ELI5 Explain Like I'm 5: Bite sized answers to stuff you should know about - in a mini podcast

Who invented boba? Are bubble tea, pearl milk tea and boba all the same thing? Where is Tapioca originally from? If many people in Taiwan are lactose intolerant, how is it that milk tea would be invented there?

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Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: thedarkabys, bazinga-5713, h1deki, fiercelyfuzzy, jordans_channel_, aeolianbroadsword and llanite

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What exactly is the Higgs boson and why is it often referred to as the 'God Particle'? What is the significance of its discovery? What is a Boson? How does the Higgs Boson relate to the Big Bang Theory and the formation of the universe?

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Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: aschentei, nottherealslash, elskerelks, mazaru , dissentologist and trueeyes

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How does life insurance actually work? What is the difference between term and whole life insurance? How do life insurance companies make money if everyone already dies? How do my lifestyle and health affect my premiums? How did a horror movie use life insurance to sell movie tickets? What happened when the astronauts of Apollo 11 tried to buy life insurance?

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When did people start noticing El Niño and La Niña? What exactly are they? Where does the name come from? How do they affect global weather patterns? Do they really affect the Earth’s rotation?

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Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: impar-exspiravit, thefiercedeity, nianp, colin52 and genxcub

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Can you explain the role of a jockey during a horse race? Why do horses start side by side in a race instead of a staggered start like in human races? How does horse racing differ from dog racing, and why is the latter often frowned upon? How betting odds work in horse racing?

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How did the NATO phonetic alphabet come about? Why were specific words chosen for each letter? Has it changed over time? Why is the number 9 spoken as “niner”?

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Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: i_hate_platpi_ama, mykro76, hugepilchard, instantpowdy and randomusefulbits

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What do all the signs on an airport taxiway mean? What do the various markings and lights indicate? How are parallel runways numbered? Why does Atlanta Airport use an alternative NATO Phonetic Alphabet? 

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What is it and why is Gore-tex so special?  Aren’t there other materials that are just as waterproof? How was it discovered? Why does proper care of Gore-tex jackets involve the tumble dryer?

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How do trains maintain traction on the tracks, especially during rainy or icy conditions? How do the wheels not slip off? Why do we always see stone or gravel on train tracks? How did early trains in the 1800s make sure they didn’t collide into each other?

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What exactly is a bailout and how does it work? If a company gets bailed out with taxpayer money, shouldn’t the public now own it? Why do governments often choose to bail out banks? Why don't they just let them go under? How do CEOs from failing companies bailout with golden parachutes? Where does the money come from?

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Is it possible for a regular passenger jet to break the sound barrier by riding on a really fast jet stream? How do jet streams form in the first place? Do they change throughout the year? How are they related to the polar vortex? How do commercial aircraft make use of the jet stream?

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Is matcha Japanese or Chinese? What makes matcha different from other green teas? How is it made? What is the special whisk for? How do you tell if the matcha you’re buying is high quality? How much caffeine is in matcha?

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What else determines the quality of olive oil and what's the difference between extra virgin, virgin, and refined olive oil? How is olive oil extracted? What are the proven health benefits of consuming olive oil?

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Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: probbablyacantolope, frommerman, gcarsk, natureman123 & attackads

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How did ancient civilizations in 45 B.C. with their ancient technology know that the earth orbits the sun in 365 days? What is the exact length of an Earth year? How does the Gregorian calendar adjust for this discrepancy? There are some exceptions to leap years right? What is the Birthday Paradox? And does it apply to leap year birthdays?

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What is hypnosis capable of? Can anyone be hypnotized? Are there certain people who are more susceptible to it? Are there any potential dangers or side effects associated with hypnosis? How is hypnosis induced? Can someone put themselves into hypnosis? Can hypnosis be used to control or manipulate people against their will?

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Why does scratching eczema affected skin feel good in that moment, when it actually worsens the skin condition? Why is it that eczema often appears in small patches on the body rather than being spread out? How does hydrocortisone work to relieve itching and inflammation caused by eczema? Is Eczema contagious?

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Is there a significant difference between hand soap and body soap? Why does using bar soap often leave a "squeaky clean" feeling compared to liquid soap? How about antibacterial soap that has become popular in recent years? Is it more effective than regular soap? Is it alcohol in them that kills the bacteria?

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How do researchers accurately estimate the population of endangered species in the wild? How can the axolotl be both critically endangered and readily available in pet stores? How did the giant panda get off the endangered list? What is the process of how a species is declared endangered?

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What is the Aurora Borealis? How do the various colors come about? Why are the northern lights primarily seen at the poles? Isn’t the magnetic north moving and what does that mean for where to spot the Aurora Borealis? What would it be like to be inside an Aurora? Is it even possible? Can you see the northern lights from space?

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What is the difference between venomous and poisonous? How do snakes never get in a knot and if they do, how do they untangle themselves? Why do snakes have such potent venom? What happens when predators eat part of a snake that contains venom? Why are snakes evolving to not use their venom?

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Why was VitaminWater sued over the 33g of sugar in each bottle? How do our bodies work with artificial sweeteners? Why do diet sodas taste different to regular ones? Are artificial sweeteners a good way to lose weight? Do they cause cancer? Why nutrition labels for TicTacs list zero sugar?

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Study referenced in this episode:

Association between intake of sweetened beverages with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis

https://academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/pubmed/fdab069/6218497

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Why are onomatopoeias different in different languages? If the sound is the same, why is it that the word for the sound is different? When was the first Onomatopoeia? Why is the word ‘cliche’ an onomatopoeia?

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How does the body decide where to add or take away fat when gaining or losing weight? Why is it that lower stomach fat and lower back fat are harder to lose compared to other areas? Why does working a muscle with low weight and high volume vs high weight and low volume yield different results? Why do powerlifters wear those big belts around their waists?

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If the winter solstice is the longest night of the year, why does it mark the beginning of winter? Shouldn’t it rather mark the very middle of it? Why not have new years day be on the winter solstice? 

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Why are red, blue, and green considered primary colors for our TVs and Computer Screens, but for our printer ink, we have cyan, magenta, and yellow are primary colors in ink? What about red yellow blue as we are taught as 5 year olds? Could there be a fourth primary color?

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What are bed bugs? Can you see them? How long have they been around? We thought we had eradicated them at one point in the mid-20th century but why did they come back? Are there any health risks? How do I tell if I have them, and how does one get rid of bed bugs?

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Why is Where’s Waldo called Where’s Wally in the UK and different names in other countries? How did the illustrator come up with the idea in the first place? Has Waldo become harder to find? Why is Where’s Waldo a well known example in cryptography for zero knowledge proofs?

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Why is it called Black Friday? Why is thanksgiving always on a Thursday? Did Macys invent the thanksgiving parade? Why is American Football a thanksgiving tradition? Why is the weekend after thanksgiving the busiest day in the year for plumbers?

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This episode was originally recorded in November 2021. Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: optoomistic, jcd1974, buddythebear, and cjk_exstream

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Why aren't power lines in the US buried underground so that everyone doesn't lose power during hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters? What causes the audible electric 'buzzing' sound from overhead high voltage power lines? Why does Mozambique have some unique regulations for overhead powerlines?

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If crab fishing is so dangerous (think Deadliest Catch) why aren’t there crab farms like we have with fish? How do crabs breathe both in the water and on land? What does the phrase ‘crab mentality’ mean?

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What’s the use of the cart that pushes back the airplane? Can planes not reverse without it? How can a cup of water not spill in an airplane when the plane tips its wings to make a broad turn? Why do military planes tend to have wings above the body and commercial planes have wings underneath the body?

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Why do warmer countries/closer to the equator tend to be poorer than colder countries? Is it the temperature? Was this always the case, throughout history?  Why did the Industrial Revolution happen in Europe and England instead of somewhere else?

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If hot air rises and cold air falls, why is it generally hotter at lower elevations and colder at higher elevations? Why is the temperature near the equator hotter than at the poles of the earth? Why is Death Valley the hottest place on Earth when it’s not near the equator?

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Thank you to Robert for Pittsburgh, Pa. for writing in with this question.

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Why do we have two different types of screws?  If the Phillips head is superior, why haven’t flathead screws just been phased out over time? What are the benefits of the Allen and Torx type screws? Why do manufacturers like IKEA like to use Allen wrench screws for self assembled furniture instead of standard Phillips or flathead screws?

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Do laser beams get wider over a distance? Why are most lasers red and not white in color? What’s the difference between a powerful flashlight and a white laser? Did Albert Einstein invent the laser?

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How does siri hear me say “hey siri” if it isn’t constantly listening to my conversations or me speaking? Why are most voice assistants’ wake phrases 3 syllables? “Hey Siri”, “Alexa”, “Hey Google”. How are synthesized voices (like Alexa and Siri) made? Why did the guy who is the voice of Siri not even know his voice was being used?

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How does a country devalue their currency, and why would they want to do that? What does it mean when people say a government is manipulating a currency? And what does it mean to either ‘peg’ or ‘float’ a currency? Explain the Bretton Woods system?

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When and where did money originate? Why are there two prevailing theories for how it came about? Why are there issues with the barter theory? If not the barter theory, what’s the other theory? What are some of the interesting phrases written on paper money?

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Do Saunas and Steam rooms offer any actual health benefits? Do they help one’s skin? What happens to your body in a sauna? How can I sit in a 85 degree celsius sauna and not get burned, while water of the same temperature would scald badly? What is the Finnish connection? How do wood structures in saunas not rot or get moldy?

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How effective are ice baths and what are the benefits? How did they become so popular? Is it wrong to take a hot shower after a big meal? Is there danger from taking a shower in a thunderstorm?

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If there's 3.2 billion base pairs in the human DNA, how come there's only about 20,000 genes? What is a gene? What is the double helix? Why is it significant? Who deserves credit for the discovery of DNA? Why do some people think Rosalind Franklin should have been awarded a Nobel Prize?

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Is it true that the temperature on Saturn is hot enough for it to rain diamonds. How can this be when the planet’s so far out from the sun? And how can this be given that Saturn is a gas planet? Why does Saturn have a Hexagon on its North Pole? Why are Saturn's rings almost perfectly flat and flush with each other?

... we explain like I'm five

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: 10sans, kschoes, agate_, cessnablackbelt, jaa101, drdimebar, turboaoul81, wild_tetsujin and busterwasmycat

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How do bears manage to keep their muscles strong after hibernation? If bears can hibernate through the winter living strictly on fat, could people potentially do the same and just sit around and not eat anything? What mechanism allows seed to hibernate for thousands of years and simply wake up to the first sign of water? Would a bear that's raised domestically, including sleeping indoors, still go through hibernation?

... we explain like I'm five

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: ripghost, nesbiteme, riconquer, auswanderer, zodadoza, 7ambez, inspectormac9, coolappz and meowsaysdexter

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Why does every elevator have a "door close" button if almost none of these buttons actually work? Is it a placebo? Why do some elevators have an up and a down button on their door, when they call the elevator to your floor regardless? If an elevator is falling to the ground, would jumping right before it hits save your life? Why do engineers say a space elevator would have to be built at the equator?

... we explain like I'm five

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: benignevil, elev8torguy, different_secret4912, ansuz07, captainpatent, flexipiezo, tomrlutong, ravingrook and professorferox

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Why are there exactly four strokes in swimming? Why are the Native Americans credited with the invention of Front Crawl and why is it also called the Australian Crawl? How did Butterfly come about as a variation of breaststroke? When was the dolphin kick invented?

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What’s the difference between Pickleball and Padel? Why is it called Pickleball? Was it named after the family dog? Why is the court the same size as a badminton court? Who is investing significant money into the sport? Can Pickleball or Padel surpass tennis in popularity?

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What is the tesseract? The geometric shape, not the fictional Marvel space stone! How can we visualize a 4D shape in a 3D world? What did the great Carl Sagan say about why it’s so hard for us to imagine 4 dimensions? Who discovered the tesseract in the first place?

... we explain like I'm five

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What does a central bank do? What’s the difference between a central bank, a reserve bank and a monetary authority? Why are some people against having a federal reserve? What is a CBDC, a central bank digital currency? How is it different to crypto currencies?

... we explain like I'm five

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: reingding13, yellowjacketcoder, ronquistador, rdavidson24, sakiliya, wrsaunders, litecow and cross_keynesian

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How realistic are the Hollywood movie portrayals of amnesia compared to real-life amnesia? Why is it that when people get amnesia, they don't forget everything? Why do people with amnesia not forget their primary language for example? What’s the difference between retrograde and anterograde amnesia? Is there anything that can be done to treat or manage amnesia? Is it possible to ‘fake’ amnesia?

... we explain like I'm five

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How do French words like “cul-de-sac” and “hors d'oeuvres“ end up part of the English language without being translated to English words? Why did a language as widely spoken as Latin completely die? Why does this 'dead' language still have such a powerful presence in modern English? What is a calque? Why do some Latin phrases remain untranslated in common usage, like "status quo," "vice versa"? 

... we explain like I'm five

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: fergi20020, nmxt, schnutzel, nico87ca and phasmafelis

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