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

What is the difference between swiping my bank card as a credit vs. a debit? Why do you need to use credit to get rewards points?  What role does Visa and Mastercard play in the process? ... 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: bringer_of_words, tehwildman_, he...

What causes turbulence? How do airplane pilots sometimes know when they about to hit turbulence? Why have heat waves caused airlines to ‘bump’ passengers? How did Van Gough depict turbulence before physicists had even discovered it? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion, especially the following...

Why is it called Coca Cola? How did we get the nickname Coke? Where does the logo come from? Who invented it and who is responsible for all the advertising that Coca Cola has been associated with? Why is it made with different types of sugar in different parts of the world? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community whose questions and comments formed the basis of...

What two fears are we all born with? What is the most common phobia? Why are phobias categorized as specific and social phobias? Who are some famous people with phobias? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion. To the ELI5 community that has supported us so far, thanks for all your feedback and com...

What’s the difference between a pyramid scheme and a Ponzi scheme? Why is it called a Ponzi scheme? What are some of the most famous Ponzi schemes in history? ... 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: brentrs89, megatron_mclargehuge, eyeheartboobs, fifth_down, r...

How exactly does turning a device off and on fix such a wide array of tech problems? Why are you sometimes asked to turn something off and wait 20 seconds before plugging it in again? Why did ctrl-alt-delete get invented and why this particular key sequence? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comment...

Why do "bad smells" like smoke and rotting food appear to linger longer and are harder to neutralize than "good smells" like flowers or perfume? Why is the smell of garlic so hard to get rid of? Why does airplane food universally taste bad? How do our genetics affect our sense of smell and taste with herbs like cilantro / coriander? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive...

Why do European trucks have their engine below the driver compared to US trucks which have the engine in front of the driver? What are the weightstations on US interstates used for? Is Optimus Prime European or American? ... 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:...

How do ants deal with raindrops? Why don’t they hurt or drown them? How do ants cling to a surface so well that blowing at them hard doesn't budge them, even if the surface is somewhat smooth?  How do queen ants get so big? ... 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...

Why is the discovery of e=mc^2 such a big deal? How important was it really? In what way did it make smartphones possible? What was special about the way Einstein was taught algebra? Why do we always think of the iconic photo of Einstein with his tongue out? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comment...

If we breathe out carbon dioxide, why does CPR work? Why does modern CPR training de-emphasize rescue breaths? CPR manuals talk about doing 100-120 chest compressions per minute - why so much faster than the average pulse of around 60-80? What does Michael Jackson have to do with CPR? Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments...

Is it ok to pee in the swimming pool? Is pee poisonous or sterile? Which famous swimmers admitted to peeing in the pool? Why is it ok for sea creatures in the ocean, if all the creatures are peeing in there? How does urine indicator dye work? (hint it doesn’t) ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comme...

What do they mean when they say Jupiter is a "gas" planet? Could a rocket be shot through it? Can a space ship land on it? If Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is a storm, why has it been there for so long? Why was the Juno mission one of NASA’s most difficult? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments form...

How is it possible to get the caffeine out of coffee beans? How was the process accidentally discovered? What percentage of caffeine needs to be removed for it to be considered decaf? Is it true that coffee makes you want to go to the toilet? ... 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...

How common is dyslexia? How does dyslexia work? Is it genetic or environmental? Who are the famous dyslexics? Are you dyslexic in all languages? Why is the font Comic Sans notable for people with dyslexia? ... 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: blitzwolf, -mo...

Why do powdered donuts feel cold? Why are donuts often associated with the police? Where does the donut come from? How did the hole get invented? ... 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: cmonster194, speckledeggs, informationhorder, daracmarjal, liamthebobbitt,...

Why does the ampersand exist? Why do movie credits have a specific use of the ampersand? When did it stop being the 27th member of the alphabet? What does ‘per se’ mean in the context of the ampersand? Why is the ampersand written the way it is? ... 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...

How did they disprove the common assumption that our skin wrinkles or water aging occurs because water makes it swell? What did they observe and how is this fact used in the medical field today? What evolutionary purpose does wrinkled fingers serve? What other medical conditions could wrinkled fingers be linked to?   ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and i...

Why does it feel so strange to step onto a stationary escalator? What do the brush type things on the side of escalators do? Why are escalator steps jagged with the brushlike shape at the top and bottom? Why do escalator handrails often run at slightly different speeds than the steps? Why does it feel so strange to step onto a stationary escalator? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/e...

What is Occam’s Razor? Why is it so commonly misunderstood? Why do people talk about hooves and zebras when describing it? Who was Occam, and why is it his razor? What is Occam’s broom? What are other philosophical razors that we should know about? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed t...

Why is it called a bear market? How did it become used to describe financial markets? What does it have to do with bear skins? What does a stock market ‘dead cat bounce’ 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: tallahazey21, lazerslayer, azotta and willth...

We talk so much about oxygen and carbon, but 80% of the atmosphere is nitrogen. How does it fit in? Why does it not get talked about? Why does 1% of the world’s energy go into speeding up the nitrogen cycle? Why do divers know a lot about nitrogen? Why is liquid nitrogen so useful? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users who...

How did white become the standard color for golf balls, when a more vibrant color would make it easier to see as it’s flying through the air? How do TV camera people follow golf balls so accurately? How is ‘par’ determined for a golf course? And of course, the classic golf question - why are there dimples on golf balls? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community an...

Why did we settle on chicken eggs as our standard eggs? Why not quail eggs, duck eggs or even ostrich eggs? What in evolution made chickens so productive? How did cow’s milk win over goats milk or bison milk? What is the concept of the butter line and why does it matter? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose question...

What’s the difference between natural gas, gasoline and crude oil? Why doesn’t the flame from a gas stove ignite the supply line? How is natural gas transported via pipeline if it’s a gas? Why do gas pipelines have bendy sections? How come we see clean air natural gas buses, but not really any natural gas cars? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in part...