Recent comments in /f/explainlikeimfive
ThePlixel01 t1_iuinq2x wrote
Reply to comment by TehWildMan_ in ELI5: Why is 212 degrees Fahrenheit equal to 100 Celsius, but 50 Celsius is not 106 degrees Fahrenheit? by [deleted]
Yeah but 100c is boiling point, and 212 is boiling point, so half the boiling point of one should be half the boiling point of the other, right?
ThrowRA_N7 t1_iuinpuq wrote
Reply to comment by Drewismole in ELI5 Why can’t plants absorb nitrogen from the air? by Cool-Boy57
Theres also not much evolutionary pressure for plants to develop the ability to do this themselves since nitrogen availability usually isn’t as much of a problem for wild plants that aren’t getting constantly harvested and replanted rather than dying and decomposing naturally allowing their nutrients to return to the soil (also evolving an entirely new metabolic pathway with new enzymes and everything would take at least several million years)
[deleted] t1_iuinnr3 wrote
Reply to comment by [deleted] in eli5 What is gerrymandering? by Robert-Connorson
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[deleted] t1_iuinm5s wrote
TehWildMan_ t1_iuinlb2 wrote
Reply to ELI5: Why is 212 degrees Fahrenheit equal to 100 Celsius, but 50 Celsius is not 106 degrees Fahrenheit? by [deleted]
0 degrees Fahrenheit and 0 degrees Celsius aren't the same temperature.
Instead 0°C = 32°F
[deleted] t1_iuinjk9 wrote
Reply to comment by [deleted] in eli5 What is gerrymandering? by Robert-Connorson
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Miliean t1_iuinhms wrote
Reply to ELI5: English is spoken by nearly 10 billion people worldwide. How did this language become so widely used throughout many countries where English isn’t the official language? by ReesMedia
People who spoke English invaded and occupied large portions of the planet. At a certain point, the locals started learning the language of the invaders, and many years later here we are.
[deleted] t1_iuindyr wrote
Reply to eli5 What is gerrymandering? by Robert-Connorson
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[deleted] t1_iuinanm wrote
Miliean t1_iuin9ez wrote
Reply to ELI5 If the birthrate has declined by 20%, why does everything seem more crowded now? by StopCut
Say you have a population of 50 people that all live in the same town and all of them are in M/F couples (so 26 couples) and over a year every single one of them have a baby, so 26 babies.
Now you have a total town population of 76.
Now lets take that exact same town but there's 100 people living in it. Same deal, all of them are in couples, but this time only half of the couples have children (so 50 couples, 25 children) now there's a total population of 125 in the town.
The first town has a much higher birth rate, but the second town is more crowded.
dimonium_anonimo t1_iuin6nd wrote
Reply to comment by rzezzy1 in eli5 What is gerrymandering? by Robert-Connorson
I just wonder why we can't do the opposite: tell the computer to accurately represent the actual voting community as closely as possible, mathematically as perfect as we can get (without eliminating the electoral college, which would be better, but old habits (and people with money and power) die hard.
[deleted] t1_iuin5gf wrote
Reply to comment by [deleted] in eli5 What is gerrymandering? by Robert-Connorson
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Phage0070 t1_iuimxap wrote
Reply to ELI5: When a rectangular prism is rolled like a dice, why will it never land on it's end (small face) by -r-e-d-d-i-t-is-cool
Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
Loaded questions, or ones based on a false premise, are not allowed on ELI5 (Rule 6).
If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the detailed rules first. If you believe this was removed erroneously, please use this form first. If you believe this was removed erroneously, please use this form and we will review your submission.
[deleted] t1_iuimu86 wrote
Reply to comment by [deleted] in eli5 What is gerrymandering? by Robert-Connorson
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[deleted] t1_iuimu7k wrote
Reply to comment by [deleted] in eli5 What is gerrymandering? by Robert-Connorson
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jimthesquirrelking t1_iuimo8x wrote
Reply to eli5 - How can the human body be composed of 70% water when it feels and behaves like any other solid? by Virtual-Structure447
States of matter are determined by the energy of the matter and how its bond conform inside the material. The human body holds a rigid shape and doesn't just puddle into whatever container it's in. How soft pliable or squishy something is doesn't matter, only how it does or doesn't hold itself together
ThenaCykez t1_iuimg7j wrote
Reply to eli5 - How can the human body be composed of 70% water when it feels and behaves like any other solid? by Virtual-Structure447
Is a grape a solid? Is it more or less solid than a raisin?
A raisin is 15% or less water, and a grape is about 75% water. The difference in size is purely based on the removed water.
People, like grapes, can have physical structures that store a lot of water while having a relatively solid outer surface.
MeGrendel t1_iuim6nj wrote
Reply to eli5 What is gerrymandering? by Robert-Connorson
Gerrymandering is the winning side's ability to redraw congressional districts to give themselves an advantage.
In simple terms: Say you have a minority group that votes 'X' surrounded on four sides that vote 'y'. In reality you have five groups, four Y and one X.
The people who control such things redraw the lines, so that the 'X' group is broken up and merged into the predominantly 'Y' groups. The end result would be five 'Y' groups. Basically the 'X' groups votes are watered down.
This is done by all parties, whoever is in power at the time. It is allowed because it is necessary to re-draw the districts over time.
It has no bearing on the Presidential or Senatorial races. Just the House of Representatives and local elections.
gijoe50000 t1_iuim1za wrote
Reply to ELI5 How did knights participate in tournaments like jousting without killing themselves? by QuantumHamster
You could probably ask the same about boxing, UFC, freeclimbing, rugby, Formula 1, etc..
If there's a dangerous sport then some people will want to do it. And if jousting was still a thing then people would probably be lining up to participate.
[deleted] t1_iuim1x1 wrote
Reply to comment by [deleted] in eli5 What is gerrymandering? by Robert-Connorson
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cookerg t1_iuillon wrote
Reply to comment by toocoolforthebaroque in eli5 What is gerrymandering? by Robert-Connorson
Gerrymandering can be a good or bad thing. Let's say an area can elect three representatives, and lets say a third of the population is a minority group which lives spread across two or three neighbourhoods and usually votes for party A, while the rest of the population usually votes for Party B.
If you encircle those minority neighbourhoods into one district, then the minority can essentially elect one of the three representatives. If you divide up the minority group so they are spread across all three districts, then their votes may not count.
[deleted] t1_iuilgxy wrote
Reply to eli5 What is gerrymandering? by Robert-Connorson
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beardyramen t1_iuilg25 wrote
Reply to comment by breckenridgeback in ELI5: What is Newton’s third law of motion? by Youropinionisvalid
To add on this. You and a friend are astronauts in space, holding hands. We are a system. Our center of mass is between us. If you push on your friend, no EXTERNAL force acted on the system you + friend, so your center of mass shouldn't change its state of motion. For this to happen, a net force of 0 should happen between you two. Ergo, any force you apply will be reflected back to you.
But then wouldn't stuff never ever move? If forces were always equal to 0? The point is that the system you + friend experience 0 external forces, and no motion. But if you look at the system only friend he experienced an EXTERNAL force (you pushing) And if you look at the system only you, you experience an EXTERNAL force equal to your push reflected.
Each of you moves, but the overall system does not change.
The_Power_of_Ammonia t1_iuilb5i wrote
Reply to comment by ordinary_kittens in ELI5 Why are airport ceiling so high? by TrShry
>Minnesota will routinely get to 10 degrees, even zero degrees, in the middle of January at night.
This made me laugh. As a lifelong Minnesotan, you're nearly 50 degrees too warm on that estimate!
DavidRFZ t1_iuinr9w wrote
Reply to comment by s4burf in eli5 What is gerrymandering? by Robert-Connorson
And Elbridge Gerry who the technique is named after pronounced his name with a hard G.