked very different in the early 1800's as it does now.


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

[User]
[Discworld] How many years have passed since the first book?

Discworld is in the midst of an industrial and cultural revoloution. But how many years had passed between the Colour of Magic and the latest book about steam engines (can't remember the name)?

[Assistant]
The timeline was destroyed and haphazardly stitched together following the events of Thief of Time. Things are so messy that in some places "how much time" is not a meaningful question. Therefore, there is, and can be, no official answer.

Everyone involved has aged by at least one year and no less than five hundred years.


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

[User]
Did Nietzsche ever have respect for Schopenhauer? maybe towards the end of his life?

im aware nietzsche was schopenhauers biggest critic after thoroughly researching him but was there ever a moment where he respected him besides at the very beginning?

[Assistant]
Actually, quite the other way around. The early Nietzsche had considerable respect for Schopenhauer and was in some sense awakened by contact with his works, despite later outgrowing him and attacking many of his notions.

Early in his philosophical career he was highly influenced by The World as Will and Representation. As Kaufmann relates:

>It was in Leipzig that Nietzsche accidentally picked up a copy of Schopenhauers Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung in a second-hand bookstorenot to lay it down again until he had finished it.

And further:

>he believed that Schopenhauer, Heine, and Wagner were the most important men in German arts and letters since Goethes death.

Nietzsche's break from Schopenhauer goes along with his general rejection of systematizing thinkers. He came to believe that systems were ultimately doomed to internal contradiction, and that their value had thus better be determined otherwise, in particular by how they benefitted the individual. Again to Kaufmann, who describes this phase in terms of someone hoping that a system might eventually emerge that validates such thinking:

>After scorning the ambition of the great systematizers down to Schopenhauer, Nietzsche thus develops a pride of his own. By his fearless questioning he hopes to get to the bottom of problems. The insights which he tries to formulate in his aphorisms will have to be accounted for in any comprehensive explanatory system, just as an honest scientific experiment cannot be ignored by any comprehensive scientific system. While the systems come and go, the experimentperhaps variously interpretedremains.


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

[User]
Are most of the stars we see in the sky solely from the milky way?

I was always under the impression that when I looked into the sky I was looking at the stars in the universe. Two nights ago when I was looking at the milky way I suddenly was hit with perspective, like the kind we use to draw or paint. I saw the milky way and said that is the part of our galaxy that is far away, and all the other stars where the ones that in our vicinity of the galaxy. It shocked me that I never had understood that before, but I'm not sure if that is entirely correct. I know some of the lights up there are other things like planets and galaxies, but I'm still not sure if I'm seeing it correctly.

EDIT: Sorry if this seems a little confusing I'm just looking for a better understanding of what exactly I'm looking at when I look into the night sky!

[Assistant] When you look into the sky, all the stars you see are in the Milky Way.  Depending on light conditions and where you are located, you might be able to see the Andromeda galaxy or the Magellanic Clouds -- but you see these as patches in the sky, not individual stars -- but in terms of the specific stars you see, they're all in the Milky Way.


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

[User]
[All Fiction] Who has the best firefighting feats?

 We're facing major bushfires here in Australia right now and it got me wondering, which fictional characters have the best feats for putting out fires?

[Assistant]
Team avatar did a pretty good job in the last air bender / a full fledged avatar could easily do it.

Also new anime fire force is all about putting these infernals to rest who are humans who spontaneously combust.


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

[User] ELI5: Why does drinking alcohol when hungover make you feel better?

[Assistant]
for much the same reason as it made you feel good the first time.
The dehydration and other hangover symptoms are still there, but the new rush of alcohol numbs you the same way it did the night before.


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

[User]
[Fallout] Can humans become "Nightkin" with blue-skin and mental illness from long-term overuse of stealth boys just like super mutants?

...Or is there something unique about mutants that makes them alone susceptible to the further transformation? Alternatively, is it possible that becoming a blue "Nightkin" simply takes longer than the lifespan of a regular human, considering how the mutant Nightkin are only visibly different from regular super mutants in New Vegas, set more than a century after that mutant population's debut?

I'd personally love if the "Nightkin" side-effects were implemented as a condition gained from using enough stealth boys in a future game, complete with additional schizophrenic dialogue options. It would probably be much simpler to program than the player being able to become a ghoul...

[Assistant] I think exposure to high concentrations of FEV making the genome more mutable is probably what causes Nightkin to develop the way they do. Humans would thus presumably not be affected under most circumstances.


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

[User]
ELI5: The difference between a Republic and a Democracy.

The US is considered to be an electoral democracy but also a republic? How? What? Why?

[Assistant]
Republic and democracy refer to two completely different concepts.

Democracy means that power comes from the people.  So you elect representatives and their law giving power arises from that mandate and that satisfies the definition of a democracy.

Republic means the state is nominally owned by the people.  So ultimately no family or interest owns the country.

The US is both democracy and republic.
To contrast:
Canada and Britain are democracies but not republics.  They are monarchies.
North Korea is not (functionally) a democracy but IS a republic.


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

[User]
ELI5: How do insurance companies make money? Who insures insurance companies?

If I pay $150/month and total my car after 12 months, I've only paid in $1800, yet I will get back ~$10,000 (depending on the vehicle, of course). How do insurance companies make a profit from that, and how are said companies insured? Can they insure themselves? Who do they pay? Wouldn't it be like writing a check to yourself? Also, how do people start up their own insurance companies?

[Assistant]
The main thing you need to know about how they function is this:

They are INVESTMENT ENTITIES.

Nominally, the thing most people see is the spreading of risk, pooling money from lots of people to transfer that catastrophic risk from the one person who loses a home, wrecks a car, or gets cancer, to the group of people that all buy insurance.

But what does an insurance company do with that pool of money in the meantime?

See, the company has a bunch of money called a "surplus" which is mandated by law based on line of business (health, auto, home, life), AND it has a bunch of money from what people have paid in but hasn't been assigned to pay a claim yet, AND it has a bunch of money "reserved" for claims that are submitted, but not yet paid out (like worker's compensation claims, etc.).

This money is INVESTED.

You may be surprised to know the that the biggest buyers of bonds are insurers. (because of regulation, the amount of stocks bought by most insurers is pretty minimal).

Also, note that "life insurance" companies are primarily about selling investment products to customers; the products that pay out based on insured deaths are a small portion of the total sales.

-------------------

As to "who insures them," you need more to the question, as in "insures them for what?"

Your typical "personal lines" (i.e. auto, home) insurer will have its workers' comp, health, life, and its buildings' and infrastructures' property (assuming it doesn't just rent those facilities) with other companies.

And, typically home insurers will purchase reinsurance from global companies to protect against large-scale losses (Hurricane Rita, for example).


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

[User] [Fallout] What gives gold its value in the wastelands?

[Assistant]
It's still a valuable metal. It's visually impressive and retains its luxurious shine while most other metals have rusted and taken a rougher aesthetic in the wasteland.

It's malleable and ductile, suitable for electronic components and used in some medicines. It's rather limited in the wasteland (or most places for that matter) allowing it to remain highly valued on the supply and demand side of things (so not like you're going to have hundreds of merchants flogging gold, it's going to be an oligopoly more likely).


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

[User]
[Harry Potter] Peter Pettigrew transforms into a rat after he gets the silver hand. Does he end up with a silver paw, or would the hand just fall off?

This question could apply to any amputee animagus.

[Assistant]
Since Animagi are completing a complicated bit of Transfiguration magic when they change, and we've seen Animagi with eyewear not need glasses when in their animal states (not to mention Animagi's ability to transform their clothes into skin/fur/scales and vice-versa), and we've seen that Transfiguration is capable of changing inorganic material into organic material and vice-versa, not to mention the fact that Wormtail's silver hand acts as a replacement hand rather than a prosthetic that can normally be taken off and put back on, it is likely that transforming into a rat would transform his silver hand into a normal rat hand (unless the hand has some sort of magical property that resists such change, in which case Wormtail may find himself with a silver rat hand or may find himself as a rat with one man-sized silver human hand).

I'd say 75% chance he just transforms into a normal rat with no silver showing, 12.5% chance he turns into a rat with a silver hand, 12.5% chance he turns into a rat with a silver human hand that's as big as his rat body.


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

[User]
Since we measure nuclear warhead yields in terms of tonnes of TNT, would detonating an equivalent amount of TNT actually produce a similar explosion in terms of size, temperature, blast wave etc?

Follow up question, how big would a Tzar Bomba size pile of TNT be? (50 megatons)

[Assistant]
Assuming a density >1 g/cc the volume of 50 megatons of TNT is on the order of 300x300x300 meters^3.
The initial conditions of the blast are quite different because the fusion event occurs in a much smaller volume and hence temperature and energy density are greater-initially. Thus the initial shockwave is faster and accompanied by UV, x-ray,  and gamma radiation.

In the case of a pile of TNT the detonation would propagate through the pile in several hundred ms and the initial fireball would be considerably cooler than the equivalent sized nuclear fireball.

That said, since a large fraction of the nuclear event is in the form of heat and radiation, the mechanical shockwave would be less powerful than that produced by a equivalent energy mass of TNT. In the latter case, the shock is the result of the sudden production of hot gas (Nitrogen, Carbon dioxide) at thousands of degrees in contrast to a smaller volume at tens to hundreds of thousands of degrees during a fusion event. So less energy is dissipated (initially)-as heat-in the chemical event, and more energy goes into the shockwave via gas expansion.

RAND has declassified documents that go into greater detail with graphs and tables. You can find some online.

Also, the US did tests with 1 kt (ish) piles of dynamite to simulate nuclear blasts. Videos can be found on the youtube.


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

[User]
[Harry Potter] the Weasleys are supposed to be poor. What is Molly doing all day that she can't get a job? All her children are at Boarding School. Her chores are done by magic. What is she doing whilst Arthur works his butt off at work?

This is of course ignoring the fact that in the wizarding world, being poor just means you wear scruffy clothes and have a broken house, even though you can literally make clothes and fix things by magic.

Why couldn't she just become a repair woman for muggles?

[Assistant]
First of all, muggle work is not even an option. Statue of secrecy, yadda yadda, no magic near the magicless.

You've got to remember, up until Ginny went to school, there would have been an underage wizard child to look after all the way from Bill's birth in 1970, to Ginny leaving home in 1992. Richer wizards might hire caretakers or tutors for their children, but that was not an option for the Weasleys. Leaving an underage wizard alone in the house is just asking for your home to be flattened by a fit of mismagic. Someone had to keep an eye out. The solution the Weasleys came to was just to have Molly stay home and look after the kids, while Arthur brought in the money. After Ginny finally went to school, Molly had already spent twenty years as a housewife. Wizards live about twice as long as muggles, but even so, twenty years of habit is not an easy thing to break. So that's why Molly continues to stay home, presumably keeping the house in order, and making sure a tasty meal awaits Mr. Weasley when he gets home from work.


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

[User]
How can scientists measure the mass of an atom, and other subatomic particles to such extreme precision?

According to Google, a proton weighs about 1.6726219  10^-27 kg. How can scientists measure a single proton to that level of precision (8 significant digits)?

[Assistant] Particle masses can be measured in a few ways. Typically, subatomic particle masses are determined by the relationship between their energy and their momentum. If a particle is not moving, its total energy is E=mc\^2. If it is moving, then E\^2=(mc\^2)\^2+(pc)\^2, where p is the momentum and c is the speed of light. One way to measure the mass, say, of a proton, is to put it in a mass spectrometer. Accelerating it in a known electric field gives it an amount of kinetic energy proportional to its charge. Causing the proton to move in a circular path in a uniform, well-calibrated magnetic field allows the momentum to be measured quite precisely.


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

[User]
[Dune] How did warfare evolve into melee combat?

Before someone answer Shield, I thought Shield would only remove projectile-based weaponry from the equation. The following things should be safe from Shield: Chemical warfare, biological, thermonuclear, and probably many others. And apparently people still send conventional foot soldiers with swords out in the battlefield, and the opposing side greets it with the same soldiers and swords. Why don't people shower each other in infinite bacteria, viruses, chemicals and nukes? If laser guns meet Shields with a nuclear explosion, why aren't there suicide bombers? Is there an Arrakis Convention regulating warfare?

[Assistant]
Nuclear attacks would bring the attention of all the great houses, which would glass the offenders world.

Since interstellar travel is totally dependent on the Spacing Guild, they would need to get biological or chemical weapons through Guild security measures. The guild relies heavily on spice and its prescience capabilities and refuses to be party to such tactics.

Slug throwers are still in use but will only work against non-shielded opponents. The great houses can afford personal shields for their armies, meaning that only hand-to-hand combat.


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

[User]
Isn't central bank digital currency just simply your bank balance in digital balance which is simply internet banking?

On investopedia, it says CBDC(central bank digital currency) will be centralised, issued and managed by central bank. If we ban cash and allow only digital transactions through internet/mobile banking, wouldn't it achieve the purpose of CBDC?

Also will it be Minable? If yes, wouldn't it mean printing your currency?

[Assistant]
A CBDC is very different from what we have with banks, always remember that a CBDC is supposed to be like cash, but digital.

Using your debit card ou sending a wire transfer might seem "fast" but the infrastructure behind it is actually slow, transfers between banks can take more than one day before the recipient really receive what you paid him.  Cash is instantaneous.

There is also the fact that you need an account at a bank to use those services. You don't need an account to receive cash, wanna sell some thing ? Someone can give you a dollar bill and you live.

And to conclude, the current payment infrastructure is not ready for the financial innovation that came with cryptocurrencies.

The goal of a CBDC is first and foremost to be cash-like since the use of cash is dwindling it could act as a replacement.
You don't need an account at a bank to use it, everyone with a phone can use it, your only counterparty is the Federal Reserve, like regular cash.

This way, it facilitates financial inclusion for those who can't have a bank account and it's also very resilient, during natural disasters for example, you can't necessarily have access to an ATM or use your debit card but the NFC chip on your phone works **even when your phone is off and out of battery.** If the CBDC is decentralized you could still buy things with a dead phone.

With a CBDC, things like smart contracts could be included in our paiements systems, all of the innovations that were spurred by the crypto' wave since 2008 could be translated in a currency backed by the government.

There is also the question of anonymity, there are multiple ways to make a CBDC, and a lot of those ways implies anonymity, like cash. And what's amazing about it, is that we could get anonymity and money laundering surveillance at the same time. For most it's not a big deal, but for some people, knowing that they could make purchases off the radar is nice.

A CBDC would also be safer than actual cash, cash can be counterfeited and a lot of people sadly end up with fake bills. It would take an absurd amount of effort to try and crack a CBDC basically ending the era of counterfeited cash.

And last but not least, it's way faster than our legacy systems, transfer are instantaneous even abroad.

It wouldn't be minable though, it would be like a regular dollar or euro bill provided by your central bank.


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

[User]
Is infinity a valid result of mathematics?

I was reading about Cantor and infinity this evening.
Through his proofs,I came to an unnerving conclusion, that if the area of a circle is r^2 , and if the diameter of a given circle is infinite, then the radius, having no endpoint, must be infinite...therefore, using 'c' as the symbol for an infinite amount, 1/2(c)=c. One half of infinity equals infinity...

Does this result have a valid place in mathematics?
In general, do infinite results hold a valid, useful place in mathematics?

[Assistant]
"Infinity" is a very useful concept, but it's not a number.

Saying "/2=" is not arithmetic; it's just a shorthand for saying "If x, then x/2", which in turns means something like "For any N>0, you can find a M>0, so that for any x>M, x/2>N."

Also, by playing fast and loose, you can "evaluate" a formula that contains one "", but not a formula that contains more than one "".


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

[User]
ELI5: Why do phones have so much trouble when switching from WiFi to data?

I notice this all the time, typically when I'm leaving my house and trying to do something that requires an internet connection. Our smartphones seems incapable of smoothly transitioning from WiFi to data and seem to need to have everything closed and re-launched to figure itself out.

[Assistant] A lot of phones are designed to tap in to one network or the other. Once you connect to the Wi-Fi network, it disconnects from the mobile network. When you disconnect from the Wi-Fi, it has to reconnect to the mobile network, authenticate itself and pass some data back and forth before you can start using it.


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

[User] [Spider-Man] Does Spider-Man still do bloodwork at the doctor's? Wouldn't the radioactivity raise questions?

[Assistant] If Parker needs to be examined in a way that might reveal his powers, he can use the Night Nurse or one of any number of super-intelligent heroes with labs like Richards or Stark. If he doesn't have the ability to choose where to get checked-up, say, he's on the verge of death, he can go to a hospital *as Spider-man*, and the comics have repeatedly shown that hospitals in the marvel universe have protocols for treating superheroes without compromising their identity, and SHIELD tends to step in at these points to.


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

[User] [Alien]would a runner Xenomorph born from a Boston Terrier be smaller than one born from a blood hound? would it have a less elongated skull?

[Assistant] maybe, xenomorphs take some genetic make up from their host, which is what lead to the runner on the penal colony. But a runner might just be the result from any species of dog, not enough animal tests have been completed. Too often scientist experimenting with xenomorphs proceed directly to human incubation as it produces the strongest known xenomorphs.


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

[User]
[Dragon Ball] Was Master Roshi the only one who took 50 years to master the Kamehameha?

Master Roshi says it would take someone 50 years to learn the technique. Goku did it on his first try, but in hindsight we can just chalk that up to his Saiyan potential. But then Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien all did it when they were kids/teenagers, Gohan learned it in one year at the most in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber when he was 11, and Goten and Trunks learned it when they were 7 and 8 respectively. (Again, can probably chalk those last few up to Saiyan biology stuff)

So does it really take 50 years, or is Master Roshi just not as good as everyone gave him credit for?

[Assistant]
Well, Master Roshi invented the Kamehameha. He was also (As far as we know) one of the only living human users of Ki on Earth.

Think about it this way: It's a lot easier to learn to ride a bike then it is to invent wheels, pedals, chains, and handlebars, then assemble the thing and learn to ride it.


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

[User] ELI5: What causes the strobe-like trail of lights (not a smear of light, but a staccatto - - - - - - - -) we see along the path of moving LED lights? Automobile headlights and tail lights, for example.

[Assistant] Some LED headlights and tail lights aren't on 100% of the time.  They work on a 'duty cycle'. So at 50% duty cycle, the LED is on 50% of the time.  This is very typical of LED tail lights, as they will be at 25% or so duty cycle as tail lights, and 95% to make them brighter when you apply the brakes.


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

[User]
[Star Wars ROTJ] If the Rebellion had been crushed and Luke had joined the Emperor wouldn't he have been worried that a new young full bodied Sith would be after his position?

It's like he knew where he was with Vader but with Luke he would have had a real rival for the first time ever. So why risk it?

[Assistant]
Oh please. The Emperor never saw Luke as a threat, and for good reason. Here's a boy that got to train with an old fart for about eleven minutes (keep in mind that Yoda was an unknown contributor to Luke's development). Luke got lucky one time, then proceeded to get his ass whooped and his hand handed to him the only time he'd been pressured into a duel.

At the time, what mattered most to the Emperor was claiming the boy. From his perspective, he'd have plenty of time to develop him into what Anakin should've been.

Also, yes. Absolutely. The Sith are perfectly content being nipped at by their students. That's how their power grows.


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

[User]
[King of the Hill] What the hell is shin jelly?

I work at a pharmacy and some 4 foot tall old guy waddled in and handed me a $20 bill poked onto a bayonet and asked for some shin jelly. (You ever see that show Squidbillies with that Dan Halen guy that has no knees? It was kind of like that) I've worked here for years and never heard of anything called shin jelly. He was going off about killing 50 men so I asked my boss  Apparently we even have different brands of it, like Sheldon's shin jelly. How commonly is it used that you'd have brand competition for shin jelly products and what exactly does shin jelly do?

[Assistant]
It's a very niche product but a wonderful thing to have if you need it. You know shin splints? Shin jelly numbs that sharp pain and soothes it with an icy feeling.

It doesn't work for cramps, or soreness, or tense muscles, or bone bruises. It's specifically for shin splints. That being said, it's not all that different than pain relief gel from a manufacturing standpoint so a lot of big brands make them.


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

[User] ELI5: Why do we drink water after coughing if our windpipe controls our respiratory system and the water goes down our esophagus?

[Assistant] coughing is normally a natural attempt to remove irritants from the respiratory system, this can include the top of the windpipe used for both breathing and food intake, additional coughing make make the throat sore. Drinking water may reduce the coughing response by soothing the throat and putting a temporary halt to the cough response.


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

[User]
I think the U.S./western media is presenting an extremely biased and unfair narrative regarding the crisis in Ukraine, tomorrow's referendum in Crimea, and the Russian government's intervention. CMV.

To give some background on my perspective of the current events in Ukraine and the Crimea, with a reasonable understanding of the history of this peninsula and its importance to Russia, as well as a basic understanding of international law and precedent, these are the reasons I find the Russian intervention in Crimea (semi-) legitimate:

1. The fairly and freely elected (and corrupt, but this doesn't matter) president and parliamentary majority of Ukraine were overthrown in what one could argue was essentially a US/NATO-backed coup d'etat. Leaks (by Russian intelligence) indicate the US diplomatic team actively involved in picking or attempting to pick winners and losers among the opposition which now controls what amounts to a rump parliament, where the former ruling party, again duly elected, has been banned from power.

2. The Russian navy base in Sevastopol is the nation's only warm-water port. Russia considers losing this port a non-starter, and this is a legitimate national security interest. To assume the United States would not behave in the same manner is absurd. I personally feel a major reason for western histrionics over the Crimea stem from US/NATO aspirations of NATO control of the Black Sea.

3. The Crimea was "gifted" to Ukraine essentially on Khrushchev's whim, when doing so had very little actual meaning, and prior to that time had belonged to Russia for centuries. The 1991 referendum reflected this, and a very slim majority supported remaining an *autonomous* region of Ukraine. To consider the current will of the people of Crimea to return to the Russian federation illegitimate seems to me to be ridiculous, as we must remember that the freely and fairly elected government in Kiev has been overthrown, leaving no responsibility to honor the new government.

4. While a referendum to leave one nation *and* join another nation is unprecedented in recent history, the US and UN regularly support the efforts of disenfranchised minorities to seek independence. That the Crimean people wish to join a government more representative of their interests is not an outrageous deviation from international norms.

5. From my perspective, the United States media and political elite are treating Russia with *extreme* prejudice and applying obviously ridiculous double standards. While the US media compares the (currently casualty-free, and largely welcomed by the Crimean population) occupation of Crimea to Hitler's aggressions, there is a convenient lack of perspective about the United States' own much more aggressive, illegal and tragic military misadventures in the last decade.

6. The US and NATO, by almost any reasonable standard, appear to be the true aggressors in the years after the fall of the Soviet Union. Many former Warsaw Pact nations and SSRs of the former Soviet Union have joined NATO, essentially encircling Russia. From the recent leaks of US diplomats, it appears obvious to anyone paying attention that Ukraine is the latest nation to attract NATO's attention for membership. This is extremely aggressive behavior in the eyes of the Russians, and should appear aggressive to even the neutral observer.

So if any of you can address these issues, or would just like a good debate on these topics, come try to change my view!

[Assistant]
> The fairly and freely elected (and corrupt, but this doesn't matter) president and parliamentary majority of Ukraine were overthrown in what one could argue was essentially a US/NATO-backed coup d'etat.

Actually, Ukraine still has the same democratically elected parliament that it had for years, and it is that parliament that has overthrown the president with a vote of no confidence.

> While a referendum to leave one nation and join another nation is unprecedented in recent history

And it will stay unprecedented, given that the Crimean referendum doesn't give an option to decide that, only in which order the two should happen.


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

[User] ELI5: Why is every new movie considered to be the #1 movie in america?

[Assistant] No. 1 movie can mean many things. Maybe it's the highest grosser at the box-office for the last week. Maybe it's the highest rated on Rotten Tomatoes (or any other rating authority) for that week. Maybe a critic from the Albuquerque Gazette called it the No. 1 movie. There are many ways to be number 1.


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

[User]
[ASOIAF/GOT] Where did the Dragon Eggs come from?

It's been a while since I've read the books, but is it ever mentioned how Illyrio Mopatis came into possession of the Dragon eggs he gave to Daenerys? Where did he find them?
Were they the offspring of the old Targaryen dragons?
Did he find them in the wild? Does this mean that there might be a possibility that there are somewhere other dragons living on Planetos?

[Assistant]
Illyrio claims that they come from the Shadow lands, east of Asshai. It's unlikely he obtained them himself, so the question is how many degrees of separation there are. Did they come directly from the Shadow lands, or did the eggs change hands? Did he place an order for them or send someone to get them directly, or did he just happen upon them or otherwise had them already in his possession?

Dragons are rumored to originate from the Shadow Lands, so this lends credence to that being the origin of the eggs.


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

[User] Why are Japan's and Korea's Gini indexes so low even without big income redistribution policies?

[Assistant]
There are major policies for redistributionnamely, Japans tax code.

The top income bracket in Japan starts around $275K, and is 45%. The top income tax bracket in the US begins around $550K and is 37%.

In addition, the top bracket for Japans inheritance tax is 55%, with estates over around $200K being taxed. The US has no federal inheritance tax, with only estates of over $11MM being subject to estate taxes, which cap out around 40%.

Lastly, Japan has no step up in basis upon death, whereas the inherited assets in the US will typically receive this step up.

All this contributes to making it more difficult to build generational wealth in Japan vs. the US.


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

[User]
What effect will impending meteor shower (23rd-24th) have on satellites in orbit?

Will they have to change course or will the particles hit them?

[Assistant]
No, they won't change course, and there's very little chance of an impact.

We don't even detect these particles before they hit the atmosphere, for the most part. They are quite small. We do track space debris that is in orbit around the earth, and satellites (particularly the ISS) do make adjustments to avoid collisions with known pieces of debris, but the particles that make up meteor showers don't even get close enough to easily detect until they're *very* close indeed, and then there's not much time to move satellites out of the way anyway.

But the chances of a collision are, well, astronomically small. It's like the chances of two golfers at a driving range having their golf balls collide in midair-- but even less likely than that. In a given meteor shower like this one, usually the most massive rocks won't be more than a few dozen pounds, and the majority of them will be more like pebbles. The area of low earth orbit is pretty similar to the surface area of the Earth (500 million square kilometers) and the chances of a satellite maybe ~10 meters across colliding with a rock maybe 10 cm across is very low.