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

Why can't we just throw our trash into volcanoes to incinerate it? Why do some volcanoes erupt explosively while others have gentle lava flows? Why is Yellowstone National Park considered a super volcano? Which volcano created the loudest sound ever recorded? Can we use volcanos as energy sources? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the fol...

How are lab grown diamonds made? Are they exactly the same? Why do they have different prices and resale values? Which is more environmentally friendly? How have cultural and social attitudes evolved? ... 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: pahpichulo, greenst...

How do MRIs work? Why are they so expensive? Why are they so noisy? Are MRIs related to other scans like x-rays, CT scans and PET scans? Why aren’t full body MRIs more part of routine checkups? Why are they so expensive? If there is iron in our blood, is this affected by the magnetic fields in an MRI? Why was there controversy with the nobel prize awarded for MRI technology? ... we explain like I'...

Why do military planes like the Hercules C-130 and Airbus A400M military transport planes use propellers instead of jet engines? What makes them more versatile for shorter runways? Why is a turboprop engine not the same as regular piston propeller engines? Explain the difference between a turbojet, turbofan and turboprop. ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community...

How did we even measure it if it’s so fast? Why can’t anything go faster than the speed of light? If I were to take a really really really (light years) long stick and push something on the end of it, would it happen “instantly”? What are some of the loopholes that would allow us to theoretically exceed the speed of light? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community...

How are QR Codes better than regular barcodes? How do they work? The fourth corner square is kinda important - what kind of processing is going on for a QR code to be decoded? Why is error correction so important in QR codes? ... 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...

What exactly is a Dyson Sphere? What materials would be required? What is a Dyson Swarm and a Dyson Bubble? Could any other civilizations have built a dyson sphere already? ... 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: apprehensivemedia999, loki-l, kriss3d and joush...

Are the 100+ year old skyscrapers still safe? How do skyscrapers get built straight up without any leaning or imperfections or off angle walls? How does the concrete get poured so perfectly? How have designs changed over the years? What NYC had a 6% chance of falling in any given year? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users...

How did Shigeru Miyamoto come up with Mario, and how has this character evolved over the years? How is it that the first Mario Bros. game was about 32kb, but a JPEG of the game is over 300kbs in 2023? What made the game mechanics so special? Why is the first level of Super Mario still studied today? Who is the real-life Mario that the character is named after? ... we explain like I'm five Thank yo...

How does a lie detector test work? If people don’t trust their accuracy, why do agencies like the FBI and CIA still use polygraph tests? How is a polygraph test actually conducted? Are there any proven methods or techniques to "beat" a polygraph test? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments forme...

Why does the moon perfectly cover the sun during a total solar eclipse? What's the difference between total, partial, and annular solar eclipses? It’s dangerous to look at the sun during a solar eclipse without proper protection, but is it more dangerous than staring directly at the sun when there isn’t an eclipse? How frequently do we get solar eclipses? Any tips for those wanting to photograph o...

If all the cells in a person’s body have their individual DNA imprinted in them, then what happens after an organ transplant? Does the organ eventually adapt the DNA of the recipient or is the donor’s DNA permanently a part of the recipient? Do donated organs age according to the donor´s age or do they adapt to the age of the new body? Why do some countries have much higher percentages of people d...

What are the two reasons that 1 is not classified as a prime number? How did the definition of prime numbers evolve? What is Euclid’s theorem and how does it relate to prime numbers? Explain the Twin Prime Conjecture. How do prime numbers play a crucial role in encryption methods, especially in securing digital communication? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive commun...

What exactly causes a burp, and why does it happen? How do cows and their burps play a role in greenhouse gas emissions? When they say  “livestock are responsible for burping the methane equivalent of 3.1 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually" what does the methane equivalent of CO2 mean? Where was the world’s loudest burp recorded? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to th...

Why do we feel the urge to yawn just by seeing or hearing someone else do it? Do animals yawn? Why do we yawn when bored or tired? Is the oxygen explanation a myth? Why does everything sound muffled when I yawn? Why do I tear up when I yawn? ... 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 were the Olympics so strict about amateurism in the first place? Why were professionals not allowed initially? Who was disqualified for being a professional? How did the lines between amateur and professional blur? Are there any sports left in the Olympics that still maintain that strict amateur status? ... we explain like I'm five To the ELI5 community that has supported us so far, thanks for...

Why should we ‘eject’ before physically removing a USB device? Who came up with the idea of USB in the first place? What is ‘juice jacking’ and why do we need to watch out for it? ... 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: perkovic15, nmxt, admiralakbar1, thezhou...

What causes a sore throat? Why is it that alcohol, which is a disinfectant, doesn’t cure a sore throat? Why is honey a popular remedy? Explain the science behind the "lump in your throat" feeling. Did George Washington die of a sore throat? ... 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...

What exactly is a Dyson Sphere? What materials would be required? What is a Dyson Swarm and a Dyson Bubble? Could any other civilizations have built a dyson sphere already? ... 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: apprehensivemedia999, loki-l, kriss3d and joush...

How does collagen differ from other proteins? What are the different types of collagen? Is there a way to slow down collagen loss as we age? What is the relationship between collagen and gelatin? ... 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: leosar, kkl81, leg3ndwa...

Why is the Mona Lisa the most famous painting in the world when many other paintings are technically harder? How was it stolen? Who is Lisa? What is so captivating about her smile? What happened to Louvre visitor numbers after the painting was stolen? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments forme...

Is there a nutritional difference between frozen and fresh blueberries? Why do some blueberries taste sweet while others are tart? How are blueberries cultivated, and what are the different types? Does the "blue raspberry" exist? What is Bluetooth’s connection to blueberries? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose que...

Why has the three body problem been puzzling mathematicians for centuries? What is a real world example? What is its connection to chaos theory? Who wrote the famous fiction novel? Is there really any solar system out there like described in the book and Netflix series? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions...

How did we go from secret handshakes to digital codes? Explain “something you know, something you have, and something you are”. Where was the first computer password invented? Why are SMS codes considered not that secure? Which former CIA director had their phone compromised via a teenage phone hack? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the...

What is low earth orbit and how does it enable Starlink to deliver high quality internet? Do they need regulatory approval to operate in each country? With so many satellites, space debris and the risk of collisions must be a major concern - how does SpaceX manage these risks? Weren’t there some near misses early on? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and i...