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

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? ... 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...

What is the danger zone when talking about food safety? Can we leave meat in hot water or at room temperature to defrost it? If bacteria die from heat or say, boiled water, where do their corpses go? What is depyrogenation? ... 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 discussi...

How do cargo ship containers not topple over in rough seas? What’s the secret as to how they all stick together? How did they all become standard sizes? Who was the ‘father of containerization’ and how did he get things to change so rapidly? ... 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 basi...

Why does soap not work with hard water? Is hard water a good or bad thing? What are water softeners? Why are they banned in some places? When you buy bottled water in plastic bottles, how come they have an expiration date? How can water expire? ... 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 b...

Why do we use genetically modified organisms? What are the drawbacks? Are there any health issues with GMO foods? How did Norman Borlaug save 1 billion people? ... 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: queengonzo, thatdudeonthephone, steventhesloth, karnman, amr...

Is there a difference between ADD and ADHD? Does ADHD affect adults? How is it not just being hyper active? What goes on in the brain of someone with ADHD? Why do some people not believe in ADHD? What makes video games and people with ADHD a perfect fit? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments fo...

How does UV light sanitize? If UV is dangerous for our skin, why bother with low SPF sunscreens? How does sunscreen work? What does the SPF number measure? What sunscreen products were recalled recently? ... 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: runiat, jamaalfu...

Why is tupperware wet coming out of the dishwasher, when plates and glasses are all dry? Why do tomatoes stain in a dishwasher? What makes something dishwasher safe, or only top rack dishwasher safe? How are industrial dishwasher so much quicker than the ones at home? Which uses more water, using a dishwasher or hand washing? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive commun...

Why do we have a debt ceiling? What used to happen before it was invented? Do other countries have one? What happened in 2011 and why did it involve Apple? What was the trillion dollar coin and why are people talking about it again?   ... 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...

Why were dinosaurs and things that lived long ago so much bigger than animals today? What caused the extreme weather back then? Were oxygen levels really much higher than they are today. Were CO2 levels higher too? How are both possible?   ... 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 bas...

Is it theoretically possible that my key could unlock a second car somewhere else in the world? Why is the keyless entry system separate to the keyless ignition system? What is an immobilizer? What is a rolling code, and why is it important that my car has one?   ... We explain like i'm five!   Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and...

What are reverse mortgages in the simplest terms? What do they have to do with the singer David Bowie? What does the French origins of the word mortgage mean?   ... 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: asldkja, thameus, bunka77, world_leader_pretend, legends...

Why do we hiccup? What evolutionary function does it perform? Which of the remedies actually work to stop hiccups? Who were the people who had extended hiccups? Who won the Ig Noble Prize for hiccups?   ... 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: onemindandfles...

Why is the moon slowly moving away from the earth at 4cm per year? How do we even measure it so precisely? Why does the same side of the moon always face the earth? What is the beautiful dimensional coincidence that gives us a a perfect solar eclipse?   ... We explain like i'm five!   Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments...

Why was there a sudden change in Teflon plans in 2015? Are newer versions of Teflon safe? What is the chemical used to make Teflon that is in the bloodstream of 99.7% of Americans?   ... 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: dj_orka99, thebiga1806, doctormoda...

What happens if we sleep without them? Does it cause long term spinal problems if you sleep without one regularly? Why do babies seem to do fine without a pillow?   ... 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: starrdust322, agentelman, open_door_policy and philo...

What makes mattresses so expensive? What is the purpose of a box spring underneath? What is the best way and optimal position for humans to sleep? Why do we humans like to use a pillow to support our heads when we sleep?   ... 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 discus...

Why are all the Olympic Games money losers except the famous Los Angeles event in 1984? What did LA do differently? How does funding for the Olympics work? Why doesn't the IOC just buy an island to host the Olympics there every 4 years? Do Olympic athletes have a McDonalds in the village?   ... We explain like i'm five!   Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the followi...

Can memories be passed down to subsequent generations via genetics? What did a team at Emory University discover about genetic memory? What does it mean for medicine, in particular treatments for anxiety and phobia?   ... 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:...

Why can't we seed clouds to solve California's drought problem? How does seeding clouds even work? Which countries and states have used the technology? Who legally owns a cloud?   ... 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: grenata, ratelslangen2, irwin96, drko...

Why does pasta foam when the lid is on the pot, but the bubbles quickly disappear if I lift the lid? If all pasta is made from the same ingredients, why do we have so many pasta shapes? Did Marco Polo introduce pasta to Europe or was it all a marketing tale?   ... We explain like i'm five!   Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and co...

Is chess a sport? Why is it so popular? How did it become a global game? Why is the queen the most powerful piece on the board? When playing with a computer on low difficulty, how does it know how to play a not so great move? Do men and women play in separate tournaments?   ... We explain like i'm five!   Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose qu...

How do they build underwater tunnels? How do tunnel boring machines know where they are going? What happens when they meet in the middle? Why do underground tunnels not flood when it rains - doesn't water flow to the middle and collect?   ... We explain like i'm five!   Thank you to Carl for writing in with this week's question!   Also thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particul...

How does the ear canal and the eardrum keep itself clear of earwax? Why is only one third of your ear canal able to clear ear wax? What does your jaw have to do with ear wax removal? Did you know that people have one of two types of ear wax based on their genetics? Why have anthropologists done studies on ear wax?    ... We explain like i'm five!   Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community an...

What makes cling film sticky? Why are there competing theories for how it clings? Why is the Saran Wrap product significantly less sticky today than it was before 2004? Why does wrapping a plastic bag around your credit card help it scan?   ... 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 ba...