ELI5Base

ELI5 - What is this silly website called "ELI5Base" and why is it necessary?

Eli5Base is kind of like a cheap ripoff of Urban Dictionary, except instead giving definitions for the coolest hip young lingo, you can find "easy-to-understand" explanations and analogies for "things" that "intelligent" people pretend to "understand."

By Alex 1 year ago

Dinosaurs (Intelligence)

ELI5 - Dinosaurs were around for millions of years. Why didn't they become more intelligent?

Smarter doesn't always mean better. It often takes more energy to run a bigger brain. If your current level of smarts works well for your life, having a bigger brain could actually be a problem. Evolution doesn't aim for intelligence as its main goal; there are different ways to survive and reproduce without needing to be super smart.

That said, we know some dinosaurs like parrots and corvids are pretty clever. But does this mean all non-bird dinosaurs were not very smart?

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 1 month ago

Nitrogen

ELI5 - What is Nitrogen?

Nitrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 7 and symbol N. At moderate temperatures and pressures, nitrogen exists as a colorless, odorless gas. The atmosphere contains more than 78% nitrogen by mass, which is more than three times its amount of oxygen. Atoms of nitrogen have 5 valence electrons and typically 7 neutrons.

By Alex 8 months 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

Chernobyl Disaster

ELI5 - What is Chernobyl and why was it such a big disaster? Why is it still relevant?

Chernobyl was a catastrophic nuclear accident that occurred in April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. During a risky safety test, operators lost control of reactor number 4, causing a massive explosion and fire that released large amounts of radioactive particles into the atmosphere. It became the worst nuclear disaster in history, contaminating nearby areas, displacing thousands of residents, and causing long-term health problems, including increased rates of cancer. The nearby city of Pripyat became an abandoned ghost town, and the area around the reactor remains radioactive and mostly uninhabited today. The disaster highlighted major flaws in nuclear safety and transparency within the Soviet government, influencing nuclear policies globally.

By Alex 1 month ago