Datasets:

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Nitral-AI

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RCSI-v2_ShareGPT

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[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Star Wars] Why are IG units not used in war?\n\nWeve seen their (or at least one) fighting capabilities in The Mandalorian, so why not deploy them in general combat like during the clone wars? Is it just theyre too expensive? Or is it some other reason?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I think they're too independent for war; IIRC they rebelled against their creators and went off taking jobs for themselves so they probably wouldn't make good soldiers. But good bounty hunters and assassins, for sure." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: Why do girls, with virtually no boobs, wear bras?\n\nHi!\n\nJust thought if this as I, in my hallway, looked at my magnificent semi-fatguy-goes-bodybuilding-body; I've got bigger boobs than my ex-gf and my current. \nBoth of them uses bras, but I don't. I don't see why I should wear one. They, on the other hand, who are as good as completely flat with the bras off, uses them.\nThere's nothing to support, really, so that one reason probably goes away. \n\nSo, why is this? Marketing? Habit? Because girls are supposed to wear them? Trying to make the boobs look bigger like some Spinal Tap-stuffing-thingie? \n\nI don't want to ask my gf, because I don't want her to think that I don't like the way she looks :)\n\nTL;DR Why do girls without boobs wear bras when there are nothing to really lift/support/whatever?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Firstly, there is often more breast tissue than is immediately apparent. For wide-rooted breasts, a significant portion of breast tissue can lie around the underarm area. So don't underestimate the mass of boob just because they don't stick out much at the front! \n\nA well-fitted bra will support all the tissue and cup it so that the stuff which tends to lie at the sides is comfortably moved to create fuller breasts and more cleavage. \n\nBreast tissue can also be very uncomfortable when moving quickly, especially when jogging. Imagine wearing a hoodie, with something heavy in the pocket on the front. You know the way it bounces around when you run? That's how boobs feel, even small ones, and it can be painful! The right bra eliminates that. \n\nThey can also protect sore breasts and nipples from rubbing, smooth outlines under clothing, and make you feel good about your body." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "GPS satellites work because they adjust for similar bending of spacetime to coordinate with systems on Earth. Why wouldn't they?\n\nWhat possible errors could they make without this adjustment? I thought all they do is to point us direction or pinpoint our location. Why are they really concerned about time?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "GPS satellites need to know the time. \n\nThey don't know what direction you are in, and even if they did the error would be humongous. It would be very tricky to make a satellite system that could accurately pinpoint a transmitter in this way.\n\nThe way it works is GPS satellites continually transmit both the current time according to their onboard clocks and their current position, which is known very accurately. At a given time your receiver will simultaneously get this information from a handful of different satellites (I believe 4 at minimum should be necessary) . The time data won't be precisely the same since the different satellites are different distances from you.\n\nIf, for example, satellite A time is 1 second earlier than satellite B then you know that satellite A is 1 lightsecond farther away from you that satellite B. You use the data from several satellites to work out the relative distances to them from you and, since you know where each of them are, you can finally compute your location (and the time at your location actually).\n\nThe reason they need to adjust for relativity is that both the speed they are moving at (relative to the surface of the Earth) and the gravitational field they are in (relative to the surface of the Earth) effects how the onboard clocks tick relative to each other.\n\nIf the time on board each satellite does not precisely match each other then you will not be able to work out the time of flight of the signals and you cannot then work out the relative distances to the satellite. This would ruin the ability of GPS to function." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: A single tree might shed thousands of seeds a year, but most of these won't grow into anything. What starts the growth of a mighty tree?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "If you look closely, many trees are surrounded by saplings. Most wont make it to maturity because there isnt enough sunlight reaching them under the canopy of large trees. Sometimes, an old tree will die, allowing some saplings to grow until they become mighty and take the place of the dead tree. This type of growth from death happens in many ways. For example, some pine cones only open up when they get extremely hot during a forest fire. The fire revitalizes the nutrients in the soil and opens up the canopy, allowing light to reach the ground and new trees to grow." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: what causes halucinations in your brain when you take LSD and how do they differ from hallucinations that someone with schizophrenia would have?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Technically what you see when you take LSD isn't a hallucination, it's a pseudohallucination. The difference is that people on LSD recognize that what they're seeing isn't real, but people with schizophrenia don't. \n\nThe visual effects of LSD have to do with it interacting with serotonin receptors that control vision. The mechanism isn't well understood." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Is there a way for us to know what the population of any given species of dinosaur was during their time on earth? And if so, how?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Certainly not. In a field where we aren't sure what are separate species, there is little chance of being able to make such precise observations.\n\nWe can estimate that X dinosaur was more numerous than Y dinosaur for a given period, but anything more would be too poorly supported." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Star Trek] What kind of water comes from the replicators?\n\nI know you can program different recipes into the replicator, but what is dispensed when someone orders water? Specifically, is it just H2O, or are there other chemicals like we would see in city/tap water? I imagine specialty items like Spring Water or Mineral Water would have their own formulas programmed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It's probably \"just\" water, with only the minerals and such that can be tolerated by all (or at least the majority) of Federation citizens.\n\nOf course, it's also possible that the replicator knows who's asking, and gives them a glass of whatever they'd get from a very clean river on their homeworld." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Star Wars] What are the chances a planet which strikingly resembles 21st Century Earth in terms of culture, technology and geological diversity exists in the galaxy?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Geologically? There are plenty of diverse planets around the GFFA.\n\nCulturally? Most planets aren't as diverse as ours, but the galactic culture itself is hugely diverse.\n\nTechnologically? Essentially nonzero. You have to remember that galactic society has existed to some degree or another for at least twenty-five thousand years. The chances of a planet being left behind technologically, barring it being some weird cultist shithole in Wild Space or the Unknown Regions, are practically nonexistent." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Cars, solariums, and greenhouses can get really hot because they trap heat coming in through the glass. Why can't the heat leave just as easily? Why doesn't it balance out?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The energy comes in as light and doesn't turn into heat until it gets absorbed onto the interior surfaces. Then the heated materials and air inside do not leave the car while continuing to accumulate more heat.\n\nSome heat is always leaving the car but until the sun goes down there will be more heat coming in than is leaving." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Dragonball] Why do the androids seem to go in reverse order of power?\n\nNote that I understand this isn't strictly true: Androids in the original Red Ribbon Army (that Terminator-looking one, and Android 8) are almost certainly weaker than most other forms we've seen. Also i'm discounting Cell and 21, even if they are technically Androids.\n\nThat said, starting with Android 13 we see the strongest regular android, followed by 14 and 15, 16 seems to possess a lot of raw power but be unrefined, and 17 and 18 seem to be below him since they couldn't really do much to Cell to begin with, or so it seemed.\n\nAlso 19 and 20... exist. Briefly. And get utterly wrecked by Super Vegeta, who is then trashed by 18." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I don't know where you got the idea that 14 and 15 are stronger than 16, 17, 18, or even 19 and 20.\n\n14 and 15 manage to give some trouble to the Saiyans, but only in their base forms. When they go Super Saiyan, the androids get demolished almost instantly, putting them around the league of 19 and 20.\n\nAs for 13, he's only particularly powerful when he absorbs components from 14 and 15, in a manner similar to Cell absorbing parts from 17 and 18. Before that, 13 is shown to be able to keep up with a Super Saiyan, but not easily overpower it like 17 and 18 could.\n\nIt's not specifically stated why 19 and 20 are weaker than all of the others (ignoring the terminator-like one and 8), but I'd hazard a guess that it's because Gero decided that absorbing energy was more useful than infinite energy (he clearly turned out to be wrong).\n\n<Doylist> \n(By the way, in Daizenshuu, Akira Toriyama states that #16 is more powerful than #13.) \n</Doylist>" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "CMV: When rehabilitation is not an option for a prisoner i.e. those on life sentences, the prisoner should have the option of completing his sentence or state assisted suicide.\n\nI feel as though debates on the death penalty vs life sentences are very tricky. Life sentences are often criticized for costing too much money. The death penalty is often criticized for being barbaric and inhumane. I feel as though the best approach to the problem is through a compromise in which the prisoner chooses the method of his punishment. I feel as though this compromise is the most humane among the two previously debated options. Some prisoners would value their life and take life in prison as they fear death. Some prisoners would take death as they don't want to live the rest of their lives in a prison. Rehabilitation should be the number priority, and when one cannot be rehabilitated I think the second most important thing is that the person be removed from society in the most humane way possible. Giving the option of life or death is much more humane than either giving them life with no choice or death with no choice. I also believe that if this were to be implemented that it should only be an option to those on life sentences not to your ordinary prisoner. It would also likely decrease the amount of money spent on life sentences as some prisoners would take the option of assisted suicide. Tell me why this wouldn't be a great idea." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A life sentence isnt about just dying in prison. Its about spending the rest of your life, however long it is paying for your crimes. Letting people commit suicide is a cop out. And to be perfectly honest, they can just do that anyway." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: What exactly was the danger of the Y2K bug - what are the consequences of a computer recognizing '2000' as '1900'?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The consequences are that a calculation involving the difference between two dates suddenly returns nonsense values.\n\nImagine you're running a system that pays a pension for people aged 65 or over. Someone born in 1930 might have been quite happily claiming their pension as a 69 year old in 1999, but in 2000 the computer would think that they weren't even going to be born for another 30 years!" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: Brainfreeze\n\nWhenever I get brainfreeze, I was always taught to put your thumb on the roof of your mouth. Is there any actual \"science\" behind this? Is it really a tiny transfer of body heat that makes the brainfreeze go away, or is your brain just distracted by something so obsurd that it \"forgets\" about the brainfreeze?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There is some evidence for it, but pressing your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth works better. \n\nBrainfreeze happens when your body goes OH SHIT THATS TOO MUCH COLD RIGHT NEXT TO MY BRAIN! So it opens up all the blood vessels trying to warm it up, and that's what caused the pain. Warming it up will shrink the blood vessels back down, no more pain." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: why do images of things on a microscopic level not have color?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "You are probably referring to electron microscope images which are taken with electron bombardment rather that visible light; indeed some of the structures may be too small to image with visible light because the wavelength is too large. Under such circumstances there is no color in the resulting image because color has no meaning." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "What is holding us back in making more efficient batteries, to store e.g. solar generated electricity?\n\nI'm reading a lot of places that what really hinders renewable energy sources from reaching its peak is that we're unable to store energy properly. Could someone elaborate a bit on that?\n\nSecondly, given that the statement is true, why can't we use rechargeable batteries, e.g. lithium batteries, to store the energy produced? Wouldn't a solution to this make solar power a lot more attractive than what it already is, since you would be able to store daytime generated electricity?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "We are using batteries to store excess renewable energy. Just not the kind of battery you're familiar with. There's something called a flow battery, explicitly designed for grid-scale energy storage. Many companies are racing to commercialize their products to handle the burgeoning demand for renewable storage, using many different chemistries that are quite different from consumer batteries. The main idea of a flow battery is to decouple energy and power. Power is the instantaneous voltage times current, while energy is power over a duration of time. A lithium ion battery has a fixed relationship due to the need for the lithium ions to be within a certain distance of the electrodes. This means in order to increase capacity, you have to increase everything that goes into the battery as well. A flow battery uses external storage tanks of electrolyte that can be of arbitrary size that is independent of the electrode area. The electrode area determines the power, but the size of the tanks determine the total energy capacity. Need more capacity? Just add more tanks. \n\nThis tech has its own set of challenges, however, and they're not trivial. The main problems stem from electrolyte crossover through the separator membrane, efficiency degradation, and cost of the electrolyte. There are literally dozens of different chemical schemes being explored right now with the aim of addressing these points. Bets are on as to which tech will win out. Chances are, however, you the end user will never purchase such a system. They're designed for utilities to incorporate." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Was anyone outraged at Plato's writings about Socrates?\n\nSocrates was executed by the Athenian Assembly, after all, for such things as corrupting the youth and strengthening weaker arguments. I would imagine any supporter of his would sense some danger in continuing his philosophic thought. My question is when Plato began to write about his former master, did anyone object to his sympathetic portrayal? Was Plato initially disgraced or criticized?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Plato was a part of the problem for Socrates, because of his family links to Charmides (his uncle) and Critias (his mother's uncle), members of the Thirty Tyrants who ruled Athens for a period after they lost the Peloponnesian War. Critias had himself been a student of Socrates'. The Thirty Tyrants oversaw large amounts of executions and the seizure of property of people they thought hostile to the state, leading to the death of as much as 5% of the Athenian population. By this token Athenians were *very* hostile to the Thirty Tyrants and their associates, which included Socrates by way of his association with Critias and Critias's family member Plato.\n\nSocrates's association with the disgraced public figure Alcibiades didn't help either." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5:What does \"/16 or /24\" after an IP Address mean?\n\nHello all - I have seen the /16, /24, etc multiple times after an IP Address and I just don't understand it! How do I know which number after the slash belongs to my home network? Any help/guidance an explaining this would be very much appreciate!\n\nThanks in advance!\n\nEDIT 1: Thank you everyone who replied and for not making me feel so dumb! haha I now have a much better understanding of what this means! :)" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It is a decimal representation of your subnet mask.\n\nYour computer has an IP address. Something like:\n\n 10.1.1.2\n\nBut this address represents two things: a) your computer; and b) the local network your computer is on. And it needs a way of knowing which part is which.^* To do this it uses what is known as a subnet mask which can be represented in a number of ways. The \"slash\" notation, followed by a number, is how many 1 bits are in the subnet mask, in the case of /24, that would be 24 1 bits.\n\nRemember that computers deal in binary, so...\n\n 10.1.1.2\n\nIs actually:\n\n 00001010.00000001.00000001.00000010\n\nA subnet mask of 24 would be:\n\n 11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000\n\nEach bit of the IP address that lines up with a 1 bit in the mask is part of the network (in this case 10.1.1.x). Each bit of the IP address that lines up with a 0 bit in the mask is a host address (in this case x.x.x.2).\n\nYour computer uses this information to determine if communication is destined for the local network (and doesn't need to go through a gateway) or is destined for a remote network (and does).\n\nIn this case, everything from 10.1.1.1 to 10.1.1.254 would be considered local. All other IP addresses would be remote.\n\n\\* - Originally, they designed a scheme where IP addresses would fall into certain classes that defined which part was the network part and which part was the host part. For example, if it began with a 10, then the first octet was automatically the network part and the last three would be the host part. This turned out to be insufficient for modern networking needs, so they developed the concept of subnetworking of which the subnet(work) mask allows us to chop up the address any way we want." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5 why do smart phones shut off in cold weather before theyve reached 0% battery?\n\nRecently Ive been out in the cold and my iPhone has shut off with about 40% battery remaining. Is this a simple answer such as its too cold for electrons to flow in the battery?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I'll provide a brief answer.\n\nPhones today are powered by lithium-ion batteries. They rely on the flow of ions (something like electrons, except bigger, slower) through an oily-gel like material (makes them even slower!) across two 'plates' as they discharge to power the phone.\n\nWhen it gets cold, it gets harder to move (just as you'd find it harder to move in the cold) and after a certain threshold, the battery just seizes up and ions just don't move fast enough to provide enough current for the phone. The phone shuts down.\n\nThis threshold temperature is rather cold, in the -30 ~ -40 C. but depending on the battery, conditions that you were out in, initial conditions and whatnot, you may see it shut off at relatively warmer (~ -20 C) temperatures as well." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5 Why did thatched roofs not rot and collapse from the rain and damp? Or if they did rot, how frequently were they replaced?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They did rot, but because of how they are layered on the roof, it sheds water pretty efficiently (that's how they didn't rot quickly, water shedding ability and tight layering protecting lower layers) and a well thatched roof in modern times can last 50 years before it's beyond use. Historically, at least in parts of England, a new layer of thatch was added to the aging/weathered layer and some houses have been found to have seven feet of thatch on them with the oldest layers being 500 years old." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "In a Meson, why do the quark anti-quark pair not just annihilate each other ?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Some mesons can and do annihilate. The neutral pion pretty much always decays to two photons, for example.\n\nHowever, not all of them are quark-antiquark pairs of the same type. Charged and flavoured mesons have valence quarks of different types, such as kaons, D-mesons and B-mesons. This means they decay via other processes." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Why doesn't FTL quantum tunneling violate causality?\n\nIt seems that a bunch of experiments confirmed that particles tunnel through barriers faster than what would be expected if they were traveling normally at the speed of light. Im referring to a study specifically by the Keller group in 2008 but this seems to be the consensus today (according to Wikipedia at least). \n\nI'm not ready to believe that relativity would fail so quickly and I'm inclined to think that even if FTL tunneling is possible, it wouldn't allow FTL communication. But I fail to see how that's the case.\n\nedit: corrected group name to 'Keller group'" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It can't communicate information. Stuff can travel faster than c- like how the Universe has expanded faster than the speed of light- but information cannot be transferred faster than c. Quantum tunneling is random- you can't *make* a particle jump a light year away instantly- so it can't transfer information." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "CMV: \"Emotional\" TV commercials do nothing in making me want to purchase the product. If anything, it deters me from buying the product.\n\nThis is easier to explain with an example: There was just an extremely emotional, over-the-top commercial on TV that showed a family holding hands and laughing over a Thanksgiving dinner, with a narrator talking about important family is. Then at the end, it's revealed it's a Pillsbury crescent commercial.\n\nAnother example would be when the son comes home from the war early and brews a pot of Folgers coffee then embraces his mom, both of them crying.\n\nCommercials like this drive me crazy because I do not think they do absolutely anything in making me want to buy the product. I'm never going to purchase Folgers coffee because I'm seeking an emotional moment with my family. Same applies for Pillsbury crescent rolls. It feels so tacky and cheesy that they're almost hard to watch. I just don't understand how people can be sitting around a table in an advertising company and come to the consensus that these types of commercials will sell products.\n\nAlso in a weird way these types of commercials feel patronizing (like, \"oh thanks Folgers, you really think this is going to work on me\") and really irritate me. \n\nBasically, I can't stand them, and they have absolutely zero influence over me as a consumer." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The thing about advertising is that it's not so much about logic as it is about association. This clearly doesn't work for you, because you are actively annoyed by these types of commercials, so you associate that negative feeling with the product. But for most people, emotional commercials aren't annoying, they're just fine. The goal of the company is for the consumer to subconsciously associate positive feelings--happiness, family, etc.--with the product. This isn't as cut and dry and logical as \"Oh, Folgers coffee brings families together, I'd better buy some.\" It's just that when you're shopping for coffee and see Folgers among the options, they want you to be familiar with the brand and have a generally positive opinion on it. A lot of it is simply exposure You're more likely to buy a product you're familiar with than one you aren't. Folgers wants to make sure you recognize the Folgers label. It may be irrational, since you don't necessarily know more about Folgers than about whatever's next to it on the shelf, but as long as you feel like you do, you'll choose it over other options. And they don't expect you to necessarily even remember the commercial about the son and his mom. They only hope that having seen that commercial will mean that when you see the Folgers can on the shelf, it triggers a positive response in you.\n\nThis doesn't work for you, because you *do* remember the commercial specifically because you had a negative reaction to it. But it does work decently well for most people, which is why companies keep doing it." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Lord of the Rings] Do elves play sports or have any sort of athletic competition?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There are several references to Human and Hobbit sports, but only one or two for the Elves. They are described as having athletes, so this would indicate some sort of competition of physical prowess. Likely these are things like track-and-field sports, such as running, swimming, and possibly archery." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[40k] Do the necrons contribute to khorne because they kill things? Or does it not count because they have no emotions? And also, if all emotions ceased to exist (eg necrons effectively kill everything) would the eye of terror disappear?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sentient life generates the Warp through their emotional energy, which is why it stops at the edge of the galaxy. If the Necron managed to kill everyone else, the Warp would cease to exist, and the Ruinous Powers with it." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: what were Stephen Hawkings greatest discoveries?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Were?\" This made me think, 'Oh shit, he's dead,' and had to go check.\n\nHis branch is theoretical physics, which isn't really about 'discovery' as such. He and other theoretical physicists are all about bringing experimental and observed data from other branches of physics into the context of a wider framework. The supposed \"theory of everything.\" Some of the 20th century's favourite physicists have been theoretical physicists; Hawking, Einstein, Sagan, deGrasse Tyson. Theoretical physicists work at the bleeding edge of what we understand about the universe.\n\nHawking's work is mainly in astrophysics and general relativity, though he has branched out into quantum physics and particle physics as well. His greatest work is probably his book *A Brief History of Time*, which brought theoretical physics into mainstream culture for probably the first time since Einstein. In the book, he explained phenomenon like the space-time continuum and the speed of light in a way that casual readers and high-school level science students could understand, as well as mathematically proving the existence of black holes and dark matter for the first time. He theorised that black holes do emit radiation, previously thought impossible because of their gravitational pull, then he proved it in both mathematical and layman's terms. As he demystified theoretical physics, he furthered it.\n\nWhen he does eventually die, he won't be remembered for one stand-out discovery above all others, but for the body of his work as a whole. He has done as much to further the field of physics within his lifetime as Einstein, Newton, Copernicus, Aristotle..." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Central Limit Theorem\n\nI'm an ug sociology student. In our statistical methods in sociology course one subject interested me which is Central Limit Theorem. Does any critical or/and comprehensive artical, journal etc has been written about why the shape of the population distribution, the sampling distribution of the sample mean approaches an approximately normal distribution ? How can be explained from sociological point of view?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The Central Limit Theorem isn't a product of biology or sociology or any other sort of behaviour of living things. It is a mathematical theorem, with the same rigour and validity as the Pythagorean Theorem or the Sine Law or any number of other mathematical facts. This is because the Central Limit Theorem doesn't say anything about the underlying thing being sampled -- it only says things about the samples when you do the sampling multiple times." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: why are the skins of fruit more nutritious than the insides?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "because fruit aren't intended to be nutritious, they're intended to be tasty, which means the bulk of them is relatively homogeneous fluff with lots of sugar. The skin is the only part which has to actually do something important, so its loaded up with a variety of vitamins and minerals and other cellular necessities to do its job.\n\nsame applies to like, why wheat germ is more nutritious than the rest of the grain. The rest of it is just an energy store. The germ has all the parts that grow and do stuff, so all the goodies are found there." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: If Homosapiens survived the last mass extinction how is there almost 8 billions Humans now? Are we all related? Is every human related in some way?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Every human IS related to some extent. That extent tends to be very, very far back. Mitochondrial Eve (the most recent common female ancestor of all humans) is estimated to have lived 150k years ago, and Y-chromosome Adam (male version of the same thing) 200-300k years ago." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[ELI5] Why do ponds and lakes not become swamps after years of season changes\n\nLakes and Ponds are water reservoirs that are often surrounded by trees, bushes and other plants. During a summer period a lot of \"trash\" comes into this water, during the fall time plants loose their leaves that often go down to the water surface and later drown. Leaves are being decomposed and every year this cycle repeats. \n\nWhy do not all ponds and lakes change into swamps? Obviously some of them with time transform into bogs but majority stays OK." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "When the leaves decompose, the carbohydrates that make up most of their bulk turn back into water (which joins the lake's volume and eventually outflows through whatever outlet the lake has) and carbon dioxide (which outgasses into the atmosphere). The same happens for other organic molecules. What's left is mostly minerals gathered by the plants surrounding the lake, which (on the time-scales we're talking about) is essentially just plant-driven erosion. The only time this doesn't happen is if the plant material can't effectively decompose, typically because the water is too acidic or too low on oxygen to allow microbial growth (which is how you get many of the wetlands that actually exist in the world).\n\nMany of the remaining minerals (particularly earth metals like sodium) are highly water-soluble, so the rate at which they outflow scales with how much is currently in the lake (which is why lakes that have an outflow are, almost without exception, freshwater). That leaves a few minerals that don't dissolve very well even over many years. Over geological timescales, this stuff does build up. As with any other erosion, highlands wear down and lowlands fill up, and eventually your lake at the bottom of a valley becomes part of a marshy plain full of silt. But this takes a long time, and other forces (primarily plate tectonics) are acting to push some parts of the land back up, too, in a way that can (and sometimes does) prevent this process from reaching its endpoint." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[ASOIAF] Why has there been little to no technological innovation in the past few thousands of years?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There has, but its mostly not visible. Westeros is in an age equivalent to the Dark Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire, which is represented by Valyria. Quite a bit of the technology of Valyria was preserved, but access is limited due to an education gap. The ability to read and write is most certainly limited to the upper class and perhaps the merchant class, so innovation is probably limited to that area as well.\n\nSo civilization is slowly coming back from the collapse of the cultural, technological and economic superpower, knowledge is limited due to low literacy rates and thus innovation is slow." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: Why is the video editing greenscreen... green?\n\nWhy is it green and not red or blue or anything else?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "You need a bright primary color, one that most people aren't going to wear or have on their bodies, because all of that color will be deleted when you edit the film. You can use blue, but green is less likely to cause problems with people's eyes or fashion. \n\nRed is worst, because it can cause problems with erasing some people's skin tones at times." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: What is the function of the 3 digit \"security code\" on your credit card when you have to provide it every time you use your credit card?\n\nIIRC, it used to be a way to prevent fraud by people who had your cc number and expiration (say from a restaurant receipt) but not your physical card, but today there are very few people on earth who have my cc number and expiration but don't have my 3 digit code.\n\nAt this point it seems like nothing more than a 3 digit extension of your credit card number." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Its for what are called \"Card not present\" transactions. Its an additional layer of security to prove you have the physical card.\n\nWhen you go to a store and pay with your card, you have teh card, nothing else is really needed. Thats why you don't use your CVV. They physically can run the card.\n\nBut, what about when you buy a shirt online? This is a \"card not present\" transaction. How does the merchant know you have the card and its not fraud or scam just with the number? Well, thats where the 3 digit CVV comes in, it proves you have the card and fraud is much less likely. \n\nNone of this prevents fraud entirely, but it significantly helps reduce it." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5:When jumpstarting a car, why is it important to always start with the positive gauge (red) ?\n\nEvery one always told me to start with positive, but i never understood the reason..." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sometimes, when you make the last connection, a spark jumps from the cable to what ever you're about to clip it to. If you start with the red cable, then the last connection will be made to an unpainted metal part of the car. That way, if a spark occurs, it hits the metal part of the car, rather than the battery, which reduces the chance of igniting hydrogen gas coming from the battery." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Stranger Things] What is the Upside Down?\n\nI understand that its a different universe, but how does it mirror Hawkins? Most of the buildings are there, but damaged by the Demigorgons and the MindFlayer. The lights are still on, but you could say thats the mysterious energy that flows through the Upside Down. So was it ever like Hawkins? Did it have people? Were they all consumed? Or is it built on some copy of Hawkins that was created by Eleven when she created the gate? If so, how did it become so infested so quickly? Demigorgons seem to need hosts to reproduce, and there was just one of them at first. When did the MindFlayer get there?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There probably isn't a perfect way to describe it, except maybe asking the Duffer Bros. To me it's like a shadow. It's affected by the thing casting the shadow, but can't do anything itself. And then the Sci-Fi experiments come in, and the shadow can begin acting itself." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "How do we know neutrinos have mass?\n\nMy own answer is: since the Super Kamiokande and SNOLAB we know that neutrinos can change flavours. My reasoning is: solar neutrinos are all electron neutrinos originally. To change flavour an infinitesimal (but non-zero) amount of time needs to pass (simply to have the 'room' to switch). Particles moving at c don't experience time. All particles with mass have to move slower than c. Hence, neutrinos have mass. Is that the gist of it?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Your understanding is more or less correct. \n\nThe key piece is that neutrino oscillation implies that the flavor states are not the same as the mass states. This means that flavor states are mixtures of the mass states, and vice versa. \n\nThe existence of flavor oscillations (observed as a deficit of solar electron neutrinos... because some of them turned into muon neutrinos and tau neutrinos) indicate that this is the case. So the evidence for neutrino oscillation is that we see a third of the expected electron neutrino flux from the sun, because they've turned into other flavors of neutrinos, and neutrino oscillation is the evidence for neutrino masses." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "In which European countries are faculty well paid?\n\nI'm a tenured prof in a STEM field at a major university in the US. I make around $130K per year plus summer salary. After taxes and benefits, that works out to about $8K per month on avg plus around $1.5K per month contributions to my retirement account.\n\nI am well paid and like my job, but don't like living in the US and don't want my kids to grow up here.\n\nI looked into jobs in Europe, but many countries seem to have much lower pay for faculty. I'm willing to take a lower salary to live in Europe, but not half of my current salary!\n\nIn which European countries could an STEM faculty (equiv to associate prof in US) expect to receive at least 6000 Euros per month after taxes?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "If you manage to get a W3 professorship in Germany (its tough out there), you'll likely have something between 6k and 8k (gross!) per month, and a 13th salary at the end of the year. This doesn't mean you'll get a net amount of at least 6k on your bank account (if you have 8k gross, its probably going to be around 5k net), BUT there are some perks:\n\n-healthcare is 100% free (e.g., paid with a small amount out of your gross salary, and as you are a public servant, you are \"privately\" insured and get the best healthcare possible)\n\n-you don't have to pay a single into a retirement account (only if you want to). As you are a public servant, you'll automatically get ~70% of your last salary as a pension.\n\n-many many other things as others mentioned (free college, free education, subsidized daycare, no guns, etc. etc. - this is for you to google).\n\nHence: you'll likely get less money on your bank account each month. Your quality of life will be at least the same, if not better. For further information, google \"W3 professor Germany\". Be prepared to learn some German, although English is commonly/increasingly used in the educational sector." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: With all our technical advancements in modern materials and engineering, why do we still use wooden poles to hang up wires in the US? They seem so primitive." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They are cheaper to install than metal or concrete poles for the smaller spans, and will last longer if nobody hits them since they are treated to last longer since the base won't rust/degrade as badly as the others." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "CMV: Diversity in the workplace is important but it should not trump the most qualified person for the job.\n\nFor this hypothetical example I will lay out two assumptions and an outcome. \n\nWhen interviewing people, lets say (1) there is always a diverse group of people (age, race, and gender) interviewing. Lets then say (2) the people interviewing have no idea what the people look like or their age. \n\nIf, in this scenario, the same type of person (age, race, and gender) is selected every time because they were the most qualified person being interviewed at the time. Is there anything wrong with the outcome? Or is the workplace affected in any way?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The problem with this view is that it paints diversity as an oppositional force to hiring the most qualified employee, when that isn't really the case.\n\nA well-studied effect is \"similarity bias\" or \"affinity bias\"; basically, people like others who are similar to them. This effect is very pronounced in hiring; employers tend to artificially favor employees similar to them (less diverse) even if they are equally or less qualified. Promoting diversity initiatives can actually *counteract* this similarity bias and lead to better hiring and more diverse hiring at the same time.\n\nFurther, the idea of a \"most qualified person for the job\" is extremely nebulous and basically impossible to determine. Quality as an employee is subjective and employers are terrible at hiring; for instance, the silicon valley trend of \"lateral thinking puzzle\" style interviews was huge and popularized and turned out to be *awful* and only good for weeding out candidates who did not think exactly like the interviewer, limiting both diversity and quality of employees. At best, the \"most qualified person for the job\" is extremely fuzzy and there are probably multiple candidates who could be most qualified, which means interviewers *always* have the option to pick for reasons beyond \"objective\" quality." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Do honeybees, wasps and hornets have a different cocktail of venom in their stings or is their chemistry pretty much all the same?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Bees, wasps, and hornets all evolved from a common ancestor, so their venom is similar. Basically, their venoms contain irritants that irritate the victim/the individual who was stung. Phospholipase A2 and mellitin are the allergens that cause a bee sting. Antigen 5 is the main venom of a wasp/hornet. Both a bees and a wasps venom contain hyaluronidases, but the combination of compounds really dictate how the stings work/feel. A bee will inject a venom that basically causes inflammation - similar to an allergic reaction. A Wasps venom breaks down cell membranes and they can sting multiple times which is why they hurt so much more: they do actual damage. Finally, bee stingers stay in the skin, and you should always remove them. Hope this helps!" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5 How did movie projectors display reels in sequence without any gaps?\n\nI don't know anything about the technology of film projectors. But I've heard movies described in terms of number of reels. I understand this only regarding the length of the movie. \n\nI don't understand 1) did the distributors send a movie in multiple reels and 2) how did the projectionists display the multiple reels without pausing in between to reload the machine?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Projection booths would have more than one projector. Both projectors are aimed at the screen the same way. Within the movie there was a cue for the projectionist to know when to start the next reel. You no doubt had seen that cue not realizing what it is, it is typically a quick flash near the top right corner of the screen. There was a second dot that would flash again to let the projectionist know it is time to switch completely to the other projector. There are time stamps that are published for the projectionist to know about when that transition occurs. If there are more that 2 reels the same sequence happens again back to the other projector. The reel would be changed after the rewind of the previous reel." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: North Korea-what's the situation with its nukes, how \"good\" is its army and who would win in NK vs USA?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There is no doubt the US could destroy North Korea in any sort of war.\n\nThe question is, could they:\n\n* do it without suffering politically unacceptable losses?\n* do it without massive civilian losses in South Korea?\n* do it without drawing China into the conflict?" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: Non-Euclidean Geometry\n\nI don't know where to begin. What is it? How does it work? Is it a thing in real life?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Draw a triangle on a globe. Measure its angles. They don't add up to 180. \nThat is non-euclidean geometry, right there before your eyes. \nUseful for many things, including, how do we get this plane from San Francisco to Tokyo the fastest? Answer: go over Alaska." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Halo] Why doesn't the UNSC appear to reverse-engineer Covenant technology?\n\nThey've got plenty of examples of the stuff lying around. Capturing weapons, armor, even small ships is possible, sometimes even incidental. Even if the UNSC isn't going to switch to plasma weapons, there must be something of value in their energy storage or materials science. This seems like a missed opportunity?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Given that Covenant tech is almost all reverse engineered from Forerunner \"relics,\" there's a solid learning curve involved. But really the main problems aren't from reverse engineering the tech, it's restructuring their entire manufacturing and training setups to take advantage of the advancements. (Remember the whole \"we're at war\" thing)\n\nIn spite of that;\n\nUNSC star ships apparently used the rotating centrifuge model for artificial gravity prior to first contact with the Covenant. This was one of the first things the UNSC integrated into their new ships. The Mjolnir armor's energy shield is reversed engineered from Jackal's personal shields. The UNSC Infinity was built with a Forerunner slipspace engine, among other bits of Covie tech." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Warhammer 40k] Since the Dark Mechanicus aren't stagnant like the Adeptus Mechanicus are, won't Chaos eventually win through technological superiority?\n\nAny more than they already have, I mean - the Imperium today produces more than enough war, stagnancy, plotting and pleasure/suffering to feed Chaos." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "You can't do much research when your laboratory decides what rules of physics it will adhere to at the moment. And it changes very often.\n\nAlso, Chaos does not like other following chaos, they are just as likely to be killed by the Imperium as by other Chaos followers(if not even more so). Death tends to stop research really well." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "CMV: People that take naps regularly don't get enough normal sleep.\n\nThis is purely anecdotal based on a few of my friends and my own experiences.\n\nPersonally the only times I end up taking a nap is when I am feeling tired beyond reasonable means for that day. This is usually due to not getting adequate sleep the night before. When I end up taking a nap it throws off my sleep schedule for that night. Say I end up taking a nap around 7pm, I'll then wake up around 8pm, feel a bit weird/flustered, then proceed to go to bed 2 hours or later past my normal bedtime.\n\nRegarding my friends in question, they both take at least one nap per day. One of them is known to take multiple naps in a day. They seem to always be in a state of wanting to nap, taking a nap, or just finishing up a nap. They also talk about napping at least once every time we hang out. Now where my angle comes in is when we are hanging out and doing an activity like playing a board game or running a DnD session. I've caught them falling asleep during the sessions on multiple occasions. As a fellow player this frustrates me. The one friend that claims to take multiple naps in a day, I regularly see his steam account start up a game around 2am if I happen to be up at that time. I think the single nap taker has a more concrete sleeping schedule but I haven't really pressed them on it. \n\nPoint being, seeing these two peoples activities and susceptibility to fall asleep when doing an activity combined with them worshiping naps has led me to conclude that the reason they need to nap so much is because they are they regularly don't get enough quality sleep at night. and if this is the case then what is causing it? I also don't think this is a case of narcolepsy as I have another friend that does legitimately have narcolepsy and he will fall asleep at the table in 10-60 second chunks. The two I mentioned will tend to to cosy up before they conk out.\n\nI've done a little investigating as to what naps are and I probably should do more. But this is causing me noticeable amounts of annoyance when hanging out with them. In the end I don't want to be put in a position where I look down on them and others because they nap. But from what I've gathered with their interactions plus my own personal experiences with naps have drawn me to the conclusion above. Please change and open my mind and help me respect naps." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Most mammals are polyphasic sleepers meaning they take multiple naps per day rather than one long nap. There are theories that we forced ourselves out of this type of sleeping habit to align with the 9 to 5 style of day that we are currently apart of.\n\nPeople like Tesla, Edison, and Da Vinci were polyphasic sleepers. Some cultures still encourage a nap each day, siesta, instead of just one long nap. The body doesn't care if you get your REM sleep all at once or if you do it in spurts. All that matters is that you get it." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Dune] So Arrakis is the only source of Spice, which is essential for FTL, longevity and the basis of the Galactic economy. So why is it treated like an undeveloped backwater? Why wouldn't the Emperor make it his capital?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "First off, the more desert, the more worms. The more worms, the more spice. And for most of human's history with the planet, it was impossible to remove the worms from Arrakis and start spice production elsewhere. You don't pave over a water source because you want to live near it. \n\nSecond, YOU try maintaining comfortable human living conditions on a planet-wide desert. Earth's most hostile deserts are a tropical beach at sunset compared to Arrakis. Sand is in EVERYTHING, constantly eating into any materials both natural and human-made. You breathe it, you eat it. And it does excellent work in breaking everything down. The heat destroys whatever is left. Sure, it's physically possible to build and maintain comfortable housing and cool buildings, but the cost would be astronomical. Not to mention the Guild getting their share of the CONSTANT imports that would be necessary to maintain this artificial construction. \n\nAnd third, it does become a seat of power and civilization over time. Arrakis is eventually terraformed into a paradise world perfect for human life. The results are basically the genocide of the worms and the loss of everything that made Arrakis what it was. (it doesn't last forever though, the desert and the worms return)" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5 why fabrics get darker when wet?\n\nI've always wondered why fabrics are darker/ more vibrant when wet? Is it literally (no pun intended) the saturation of the color increasing? Or perhaps a refraction of light? ELI5 please and thanks!" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Here's an easy experiment. Place a drop of water on a paper towel. Notice how the wet spot looks dark? Now hold that paper towel up between you and a source of light. Notice how the wet spot looks bright?\n\nThe water increases the ability of fabric (or a paper towel) to transmit light, which means there's less light to be reflected back toward you. So the wet spot will look lighter or darker, depending on whether you and the source of light are on the same side of the fabric, or not." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "What is the speed of magnetism?\n\nSomething I was pondering yesterday, and couldn't get a straight answer by googling the question, so I thought to come here. Basically, here is the problem, and i'm curious of an answer.\n\nSay you have a laser beam, attached to a switch, which is attached to a power source. A mile away from the laser, you have a photoresistor, attached to a computer to record the time of the wave arriving at the resistor. \n\nNext to this laser, you have an electromagnet, which is attached to the same switch and power source. Yet again, a mile away from the electromagnet is some receiver that detects magnetism, and is attached to the same computer to record data side by side.\n\nMy question: When the switch is pressed, will the magnetic field arrive ahead of light? Do not include resistance of the wire, or time it takes for either to create a magnetic field, or a beam of light. Purely speed. Does magnetism have a speed?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It sure does. And you may (or may not!) be surprised to know it travels as the same speed as light, c. The main reason is that the force carrier for the electric field is the same force carrier for the magnetic field (the photon).\n\nElectricity and magnetism were found to be manifestations of the same fundamental force way back in the late 1800's by Maxwell." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Is the residue left from an effervescent vitamin tablet salt, or vitamin C?\n\nMy friend is aware of how much salt these tablets have, so he always throws away the crystalline residue left in the bottom of the glass. \n\nI was thinking that since the salt is what actually dissolves the tablet when put into water, the residue at the bottom could actually be the vitamin C he wanted in the first place.\n\nDoes anybody know for certain? Does anybody know how well ascorbic acid dissolves in cold water? Could it form a precipitation at all?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ascorbic Acid is extremely soluble in water (50g per 100 mL, i.e. 50x more than you probably need). As is table salt (NaCl)\n\nMost of the reactants from fizzing are also extreme water soluble. Most of them are based around citric acid and Sodium and Magnesium Carbonate. What is most likely left in the bottom of the glass are pill binders, which are usually some kind of fats+gums, like Magnesium Sterate.\n\nThere is a chance of some Magnesium Carbonate precipitating out, but generally the solutions are all too acidic for that.\n\nTLDR, the stuff in the bottom of the glass is mostly the fats and gums used to hold the pill together. It's not NaCl or Ascorbic Acid." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: what does it mean to overclock a CPU?\n\nwhat does it mean to overclock a CPU and what are the pro's and con's?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Overclocking means making your CPU to work faster by increasing the default clockrate (GHz). Increasing the clockrate makes the CPU less stable (might crash without reason) and more hot (requires better cooling).\n\nIf you find the sweet-spot (stable, not too hot, maximum GHz) you're gaining tens of percents of performance increase for free.\n\nIt's a lot easier than you think. Basic overclocking is basically just typing a higher number in the CPU settings (BIOS).\n\nI would compare it to tuning your car engine to make it faster. When you're going faster, you need better brakes and stuff. If you make your Fiat Punto go 500km/h, it will became unstable without modifications." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: Is there actually any significant difference in the chemical composition of household cleaners which claim to be for the \"kitchen\" or \"bathroom\", or are they all basically the same thing?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Not in their chemical composition but in their physical composition. Bathroom usually means ceramic tile and porcelain and kitchen usually means linoleum, stainless steel, and veneer cabinetry. \n\nCeramics are hard. In fact they are some of the hardest materials found in most homes short of glass, silica, or diamond. So a bathroom cleaner will usually contain a softer but abrasive agent to help scrub dirt and grime off of tiles but without scratching them. Because tile and porcelain are so hard, you can use some pretty abrasive stuff without fear of scratching them. However if you use them on plastics, linoleum, or veneers they can scratch and gouge them. \n\nSome of the most abrasive cleaners will have warnings about which surfaces they can be used on. Their abrasive qualities however make quick work of hard water stains and soap scum such as in a shower or toilet. You wouldn't want to use them on a stainless steel sink though." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: Why is AC (current) accepted to be better than DC?\n\nI'm currently studying Electrical Engineering and still haven't quite gotten a straight answer. Any ways of explaining/thinking about it would be great, thanks!\n\nEdit: As a student studying Electrical Engineering, I'm going through my classes but it still feels as if I have very little practical knowledge. \n\nFor example, when any individual is taught to code, they're given information piece by piece to learn and then implicate (output statements, arithmetic operators, for-loops, etc.). \n\nHowever, with electronics, I feel much less secure due to the fact that in the teaching process, I've spent several semesters now only analyzing circuits and not necessarily using any of it. To me, AC and DC feel like tools that I'll be expected to use down the road but are still very odd to me... Thanks for all of your replies!" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It's easy to convert voltages using a transformer with AC. High voltages are very dangerous but they travel easier. So what the electric company does is convert the power to high voltage to distribute it from their plant to a city, then gradually convert it to lower voltages, and by the time it reaches our house, we have 110V. Which is still dangerous, mind you, but at least we don't have lightning coming out of our sockets.\n\nThere are some things that can run directly off AC (like specially constructed motors or light bulbs), but if you want to do something sophisticated with the power, like run a computer, it's converted to DC first. Here ^(*points at power brick of laptop computer*)" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: why is blue generally associated with boys and pink generally associated with girls." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It's funny because pink was originally the color that was associated with boys and blue was for girls, but the Nazis in world war 2 started to use pink as a label for gay men. This in turn caused people to stop associating it with boys and flip the color to gender trope. Not sure what caused people to associate certain colors with certain genders." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: How can meat be aged for weeks but will go rancid in the fridge after 3-5 days?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "All in the KIND of refrigeration. Aged beef is kept in a VERY dry cool stable environment that has air constantly moving in it to wick the moisture the meat releases away. Your refrigerator tends to be a little humid and the opening and closing of the door disturb the temperature to the point it varies a lot. Its essentially working exactly like salting it would, pulling out the moisture in the meat which bacteria need to thrive, while at the same time breaking down cell walls in the meat which tenderizes it and concentrates the flavor. \n\nYour fridge also has a ton of other shit all releasing gases into the fridge, some of which can accelerate spoilage. \n\nAlso its not a perfect science. Meat can spoil in the aging process as well. So while they work really hard to keep the spoilage low, there are times when shit goes south and they are tossing hundreds and thousands of dollars of meat away cause something went wrong." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Harry Potter] How come the Marauder's Map can detect people underneath the Invisibility Cloak when not even Death could find people under the cloak?\n\nSecondary Question: How did a group of teenagers manage to make this map?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The deathly hallows aren't real; they're an allegory. Perhaps there really was a trio of brothers back in the day, and maybe they did create these great tools, but it was never influenced by death. The story juts highlights the flaws that led each brother to their doom, and the folly of using those tools without first examining yourself. Death was never there, and he was never fooled." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: Why only one person gets knocked out with a head-to-head headbutt." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "You get a concussion when your brain gets shaken up inside your skull. So, the cause of a concussion is less about a forceful blow to the skull, but rather a blow that rattles your head.\n\nWhen you headbutt someone, your head is moving rapidly and firmly. When you make contact, your head still keeps moving forward from the momentum; it doesn't shake. However, the fellow that gets hit recoils his head upon impact. It's the sudden recoil that shakes his brain around, giving him the concussion. If buddy held his ground, and didn't move his head or body back, the momentum of the impact would come back at you and stop your movement. That sudden stop of movement could give you the concussion instead." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Given current technology and information, what will ultimately be the death of our solar system?\n\nBonus questions: How long would this method take?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The Solar System will die when the Sun becomes a red giant star whose outer envelope reaches as far out as Venus, or perhaps even the Earth. Even if the envelope doesn't reach the Earth, the immense radiation given off by the Sun in this phase will eliminate all life on the planet. The Sun will then transition to a white dwarf star and slowly cool for the rest of time. Interactions with the material given off by the Sun during the red giant to white dwarf transformation may disrupt the outer planets as well." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: Why does moon in daylight looks transparent?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "1. We imagine the daylight sky is blue and everything is in front of it.\n\n2. But actually, the sky is just the atmosphere, and the moon is behind the atmosphere.\n\n3. So the sky is *in front* of the moon.\n\n4. It's the sky that's transparent." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "If an electron in an atom emits a photon but no lower energy orbital is available for it to drop to, does the electron leave the atom?\n\nI understand that if an electron absorbs a photon it can be excited to a higher orbital and the only way to drop back down is to emit a photon. My question asks if an electron is already at its lowest possible orbital and emits a photon, does the electron simply get knocked from the atom?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAlso would an electron that is in a higher orbital emit a photon naturally without any outside excitation in order to drop down and fill the lower orbitals? Or can photons only be emitted by outside excitation?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The electron only emits a photon _because_ there is a lower energy state available.\n\nBut more importantly, to make the electron \"leave the atom\" you have to increase it's energy, quite the opposite of emitting a photon." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: Why are cells living? I know theyre the building blocks of life but what defines living? Are plants a different type of alive because they have a different cell structure?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The current definition of life simply states that for an organism to be considered living, it has to maintain **homeostasis**, which is the technical way to say \"it has to maintain itself through its metabolism\".\n\nA cell maintains itself by breaking down resources to extract the energy and elements it contains, making up complex structures to achieve survival and reproduction. From bacteria, to protozoa, to algae, to plants, to fungi, to animals, we observe this behaviour, regardless of the cell type.\n\nIn a sense, all lives are the same, they're just living - and have been living - under different circumstances that greatly affect how they \"express life\"." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Zootopia] What about whales, dolphins, and seals?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They have built their own society in the depths of the ocean. Tensions are high as land mammals desperately overfish to keep the predatory population under control, and the Pandas and Japanese Macaques keep huntings the whales for a thriving meat industry and the belief their testicles provide fertility." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Harry Potter] Are there wizarding communities/ethnicities that don't map 1:1 on to Muggle communities/ethnicities?\n\nWe see that there are French wizards, British wizards, Ugandan wizards, etc. But are there unique, wizard only ethnic identites? \n\nFurthermore, given than the Statute of Secrecy is implimented in the late 17th century, are there wizards around who still identify with fuedal communities? Do wizards in Berlin identify as Prussian? Do Viennese wizards still elect a Holy Roman Sorceror?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It appears that there is no divide between Ireland and Great Britain on the international wizards' stage; aside from students in Ireland primarily going to school in Hogwarts, it's implied that the Irish Quidditch teams play in the same league as the British teams.\n\nThere *is* a sort of sense to this; when the Magna Carta (which is the legal document that stripped the English king of control of the empire which *also* has the Statute of Secrecy) was signed into law, Ireland was a territory of the British Empire. Since Ireland only received it's independence in the 1920's then wizards may not have bothered separating the two." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[LOTR] If Gandalf The White had died in battle, would he have been resurrected again? How many \"lives\" would he have gotten?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "He would likely be resurrected as many times as he needed to, at least until he fulfilled his role in the fall of Sauron. As a Maiar spirit, he's functionally immortal. If his mortal form is destroyed, he can either spend a long time gathering power to return, or he can be restored by a Valar god." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "The Prince Thought Experiment\n\nImagine a long time ago, let's say in the 1400's, there lived an Indian prince named Viraj. The prince was brought up his whole life being cleaned, fed, and groomed entirely without him needing to do anything. He would wake up, walk to breakfast, sit down, and be fed. Then he would walk to his throne and sit all day until he was fed lunch, then dinner. He was then groomed and went to bed. And so on.\n\nOne day the prince embarks on a journey to travel to another land. Along the way, the prince's group of protectors were attacked by wild animals and all were killed except the prince. Traumatized, the prince walked until he found a village were many peasants lived. The prince was given shelter and warmth and began garnering a relationship with the people there. Once dinner time arrived, the prince was given food.\n\n\"What is this?\" Prince Viraj asked.\n\n\"Food\" a peasant said.\n\nAngrily, the prince said \"I understand that, but why is no one feeding it to me!\"\n\nPrince Viraj and the peasants argued for a few minutes on whether they should feed him the food, and eventually the peasants conclude that if he does not want to pick up and eat his own food, he would not eat at all. The next day comes, and the prince refuses to eat unless fed. And the next. Eventually three weeks have passed and the prince is utterly starving, if he does not get food in his stomach soon, he will perish...\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIf the prince will not eat, do the peasants have a moral imperative to feed him in order to save him from dying?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": ">If the prince will not eat, do the peasants have a moral imperative to feed him in order to save him from dying?\n\nYeah sure. As things go that you ought to do to prevent someone from dying a horrible death feeding them is pretty low down on the list of inconvenient and unpleasant things you should still do." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Why do people never forget how to ride a bike once they've learned?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The fear of falling is the main reason why it's hard to learn in the first place. You need a certain amount of speed to keep it upright, but a higher speed = a more painful experience if you fall. So the tendency is to want to start off slowly, causing a wobbly ride. The intricate details of which gear to use, how to pedal properly, to brake without flying over the handlebars, those could probably be forgotten.\nWhat \"clicks\" in your head is that you actually have more control over the bike if you get it moving a little faster, and less if you slow down. This is such a simple cognition, and something you won't forget." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Wh40k] Who is the most excessively violent mortal in the empire? I mean someone even a Space Marine thinks should calm down a little." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Probably Bjorn the Fell-Handed.\n\nFirst of all, he was chapter master of the Space Wolves and fought alongside, and was a respected ally of Leman Russ at one time, so that should tell you quite a bit right of the bat. \n\nSuper early in his career, he was at the Burning of Prospero and almost single-handedly (I mean that both figuratively and literally) defeated a Daemon of the warp, even after having pure Warp energy forced through him, causing his arm to decay and die. He remained uncorrupted from this encounter, as well. \n\nAfter this, he led a group of men, and would often be sent where the fighting was expected to be the heaviest and the most grueling, because he would wade through that shit like knee-high water. In one such encounter, Bjorn and his \"Pack\" attacked fucking Arvax the Arch-slaughterer, Daemon king of Khorne, and every one of his men were killed in short-order, but he, miraculously, managed to claw his stubborn ass out of there and survive. This Daemon King then went on to systematically murder basically everything it came into contact with. Bjorn would then go on to lead a counter-assault that would finally drive it from the field. And after all of that he mostly felt cheated for not having been granted the glorious death that his brothers had. \n\nHe would then spend the next 5 years doing basically nothing but look for that fucking Daemon King that killed his men. He was SO fucking determined, that he beat his Primarch, Leman Russ, a guy with basically unlimited resources and a mind and spirit DESIGNED to hunt and kill, to the punch. Not only did Bjorn beat Russ there, but Russ was actually present to witness Bjorn, again single-handedly, kill the Daemon by climbing the motherfucker like a rabid squirrel on a tree and tearing its throat out. Russ, fucking flabbergasted, just invented a personal \"Wolf Guard\" and placed Bjorn there as its first member, because that is exactly the kind of guy you want alongside a whirlwind of slaughter like a Primarch. \n\nThen, after the disappearance of Russ, and after serving as Chapter Master, he would finally be killed trying to save his own men....\n \n\n \n \n \nThey then took his broken and worthless body and shoved it into one of the most devastating Drednaughts in the Imperium, and he would spend the next 10,000 years at the forefront of countless battles, always where the fighting was the thickest, because nobody could imagine a world where a war didn't have Bjorn the Fell-Handed tearing things to shreds. \n\nEven after DYING, he continues to be one of the greatest weapons in the Imperium." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: Why did the \".us\" domain never catch on compared to other countries' domains?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": ".com is viewed as more prestigious and was already in use by most US sites, and most commercial businesses and online businesses. .com was essentially .us already.\n\n.US holds no interest to companies in the US, and would be viewed as weird and cheap, since .com is essentially the defacto .us and used for US-based sites anyways.\n\nIt may be a better question to ask the opposite: Why did things like the .uk or .nl become more common? Well... because .com catered to the US based audience, not to the UK or Dutch audience!\n\nEspecially in the earlier days of the internet, when geolocating was uncommon (now a site can automatically determine your location and route you to a local site), but back then, for example if you wanted a UK version of the site, you go to the .com, and go through a, often unintuitive method on the site, to manually change your country to UK to get the right local site." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[General] Evolutionary purpose of pointy elven ears\n\nIf we're to assume elves were a product of their environment and not magically created, what reasons would there be for them to have their distinctive ears? In what ways would they be beneficial for natural selection?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "First of all, natural selection doesn't work like that. Natural Selection isn't as much \"survival of the fittest\" as \"survival of the meh, good enough\".\n\nThe most notable things big ears could help with are better hearing, or a for helping the body bleed heat.\n\nThese are purely physical advantages, though. Ears can also be used for portraying emotion or moods, which is beneficial for social creatures. \nTheir purpose can also be as simple as being an biological ornament for attracting a mate of the opposite gender." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: Why are some Americans so patriotic about the flag, army, tech, the moon, WWII, music etc. but so unpatriotic when it comes to taxes and welfare?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It's not something new, it's been around since the country started basically. The country wanted to avoid being tyrannical at all so let a lot of governmental power fall to the states and local governments, that's why even today states can have pretty drastically different laws than others (like gun laws). This mentality passes down to the people to varying degrees.\n\nYou have the conservatives who believe the government should stay out of most people's lives, more power to local and state governments and less to the federal. Because of their distrust of a stronger federal government as opposed to states and local communities they also believe in more power to private enterprise, and that includes things like colleges and health care.\n\nLiberals here tend to be more of a socialist(ish) view with more federal government power, for things like public colleges, more and more towards a socialized medicine, etc.\n\nAnd of course you have every color of the political spectrum represented too, but those are the tendencies.\n\nNationalistic pride isn't related to social programs. Conservatives just tend to put their trust more in private industry and local governments instead of the federal government." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: Why are we more tired waking up than we are falling asleep?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Your body produces a chemical (adenosine) which makes you sleepy. It takes time for your body to make it, and time for your body to get rid of it. You wake up feeling tired because there's still adenosine in your system, once it clears out you feel awake." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Team Fortress 2] Why doesn't the pyro's flamethrower burn down all the wooden buildings in the game?\n\nThey don't even catch fire; are they made of something other than wood?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Asbestos. Asbestos *everywhere*. It turns out the TF2 classes we play are highly advanced tumors scraped off the original members, which is why gameplay doesn't match the *\"Meet the Team\"* videos or comics. It's also how you can have a team of 9 Snipers, since they're literally cancer." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Game of Thrones] Which three deaths would have done the most good to Westeros when Arya got to choose them?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Judging by what has already happened, and with the assumption they die when she says them, probably Edmure Tully, Illyrio Mopatis, and Tyrion Lannister. At the point in the story where Arya gets the three deaths, Jaime is captured and the Tyrells haven't joined the Lannisters yet. With no Tyrion, the city falls to Stannis, and with no Edmure then Tywin is captured by Robb.\n\nIllyrio's death means that Aegon and Daenerys have no help from him, so Barristan never goes to Dany, and she is killed by the Warlocks, meaning no impending dragon-invasion.\n\nAegon loses his funding, so he can no longer recruit an army, making his invasion either delayed a lot or not happening at all. This also stops the potential plague that Jon Con might have brought with him to Westeros.\n\nStannis kills all the Lannisters, and Robb sues for peace so he can reclaim the north from the Greyjoys. Stannis turns his eye to the other threat to his kingdom, and reinforces the Wall against Mance, making the Wall storyline effectively the same as before.\n\nStannis cleanses the small council. Littlefinger, Varys, and Pycelle are all killed or flee the city.\n\nEuron doesn't return to the iron islands, since he has captured three warlocks who tell him how they have control of three dragons in Qarth. The crow's eye turns east and Asha is elected queen of the Iron Islands, since Vic is a fool and Theon has been executed by Robb Stark, Warden of the North.\n\nWith Petyr dead/lost, Lysa Tully either kills herself and her son, or is forced out of the Eyrie by the Lords Declarant, who tell her she has to either declare independance or go swear fealty to the new king. Her nephew, Robb fosters young Robert Arryn.\n\nAfter a short while all the Starks are reunited, save for Bran who seems to have disappeared with the Reeds. They are assumed dead.\n\nUp until the Others arrive, Westeros seems to be recovering, then it is thrown into a supernatural war it cannot hope to win, Stannis dies at the front line with his phony lightbringer, and with his only heir being a child, the control of the realm passes to his Regent, Davos Seaworth.\n\nDavos, seeing what urgent need the country is in need of help, recruits groups of mercenaries from the Free Cities. One such group is the Second Sons, led by Daario Naharis.\n\nWhen all seems to be lost, the others have reached the capital, killing everyone in their way. The Starks and Tullys are all dead, as are the Baratheons and Targaryens, Azor Ahai reveals himself.\n\nBack from stealing the dragons from the Warlocks, Captain of the Second Sons, and First Ranger Benjen \"Daario \"Euron \"Crows Eye\" Greyjoy\" Naharis\" Stark rides the Dragons into battle. The Prophecy is complete, and the Dragon has Three Faces. He obliterates the White Walker Army with the dragons, fights the Great Other with Ice, tempered in the neck of his brother who warged into it to become Lightbringer, and takes his place on the Iron Throne with his Paramour and fellow Second Son, Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne. Westeros embraces gay marriage, and Benjen and Oberyn adopt Shireen, showing their support for the disabled. Westeros enters a new age of tolerance, and there is an ever-lasting peace. King Jaqen rules Westeros well, and any attempt to breach the peace is met by two words:\n\n\"Not today.\"\n\nThe End.\n\nEdit: Added more tinfoil." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Star Wars]If Sidious follows the rule of two, why does he have so many other Sith underlings?\n\nIn the movie and TV shows cannon we have seen Dooku, Maul, Asajj Ventress and the Inquisitor (also is there a Sith inquisition?) and maybe others. Are these not considered \"true Sith?\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "No, they're not technically Sith. But the rule of two is basically made to be broken. A Master will often cultivate several potential apprentices so that if the official one dies, they can be replaced. And the apprentice will often take on secret apprentices so that they have someone ready to go when they overthrow the master.\n\nHowever Sidious did *not* believe in the Rule of Two. His own philosophy was a Rule of One: That he was the culmination of the Sith order. To him, his apprentices were merely tools, and he intended to rule eternally over the galaxy." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Star Wars] Different canons\n\nI know this is probably a stupid question but what is the different canons? I see people using canon and legends on this sub but I don't actually know what the difference is." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The new canon includes all 6 movies, the Clone Wars (movie and show) and Rebels TV show, and select books/comics (basically, anything after Disney's acquisition) as well as a couple games.\n\nLegends is anything released prior to Disney's purchase." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Warhammer 40k] If the Tyranids devoured all organic life in the galaxy outside themselves, would the Chaos Gods die? What about if the Necrons eradicated all organic life?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Yes and yes. The Chaos Gods are basically made of emotions - they're the aggregate Warp presences of uncounted trillions of sentient beings. Lose the sentient beings feeding emotions into the aggregates, and the Chaos Gods vanish. The collapse of the Imperium alone would starve Chaos, as humans are its main food source - Orks, Necrons and Tyranids don't feed Chaos, and Eldar and Tau are too few to matter.\n\n(Fun fact: according to at least some Daemon Primarchs, Chaos *has already won*. The state of constant war and misery that is the Galaxy in 40k *is* the win condition for Chaos, because it provides maximum emotional energy for the Chaos Gods to fatten on. Stalemate is victory. If Abaddon's Black Crusade actually destroyed the Imperium, Chaos would go down with it.)" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Witcher series] I always hear that the in-game Witchers, and Geralt in particular, are severely nerfed from their book counterpart. How so?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In game Gerlat moves fairly similarly to a human as far as following his movements. In the the books Geralt can swing his sword so fast people can't see or follow it. \n\nThe games adjust a lot of the things you see just to be fun to play. In the books monsters are dying out, they aren't anywhere as common as in the game where you get drowners every 30m of shoreline. Larger monsters are also significantly more dangerous and not taken lightly, whereas game Geralt dispatches many of them with ease." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Why are our intestines so dang long?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Having long intestines is an evolutionary advantage to get the most out of your food. By having a large amount of time to go through you will have more time to extract nutrients. Arguably more importantly, it increases the surface area that your food will be exposed to (especially with villi and microvilli) which enables more thorough enzyme exposure and nutrient uptake.\n\nYou will see other animals have different lengths of intestines. Herbivores have longer intestines than carnivores and omnivores because the cellulose in plants has beta glycosidic linkages which takes longer to break down. They will have very large cecums filled with prokaryotes that can break down those linkages. \n\nBasically larger intestine = less wasted energy from food, and different animals will find different ways to utilize this." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5 How to tasers put out 1,000,000+ volts when all they require to use is a couple AA batteries?\n\nAlways wondered about this." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They use a coil to raise the voltage while simultaneously limiting the current, so they don't electrocute the target. The coil is powered by the batteries much like the spark plug in a car is powered by the 12 volt car battery, which is only huge because of the current needed to start the car, not to make the spark." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Obama mentioned yesterday \"cutting out the middle man\" and making student loans directly to students rather than using banks as a middleman. Canada still goes through banks, why? What's the benefit of that?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Banks have to make profit/loss calculation, and therefore use the price system to allocate capital toward student loans. In other words, banks care whether or not they get paid back. Government, much less so.\n\nThis is actually a positive thing because it regulates the supply of student loans. The question is, how many student loans is *too many*? Too few? \n\nConsider the fact that US student loan defaults are rising and are at decade-highs. In theory, lenders *should* be becoming less willing to risk their capital. In practice, there are other government interventions (Sallie Mae) that are already distorting the market and creating moral hazard. To have government issue loans directly is merely the next tier in moral hazard.\n\nThe government can declare \"we need more student loans!\" regardless of price signals, just like they did with houses. It is a bubble similar to every other bubble the government blows. When it is finally revealed that those loans cannot be paid back, the taxpayer will have to again \"bail out\" the insolvent institution holding the loans.\n\nTo add to all that, the government has to get its capital from somewhere. It must either levy a tax, print the money (not possible under Federal Reserve system), or borrow the money. In the US the government borrows by issuing Treasuries, which it sells to Primary Dealers (banks). So, in reality, Obama has not \"cut out the middle man\" whatsoever. Well, you can say he \"cut out\" smaller independent banks to the benefit of very large, well connected banks." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: Why are us humans naturally afraid of the dark?\n\nFor example; when we're alone in the dark, in the stillness, we feel scared. We feel that there is someone behind us and our hearts being to race. Why do you think we're afraid? Why do we feel this way about the darkness, even if and when we know what's around us." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Because the night is long and full of terrors. At least it used to be. For the major part of our evolution as species, remaining alone in the dark long was a huge increase of chance of being horribly killed and eaten by a predator. It's also less safe to travel or do pretty much anything else whe you can't see. Both seeing in the dark and instinctively avoiding it is thus an evolutionary advantage, and so we fear the dark." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: Why are baker's hats shaped the way they are?\n\nThey're mushroom shaped, which seems like a waste of cloth. Is there a practical reason, or just traditional like chef hats? I've heard chef toques have something to do with \" number of ways to cook an egg.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "seems like it was just a popular sort of hat in general at the specific time french bakers got prominent so that random fashion of the time got stuck as the 'traditional\" hat of bakers. It's like how all flight attendant uniforms look vaguely 1950s because plane flight got popular enough in the 1950s to have a standard uniform and even if stuff changes it still keeps elements of what everyone thinks of when they think of what a normal uniform would look like." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: In WWII, they had war bond drives so the government could raise the money to pay for the war. Why doesn't the government need to do that anymore for deficit spending?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They don't need to. The US government has no problem borrowing money right now (plenty of people are happy to buy US government debt for really cheap) through its regular financial programs, so why create a whole new program when the current ones are doing the job just fine?\n\nThe US Dollar is the global reserve currency. It's basically the foundation of the way that global trade is structured. So lots of people/organizations/countries are interested in holding dollars/US debt. This wasn't the case before and during WWII, so it wasn't as easy for the US to borrow money as it is today." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Fairy Tales] A man and a woman get married and have a child. However, each parent had previously promised his/her firstborn child to a different witch. What happens next?\n\nDo the witches just fight it out? Is there some kind of witch court system that handles this kind of dispute? Will there be any consequences to the couple if it's discovered that they had set up this conflict intentionally?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I could see a few potential scenarios if it was unintentional:\n\n* Witches brawl it out, because they both want the child for something important\n* Witches have some kind of hierarchy that determines who 'gets' the kid (age, seniority, when the contract was signed, etc...)\n* Magic happens and the family has twins, so each witch gets a kid\n\nIf it was intentional on the part of the couple, woe betide them at the hands of scorned witches. Best case they have a hex put on them that they need to work off. Worst case their lives take a dramatic turn for the worse and they die penniless, in pain, with broken hearts." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[MCU] In Endgame, when Steve goes back to love with Peggy, does he just remain a normal citizen, not helping Bucky it taking out Hydra? (More questions in the text column)\n\nSo as mentioned before, does he just live a normal life?\n\nIs there another version of him in that timeline that wakes up in 70 years that he just watches do what he did?\n\nHow would he explain to his close friends that hes actually from another universe and that Captain America of their time is the real him? Wouldnt that make their relationship disingenuous if neither Steve or Peggy end up with their *original counterparts?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Well, he gets that shiny new Vibranium shield from *somewhere*, which suggests he did go Captain America-ing on the side. Peggy was a hero in her own right, and Steve isn't the type to sit at home which she risks her life to stop HYDRA." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[MCU] How much more powerful than Mjolnir is Stormbreaker?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Many orders of magnitude. It's hard to say for certain, because we don't have anything resembling \"power levels,\" but look at it this way: \n\nIf the Bifrost is left open too long, it could destroy a planet. Stormbreaker can channel the bifrost. In theory, one could use Stormbreaker to destroy worlds." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "I believe that men shouldn't get as much of a say as women in regards to abortion. CMV\n\nI'm pro-choice and believe that the choice to get an abortion is highly personal and that it's not fair to tell strangers what to do with their bodies.\n\nThat said, I don't believe that men have the right to tell a woman whether to get one or not. \n\nI feel that ultimately whether or not the woman wants to get an abortion should be her own choice, yet a part of me feels like this isn't completely fair to the father. I'm kind of torn, and also feel like a hypocrite for holding this view, so CMV!\n\nEdit: Thanks for all the replies guys! I really liked reading your arguments, and they've helped me sort out my own view on this. :)" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "If not the right to influence the mothers choice to keep the child, then maybe fathers should have the right to a 'financial abortion'- That the father forfeit any claims to the child, and in return not be held financially responsible for child support if the mother would choose to keep the child." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[World War Z (novel)] What nation or group of nations would have had the best possible scenario in either preventing the spread of the Zeke or combatting them after it had taken hold? What nation or group of nations had it the worst?\n\nThere was a mixed bag of countries that managed to defend a Iarge portion of their population and resources and combat the Zeke in a major way, regardless of what stage in the war they were in. But which country was the absolute best out of all of them at minimizing the infection rates during the Great Panic, the reclamation of overrun territories throughout the way, and the rebuilding of their governments and economies? And which country fell the hardest during the war? Iceland because it remains completely overrun? Or possibly North Korea for the complete disappearance of it's people?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I forget whether Israel's quarantine held throughout the war but if it did it'd probably be them.\n\nHonorable mention to North Korea, who is mentioned in the interview as being a country built to not only survive, but thrive in a zombie apocalypse. However, it's unknown if the bunkers still held anyone, or if it was just an underworld full of ghouls by the time the interview was recorded.\n\nWorst might be either Iceland(still a densely-infested white zone) or China(I know they eventually rebuilt but from the sound of it they had a whole-ass civil war on top of the zombie apocalypse to deal with, and it culminated in their leadership getting nuked)" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[DCEU] Why didn't the other superheroes/metahumans help when Zod invaded earth?\n\nZod was a treath to the whole planet, so it would be on everyone's interest to stop him\n\nHe also announced his intentions to the entire world and the invasion lasted at least a day, so you can't give the \"It ended too fast\" excuse.\n\nYet only Superman and Batman tried to help.\n\nWhy didn't Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, the Flash, Cyborg, or any of the supervillains who would want to save earth because they live here fight agains Zod?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "While we know Wonder Women had been doing super hero stuff, the implication of Man of Steel is that Superman is the first super hero (which was consistent with DC's New 52 storyline at the time establishing the rise of Superman as the start of the era of heros).\n\nYes Batman had been doing his thing, but he wasn't a hero, but a vigilante. We see that Bruce Wayne did go to Metropolis, but that was to ensure his people were evacuated. Wonder Women may have been in Europe already. Cyborg was brooding at home. The Flash may not have suited up yet. And Aquaman may not have known it was happening." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: animals that express complex nest-building behaviours (like tailorbirds that sew leaves together) - do they learn it \"culturally\" from others of their kind or are they somehow born with a complex skill like this imprinted genetically in their brains?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It's instinctual. \n\nBirds reared in plastic containers build their own nests just fine. They need not ever see a nest to build one. \n\nFurther, the nests they build don't necessarily model the nests their parents built. If a researcher provides a bird with only pink building materials, the chicks reared in that pink nest will choose brown materials over pink for their own nests, if they have a choice.\n\nThere is an instinctual template, thank god. Imagine being compelled to build something but having no idea of what or how. Torture!\n\nThat's not to say that birds are slaves to their instinctual templates. They gain experience over successive builds and make minor changes to the design and location." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: How and why does our body function relatively normally if we don't eat healthily?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The calorie is THE main form of energy, and unhealthy foods tend to have a ton of them. Without calories, you will die. A good analogy is a car. \n\nCalories are the gas to help keep the car running. If you eat too many calories, you start storing that extra gas in the trunk. It then requires more energy to move the car because it's heavier, and the other parts of the car will wear out faster because of heavier workload.\n\nAll the other parts of the car - the pistons, transmission, engine etc are your organs and body parts. They need regular upkeep (nutrients such as vitamins/minerals) to run efficiently. The car may run a long time if you neglect these areas because you have gas, but it won't run as smoothly or as long as you may have liked.\n\nI hope this helps!" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "How long would it actually take to learn programming from zero?\n\nI'm a synthetic biology PhD student and I have recently realised the strong need for dry lab skills! Ive always had an interest for modeling biological systems, but the thought of learning programming seems overwhelming. Also knowing that it probably will take so much time to only achieve average coding skills makes me feel like I will never be able to achieve novelty/ publication standard understanding. Do you think I'm just being scared or should I concentrate on what I'm good at?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Im going to disagree with others advice here and say that it would be most effective for you to take an intro to programming course. This is because although you can learn most coding by working on a project and googling, even knowing what to google (keywords etc) is challenging for complete beginners. Taking an intro course gives you the mental representation and vocabulary to become self-sustainable and helps you progress much faster. There are many free ones offered on Edx/Coursera etc, and since Python is probably the most useful and beginner-friendly language, perhaps start with that. Its going to take a while. For me it took around a year of frequent coding to become comfortable and two years to become relatively fluent for research purpose." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5: Why did we have to learn farm animal sounds as a kid?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It isn't really about \"what the animal sounds like\", it's just teaching children how to make different sounds and about our culture. As a quick example, in most English speaking countries, the cat goes \"meow\", but in Dutch it's \"miauw\", and in Greek it's \"miaou\", and in Japanese it's \"nyan nyan\" or \"goro goro\" (for purring). \n\nEach word and sound are particular to the culture, and learning these differences is key to forming a relationship with your child and your culture; which is always an important step in childhood development." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "CMV: I don't think Nintendo had to apologize for not including gay marriages in Tomodachi Life\n\nNintendo fell under a surprising amount of heat for their recent \"life simulator\" game Tomodachi Life, because they allowed people to get married, but not same sex couples. In my opinion, he fact that this was controversial is somewhat ridiculous: this is a game which sole purpose is to be silly. You can make your friends/celebrities/fictional characters, and watch them interact with one another. One aspect of the game is that characters can get married and have a child, which is a mix of the two characters faces. There is a work around that allows same sex marriages, which is to make a male character a female or vise versa. You aren't restricted whatsoever to physical appearance, which allows quasi-same sex relationships.\n\nNow, this is a silly handheld game, which will likely be played mostly by children. Since their target audience is, in my opinion, children, I can't imagine the majority of them have decided whether they are gay or straight. And it affects the gameplay itself: If two of the characters get married, I want to see the ridiculous offspring of my roommate and Jennifer Lawrence for example. This element would be lost with the addition of same sex marriages (small factor, but still). \n\nThis whole issue strikes me as one that is getting brought up by people who won't play the game, but are offended they weren't included. I can't make a female character in Madden, not can I make a black character in animal crossing, why did this become such a hot topic? I am completely accepting of gay couples, and wouldn't have complained if they had been included/will be included in the game, but it's so silly to get upset with a children's game company for staying out of a hotly debated topic." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It's true that this game is aimed at children, but that's exactly why it's important to include the possibility of same sex marriages.\n\nIn a modern, western society we accept homosexuals and give them the possibility to marry, because we view all those couples as equal. By not including same sex marriage in the game, Nintendo isn't relaying this message. They're not necessarily saying that they disapprove of same sex marriage, but they're implying that same sex marriage is abnormal. And that implication will be taught to or 'absorbed' by the kids that are playing.\n\nNintendo would greatly contribute to a more progressive society by allowing same sex marriage in Tomodachi Life, by showing kids that love can exist between two of the same genders.\n\n> This element would be lost with the addition of same sex marriages (small factor, but still).\n\nAnd this element isn't present in real life gay marriages as well, so it would be weird to include it in same sex marriages.\n\n\nThe game isn't supposed to be social commentary, ofcourse, but it still will influence this generation's children, and it would be wise to include these messages." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[This Little Piggy nursery rhyme] How many little piggies are there?\n\nFor those who don't know, this is a nursery rhyme that is usually said while counting off one finger/toe for each piggy:\n\n\n\nThis little piggy went to market\n\nThis little piggy stayed home\n\nThis little piggy had roast beef\n\nAnd this little piggy had none\n\nAnd this little piggy went wee wee wee wee all the way home\n\n\n\nI originally thought there were two piggies - one went to the market and got roast beef, and the other one stayed home and got nothing, but then is the \"wee wee wee\" piggy one of those or a third one?\n\nOr are there supposed to five - one for each finger/toe?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Well the existence of a market implies that there is at least one civilization worth of piggies, probably both little and large. So it's entirely likely that there are thousands if not millions of little piggies out there.\n\nThough in the story we only get to meet 5 of these piggies." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "Why is ductility often listed as a separate property of a material from malleability?\n\nTo my understanding, malleability is a material's ability to be shaped (as opposed to being brittle and failing) and ductility is a material's ability to be drawn into wire. Is drawing into wire not simply a certain way to shape something? Are there materials that are malleable, but not ductile? Are there materials that are ductile, but not malleable? If these materials exist, why do they behave the way they do?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "They refer to doing the plastic deformation using different methods.\n\nNamely, ductility is the ability to be plasticly deformed under tensile stress, whereas malleability is the ability to be plasticly deformed under compressive stress.\n\nLead is an example of a material that is very malleable, but not very ductile. It gets deformed easily under compressive stress, but trying to draw it into wires will result in shearing." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "ELI5 - Why are Railguns such a complex feat of technology? How is the Railgun any more than just 2 very large magnets and a generator?\n\nI also understand there's some form of issue about the rails overheating (particularly in the U.S. Navy project), but isn't the solution to simply add more armor to them? How much funding could possibly be needed to do R&D on more heat-resistant materials?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Well for one a railgun doesn't need magnets. In it's simplest form you have two parallel rails and a conductive projectile.\n\nA railgun passes huge amounts of current through one rail, into the projectile as it slides forward, and out the other rail.\n\nThe huge current combined with the sliding contact is the single biggest problem. The rails themselves erode from arcing under millions of Amps of current, and a gun that fires 5 shots isn't exactly acceptable. \n\nOf secondary concern, because they are somewhat solvable problems with the careful application of money and existing technology:\n\nThe rails themselves are pushed apart with the same force that drives the projectile forward. Consequence of the design. So you need a hella beefy set of rails and mounts for them.\n\nHeat generated from a shot needs bled off with cooling so your whole gun doesn't melt after a few shots in a row. Lots of current means lots of heat in the rails. (Adding material increases heat capacity to an extent, but you need surface area, like a radiator to actually remove it long term)\n\nYou need a crazy amount of current dumped near instantly which means big high power capacitor banks and beefy low resistance cables.\n\nYou need to recharge said capacitors which also means that they can only go onto new generation ships with big powerplants." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "If you put all the black holes of the universe on one side of an imaginary scale and all the rest of the universe on the other side, then which side has more mass?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The non blackhole side. There are several hundred billion stars in a galaxy, the lightest of which have a mass of around 1/10th of our Sun, overall the total mass of our galaxy is nearly a trillion times the mass of our Sun. In comparison, the supermassive blackhole at the center of our galaxy weighs only around 4 million times that of our Sun. The smaller blackholes around the galaxy don't significantly affect the balance of mass much. The same overwhelming ratios of mass hold for other galaxies as well." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "What does lava smell like?\n\nHow is it supposed to smell?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "It's tough to remember smells, much less describe them, but growing up in Hawaii I've smelled lava several times. It doesn't have a really strong odor on its own, it's like ... well, hot rocks. A bit like hot metal, say a soldering iron or a hot stove, a bit like regular stone, say a pile of dry gravel or concrete mix.\n\nSometimes, especially right near the vent, there's sulfur gases mixed into the lava, in which case there's a strong sulfur smell, like overcooked hard-boiled eggs. But most of the time I've been near a lava flow, it's just a clean hot stone smell." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "[Disney] Are all humans aware of talking and anthropomorphic animals?\n\nWe know a good part or the Disney univere is talking intelligent animals and it's hard to imagine the humans don't know that the animals are on the same intelligence levels as us. They are very human like and live around humans and even wear clothes on occasion. You can't exactly miss a team of rodents dressed in clothes constantly chasing after a cat that is stealing jewels. \n\nSome of the animals, most of the super intelligent ones actually, are even anthropomorphic such as Mickey and gang and we know humans know about them, house of mouse has them all hanging out together but outside of that and theme park appearances they don't seem to run into humans. \n\nSo we know humans know but do all humans know? \n\nBonus questions, how did the animals evolve and why are there still basic animals? You have animals that are still at regular animal intelligence, the smart animals that talk and act human (I know they don't speak English and it's translated for us, that was shown in Tarzan) and then there's the actual anthropomorphic animals that do speak English and have human like lives. And how is it that their lives don't intersect out lives? The anthropomorphic animals have towns of their own with no humans." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "There are two levels of reality in Disney. At the higher level, Mickey and Donald, Jiminy Cricket, Bambi, and all the other characters exist as actors working for a studio. They are aware of the audience, and in the olden days Mickey would sometimes have conversations with Walt. Everyone is aware of everyone else.\n\nAt the lower level of reality, its whatever makes sense for that story. Generally the only human characters who are aware of talking animals are the princesses, but thats not absolute. To everyone else, the group of mice trying to assemble a dress just look like regular mice. The humans dont see the clothes and dont understand the squeaks. Disney princesses tend to have a greater connection to nature magic (or whatever) and can see the wondrous things that exist in the world. Everyone else simply fails to see what is really happening." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:" }, { "from": "human", "value": "I believe that suicide should be legal and the government should provide a painless suicide options to all citizens. CMV.\n\n**UPDATE:** There are too many comments to reply now, so I will summarize my opinion. I think that the subreddit did a great job at trying to convince me otherwise and provided many excellent counterpoints. I won't award anyone a delta since I haven't changed my view completely, but the following ideas deserve half-a-delta:\n\n1) The effect on friends and relatives of those who kill themselves is unclear and we cannot be certain the net effect is going to be positive\n\n2) Allowing legal suicides could in fact cause a lot more people to consider that option. It is unclear whether the long-term outcome would be positive or negative.\n\n---\n\nOriginal post:\n\nAssuming that:\n\n**a)** Each person has complete body autonomy\n\n**b)** The government's goal is to maximize individual happiness of all citizens\n\nI don't see a reason why the government shouldn't provide \"suicide booths\" to all citizens for free, regardless of their current health condition.\n\nThis would solve two problems:\n\n**a)** People who suffer from depression, terminal diseases, life in prison, lack of money, or simply general dissatisfaction in life will get the opportunity to end their suffering, fulfilling their right to body autonomy\n\n**b)** Society as a whole will become more happy on average, fulfilling the goal of the government.\n\nPotential counter-arguments:\n\n**1)** How can someone be 100% sure they want to kill themselves? Aka the \"False dilemma\" fallacy.\n\nWell, nothing is 100% sure. I'm not 100% sure I want to take out a loan, but I would still have to repay it later. A murderer was not 100% sure when he wanted to kill someone, but he still has to go to prison. Why not let people kill themselves when they're 51% sure? It's their choice, their responsibility. \n\n\n**2)** Depressed people need treatment, not suicide.\n\nYes they do. But someone who is depressed still has bodily autonomy over themselves and they are still responsible for their actions (otherwise depressed people would never go to jail). Forcing them to go to a doctor instead of taking the easy route violates their basic human right.\n\n**3)** The government will abuse their power and kill off innocent people\n\nIt already does that with the law enforcement. Thousands of innocent people go to jail because of the government. There should be a complex system involved in the \"suicide booths\" to prevent misuse by the government, but ultimately nothing is 100%. We can't fix the system for all people, but why not try to make it right for 99% of them?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "I reject premise (b). The goal of government is not to maximize individual happiness. The purpose of government is large scale coordination of activities limited to enacted laws.\n\nSide notes: its irrelevant if suicide is legal. there can be no consequences for a successful suicide." } ]