ELI5 Explain Like I'm 5: Bite sized answers to stuff you should know about - in a mini podcast
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ELI5 Explain Like I'm 5: Bite sized answers to stuff you should know about - in a mini podcast
Explain Like I'm Five, aka ELI5, is the mini-podcast series where we take the questions you always wanted to ask, and talk about them in a way that is easy to understand. Made possible by the amazing reddit community at r/explainlikeimfive. See episode show notes for user credits.
Episodi recenti
346 episodi
ELI5 The Gold Standard - how Isaac Newton helped gold win over silver
What is the gold standard and how did it influence currency value historically? How did the transition from a gold standard to fiat currency shape mod...
ELI5 Locks and Keys - aren't there high chances that two keys are the same?
Did you know a standard lock might have thousands of combination possibilities, yet yours might open someone else's door? How does a master key work s...
ELI5 Monopoly - was it invented to criticize capitalism or crush friendships?
Did you know that the original Monopoly board was circular as well as made from cloth? How have Monopoly games evolved over the years to create more e...
ELI5 Ferris Wheels - what inspired George Ferris to invent it?
What inspired George Ferris to create the first Ferris wheel at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893? How tall was the original Ferris wheel, and what imp...
ELI5 Silica Gel Desiccants - can they be reused?
What exactly are desiccants, and why are they commonly used in packaging? How does silica gel effectively trap moisture in humid environments? Can you...
🔥 ELI5 Sleepwalking - is it dangerous to wake someone in the middle of a sleep walk?
How does sleepwalking work exactly? Are certain people more prone to it? What types of activities can sleepwalkers get up to? Are there specific trigg...
ELI5 Poker - which US president used poker to launch his election campaign?
How did Poker evolve into a cultural phenomenon beyond just a card game? What makes poker different from other casino games in terms of player competi...
ELI5 Washing Machines - more consequential than the internet?
What makes washing machines such a vital household invention in the modern world? How did washing machines transform household chores from 8-12 hours...
ELI5 LiDAR - how it sees the world?
What is LiDAR? Why is it helpful in addition to seeing things through cameras? How does LiDAR time-of-flight measure distance when light travels so fa...
ELI5 Deck of Cards - why 52 playing cards and why so mysterious?
How did we end up with the deck of cards that we use today? Did the standard 52-card deck derive from Tarot cards, and what does that mean for gamepla...
ELI5 Gout - what is it and why is the big toe a target?
What is gout, and how does it uniquely affect your body compared to other forms of arthritis? Why does gout primarily affect the big toe? How do uric...
ELI5 Rubiks Cubes - how do some people solve it in seconds?
How do competitive solvers manage to solve a Rubik's Cube in under 10 seconds, and what techniques do they use? What is the relationship between memor...
ELI5 Toilets - why are public toilets tankless unlike those at home?
Why do home toilets typically have tanks, while public toilets often don't? What are some benefits of tankless toilets in public spaces from a design...
ELI5 Black Box Flight Recorders - what’s inside the orange mystery?
Why are airplane black boxes not connected to real-time satellite data systems? What data does a black box contain and how does it contribute to impro...
ELI5 Wine - which came first, wine or beer?
Which came first, wine or beer? Is it true that the birthplace of wine is Georgia, not France or Italy? Can any wine truly age forever, or does it hav...
ELI5 Beer - why it was central to historical society?
How did ancient sailors rely on beer for hydration? What does history tell us about alcohol's role in survival? Why was beer so essential for laborers...
ELI5 Creatine - what makes it so popular and does it really make you stronger?
What is creatine, and how does it work in our body during high-intensity activities like sprinting or weightlifting? Did you know creatine boosts ATP...
ELI5 Induction Stoves - are they really faster than gas stoves?
Are induction stoves quicker than gas stoves? How does using an induction stove compare to using gas or conventional electric stoves? What is the secr...
ELI5 Muscle Knots - do muscles really get in knots and what causes them?
What is really going on when you get a bump in your back or neck muscle that hurts when you press on it? Do muscles really get knots? How do they form...
ELI5 Berries - is the banana really a berry?!
What surprising fruit is botanically classified as a berry but often confuses people in everyday conversation? How do the definitions of ""berry"" and...
ELI5 Paper Sizes - why paper sizes in the US are different?
What’s the historical reason for the U.S. using "Letter" paper size over the international standard A4 paper? What inconveniences do people face in No...
ELI5 Defibrillators - why AEDs at malls differ from those on TV?
What exactly is a defibrillator? Why is the analogy of jump starting a car incorrect? What’s happening in the heart when a shock is delivered? What is...
ELI5 Dragons - why do dragons exist across almost every culture?
Why do dragons capture our imagination across different cultures and eras when it isn't a real creature? What psychological factors contribute to our...
ELI5 Invisalign – are they better than braces?
Could jaw surgery be the faster solution for realigning teeth, and what are the risks? How exactly does wearing Invisalign gradually shift your teeth...
ELI5 Stoicism - what are the four Stoic values?
What is Stoicism, and how does it apply to our modern lives today? How does Stoicism differ from popular self-help interpretations of its principles?...
ELI5 Panama Canal - why did the original French attempt fail?
What makes the Panama Canal’s lock system so essential compared to the Suez Canal’s lack of locks? How do locks help manage the canal’s significant el...
ELI5 Blood Types - do animals have different blood types just like humans?
What fascinating adaptations led to the evolution of diverse blood types in humans over millennia? How does our immune system interact with foreign en...
ELI5 Fish Oil - if it’s so good for you, why not use it more for cooking?
Does fish oil actually help? What makes it help? What are the specific types of Omega-3 that are good for you? If it’s so good for us why not use it m...
ELI5 Traffic Lights - why not use pressure sensors?
How intelligent are traffic light systems? What sensors are used? Why not use pressure sensors under the pavement? How do traffic systems coordinate a...
ELI5 GPUs - why are they better than CPUs for artificial intelligence?
What distinguishes CPUs from GPUs in architecture, and how does this impact their performance in computing tasks? Why are GPUs considered better at ha...
ELI5 Sunrise - why do sunrise and sunset look different?
What makes sunrises and sunsets visually unique experiences despite being technically the same phenomenon? Why do atmospheric conditions lead to warme...
ELI5 Sliced Bread - why is it the greatest thing since…
What makes sliced bread the “greatest thing since” anything? How did the invention of sliced bread in 1928 change consumer habits? Why do traditional...
ELI5 Nautical Miles - why are they different from the regular mile?
We explain the fascinating concept of nautical miles, an essential unit for navigating our oceans. What exactly is a nautical mile, and how does it re...
ELI5 AA Batteries - how did AA type batteries become standard and what about the A battery?
What makes AA batteries the go-to choice for so many devices when alternatives exist? Why do we have so many different battery sizes like AA, AAA, C,...
ELI5 Meditation - Can meditation really change your brain?
How does meditation physically alter our brain’s grey matter? Is it true that the amygdala shrinks after mindfulness meditation? How do Tibetan monks...
ELI5 Wolves - why are there big cats but not big dogs in the wild?
Why are there big cats but not big dogs in the wild while there are lots of big cats? Why are wolves so hard to tame? How were prehistoric men able to...
ELI5 E. Coli - what is it and why isn’t it all bad?
What exactly is E. coli, and why should we care about it? Why is it used a lot in scientific research? What does E. coli pop up often in food contamin...
ELI5 Schrödinger's Cat - is the cat both dead and alive and why does it matter in quantum mechanics?
Explain Schrödinger's Cat in simple terms. Why did Erwin Schrödinger propose this thought experiment in the first place? What was Schrödinger trying t...
ELI5 Rare Earth Metals - why they aren’t actually rare?
What makes these metals so special and why are they called ‘rare’? What technologies are they used in? Why are they so hard to substitute? Where are t...
ELI5 LASIK - how exactly does it fix your vision?
What exactly is LASIK, and how does it differ from other vision correction procedures? Is it painful? How does it differ from PRK as a procedure? How...