ELI5Base

ELI5 - Why would anyone use ELI5Base? Isn't it just a cheap ripoff of Reddit's /r/explainlikeimfive?

Yes, yes it is. But Reddit doesn't earn ELI5Base's owner any money started being cruel to their API users, so the developer of ELI5Base came up with this idea instead.

By Alex 2 years ago

Reddit

ELI5 - What is Reddit and why do people waste so much time on it?

Reddit is like the ultimate forum/social media website. Imagine anything that is interesting to anyone on any particular day, and then ranked by what's most interesting—basically, the most trending topics on the internet. The average human brain finds this irresistible, and can spend hours upon hours scrolling through the heaps of useful-to-useless content. That being said, there is also of course a healthier side to Reddit, where small niche communities that wouldn't otherwise exist have found each other.

By Alex 1 year ago

Human Intelligence

ELI5 - Why has no other species on the planet, living or extinct managed to get anywhere near the intelligence level humans have in terms of building/talking/inventing etc.?

Our brains use a lot of energy, which is why babies are born small and need lots of care. Intelligence is good if it doesn't make life too hard. To use our brains well, we need to talk, work together, and use our hands to make things. Cooking food with fire helped too, and humans are the first to balance these to benefit from intelligence.

Other human-like beings who were smart disappeared long ago, and finding evidence of them is difficult. Smartness is only useful if it helps have more children who survive.

Our early ancestors had good eyesight and hands for picking fruit, and later adapted to hunt for food when the earth changed. These skills helped them use their brains to survive tough times, which is rare.

By drollparadox7655 1 year ago

Human Intelligence

ELI5 - Why has no other species on the planet, living or extinct managed to get anywhere near the intelligence level humans have in terms of building/talking/inventing etc.?

Until not long ago, other human species lived on Earth; they used fire, made tools, and buried their dead. Modern humans outlived these species, but finding evidence of their existence is hard, leaving our family tree unclear. Intelligence develops when it helps beings have more offspring, but it needs the right conditions, like those after the dinosaurs when our ancestors ate fruit. Later, the African Savannah required humans to adapt, using intelligence to thrive in tougher conditions—apparently a unique and rare sequence of events.

By Alex 1 year ago

Brexit

ELI5 - What was Brexit and why was it bad? Or good?

Brexit was the UK's decision to leave the European Union (EU)—a political and economic alliance allowing countries to easily trade, travel, and share common laws. In 2016, the UK narrowly voted (52% to 48%) to exit, with supporters arguing it would allow Britain more control over immigration, save money on EU contributions, and let the UK independently negotiate global trade deals. Opponents warned it would disrupt trade, raise prices, create labor shortages, and weaken Britain's international influence. After officially leaving in January 2020, the UK faced ongoing issues like complicated trade procedures, especially around Northern Ireland’s border with Ireland, economic slowdowns, and continued debate over Brexit’s long-term value.

By Alex 6 months ago

Keith Gill

ELI5 - How did Keith Gill (AKA RoaringKitty, AKA DeepFuckingValue) turn 50k into over 200M? What's the deal with GME?

Known online as Roaring Kitty and DeepFuckingValue, Gill turned $50k into over $200M by investing in GameStop (GME) using leveraged and risky options. He believed GME was undervalued and heavily shorted by hedge funds. Gill bought call options—contracts allowing him to buy shares at a set price in the future—leveraging his investment to amplify potential gains.

He shared his analysis online, igniting a surge of retail investors who bought GME shares, leading to a short squeeze. This forced short-sellers to buy shares to cover their positions, causing the stock price to skyrocket and multiplying the value of Gill’s options. The event grew into a broader movement against Wall Street, where individual investors challenged institutional short-sellers, exposing vulnerabilities in traditional financial systems.

By Alex 1 year ago

Timbre

ELI5 - A piano and a violin can play the same note but their sound differs; you can tell them apart. How do notes differ with each instrument, but retain the characteristics of its assigned pitch?

Sounds are mainly characterized by pitch, loudness, and quality. Pitch refers to how high or low a sound is, based on the frequency of sound waves. Loudness is simply the volume of the sound. Timbre, or the quality of sound, is what makes different instruments like a piano and a violin sound distinct, even if they play the same note at the same pitch and loudness. It includes elements like harmonic content, attack, decay, and vibrato, which affect the sound's texture without altering its pitch or loudness.

Key factors in timbre are attack—the way a sound begins and reaches full volume—and overtones, which are additional frequencies present along with the main pitch. While you mainly hear the fundamental frequency or pitch of a note, overtones add depth and richness, creating the unique character of each instrument. So, when a piano and a violin play the same note, what makes them sound different are these subtle variations in how the sound starts, its overtones, and the changes in loudness throughout the note.

By drollparadox7655 1 year ago